IJP publishes original research, systematic reviews, clinical trials, methodological advances, and data resources that advance pain medicine and pain science. Submissions should demonstrate rigorous methods, clear diagnostic criteria, and clinical or translational relevance.

• Title page with author names, affiliations, and corresponding author details
• Structured abstract with objectives, methods, results, and conclusions
• Introduction that defines the clinical context and research gap
• Methods with study design, inclusion criteria, and protocol details
• Results with validated outcomes, effect sizes, and confidence intervals
• Discussion linking findings to clinical care or mechanistic insight
• Conclusion highlighting key contributions and future directions

• Use clear headings and consistent terminology
• Define abbreviations and clinical codes at first use
• Provide units and reference ranges for laboratory values
• Include figure legends that describe sample sizes and data sources
• Prepare tables in editable format with clear headings
• Label supplementary files clearly and reference them in the text

• Provide institutional review board approvals and consent statements
• Follow CONSORT for clinical trials and STROBE for observational studies
• Use PRISMA for systematic reviews and ARRIVE for animal studies
• Disclose conflicts of interest and funding sources
• Describe limitations and generalizability

Authors should provide data availability statements and, when possible, deposit data in trusted repositories. Code or analysis pipelines should be shared or documented to support reproducibility.

• Include accession numbers or repository links
• Describe preprocessing and quality control steps
• Document software versions and computational environments
• State any access restrictions for sensitive data

• Submit high resolution figures in standard formats
• Label axes and include units for quantitative plots
• Provide color blind friendly palettes when possible
• Ensure tables are editable and include footnotes

• Ensure references are complete and consistent
• Include DOIs where available
• Use standard citation formats
• Confirm all in text citations appear in the reference list

Clinical trials should include registration identifiers and follow applicable regulatory requirements. Observational studies using registries should describe data governance and consent limitations.

• Provide trial registration numbers when applicable
• Describe primary and secondary endpoints
• Report adverse events and safety monitoring
• Include protocol deviations and amendments

IJP uses single blind peer review. Reviewers evaluate study rigor, data quality, and clarity of reporting. Initial decisions are typically issued within 12 days depending on reviewer availability.

Accepted manuscripts move to production for copyediting, proof review, and DOI registration. Articles are published under CC BY 4.0 to support open access reuse with attribution.

Authors should review proofs promptly to confirm accuracy of figures, tables, and metadata.

APCs are applied after acceptance and cover peer review management, production, and archiving services. Partial waivers may be available for eligible authors. Contact the editorial office for guidance.

• Scope alignment confirmed
• Data availability statement included
• Diagnostic criteria and staging documented
• Cover letter prepared with scope summary
• Ethics and consent statements included
• Report diagnostic criteria and ICD coding for pain conditions studied.
• Provide pain intensity measures (VAS, NRS, McGill) with scoring interpretation.
• Define acute versus chronic pain duration and onset clearly.
• Describe analgesic regimens, dosing schedules, and tapering protocols.
• Report opioid exposure using morphine milligram equivalents when applicable.
• Clarify neuropathic pain assessment tools and sensory testing methods.
• Describe interventional procedures with technique details and imaging guidance.
• Include multimodal pain management strategies and care pathways.
• Report functional outcomes, disability scores, and quality of life measures.
• Document comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, or sleep disruption.
• Define adverse events, safety monitoring, and clinical endpoints clearly.
• Describe handling of missing data, confounders, and subgroup analyses.
• Provide data availability statements and access conditions for sensitive datasets.
• Document ethics approvals, informed consent, and patient privacy safeguards.
• Report baseline pain duration, location, and previous treatment history.
• Include model validation metrics and calibration details for predictive studies.
• State whether imaging, EMG, or diagnostic blocks were used and why.
• Describe non-pharmacologic interventions such as PT, CBT, or mindfulness.
• Provide baseline demographic tables with comedications and risk factors.
• Include biomarkers or inflammatory markers when relevant.
• Clarify anesthesia or sedation protocols for procedural pain studies.
• Report imaging reader blinding, inter-rater reliability, or adjudication procedures.
• Describe quality control for laboratory assays and external proficiency testing.
• Include definitions for treatment response, remission, or relapse outcomes.
• Provide statistical power calculations or justification for sample size.
• Report secondary endpoints and exploratory analyses separately.
• Describe patient reported outcome measures and validation sources.
• State regulatory or trial registration identifiers when applicable.
• Provide statements on data sharing, reuse, and repository access.
• Explain limitations and generalizability for clinical implementation.
• Specify sample handling, storage temperatures, and processing timelines for biospecimens.
• Report comorbidity indices and medication interactions that may affect outcomes.
• Describe criteria for treatment response or nonresponse classifications.
• Include protocol for assessment repeatability and inter-rater variation.
• Explain adjustments for confounders such as age, sex, or socioeconomic factors.
• Provide patient flow diagrams and attrition details for each study stage.
• Include imaging or procedural scoring systems and threshold definitions used.
• Report hospitalization, emergency visits, or readmission outcomes when applicable.
• Clarify rationale for inclusion of control or comparator groups.
• Describe patient monitoring intervals and follow up adherence strategies.
• Explain criteria for noninvasive pain assessment and cutoff values.
• Provide details on procedure timing, positioning, and safety monitoring.
• Report surveillance intervals for high risk pain patients when relevant.
• Describe nutritional, sleep, and activity assessments when applicable.
• Include patient education or adherence interventions used in the study.
• Clarify definitions for acute flare versus persistent pain episodes.
• Describe criteria for functional improvement endpoints when measured.
• Provide a structured abstract with clear objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.
• Use consistent pain management terminology and define abbreviations at first use.
• Include a data availability statement with repository links or accession numbers.
• Report statistical tests, effect sizes, and confidence intervals where applicable.
• Describe patient cohorts, inclusion criteria, and pain staging methods.
• Provide clear figure legends and indicate sample sizes and data sources.
• Confirm references include DOIs where available and match in text citations.
• Disclose funding sources, grant numbers, and potential conflicts of interest.
• Report ethical approvals and informed consent requirements.
• Include a brief limitations statement that addresses generalizability.
• State whether preprints exist and disclose prior dissemination.
• Describe how raw data and code can be accessed, including access controls.
• Provide trial registration identifiers when applicable.
• Include laboratory reference ranges and clinical units for key measures.
• Describe adverse event reporting and safety monitoring procedures.
• Clarify primary and secondary endpoint definitions and timing.

For questions about formatting or submission steps, contact [email protected].

IJP is committed to rigorous, transparent publishing in pain medicine and multidisciplinary care. We emphasize reproducible clinical methods, clear reporting of diagnostic criteria, and ethical compliance across all article types.

The editorial office supports authors, editors, and reviewers with clear guidance and responsive communication. For questions about scope or workflow, contact [email protected].

We encourage continuous improvement in reporting practices and share updates that help the community maintain high standards in pain management research and clinical practice.