Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most prevalent chronic systemic diseases worldwide. Pain is the primary concern of individuals with RA and may have various etiologies, ranging from nociceptive mechanisms to central processing dysregulation. Recommendations for RA treatment can be divided into pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, such as exercise, patient education and self-management strategies. Pain neuroscience education has been shown to provide benefits in pain reduction, disability, catastrophizing, and physical performance in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. However, there is no consensus about the essential knowledge for this population. Therefore, investigating the educational needs of this population is essential for developing patient-centered treatment strategies.

To evaluate whether pain is among the health education needs of individuals diagnosed with RA in Brazil.

A mixed cross-sectional study was conducted by means of an online form, with a convenience sample. Participants were individuals over 18 years of age, with an RA diagnosis, recruited via social media. The form was divided into sections of sociodemographic data and educational needs, including pain, through both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The data were analyzed descriptively and tabulated in Microsoft Excel.

The study included 192 participants diagnosed with RA, 185 females and 7 males, with an average age of 47.7 years. Among the educational needs, the question 'Why do I feel pain?' was the third most relevant, with 72.9% of participants rating it as extremely important, 15.6% as very important, and 11.5% as important. Additionally, it is important to note that the topic of 'pain' also appeared in the qualitative data collected from the open-ended question, where participants were asked about information they considered important to know (e.g., 'How to identify if the pain I feel is from arthritis or another cause' and 'The struggle to prove the chronic pain of rheumatoid arthritis'), highlighting the significance of this information for this population.

Brazilian individuals with RA require information about pain, and this study may contribute to future research focused on developing educational materials tailored to these needs.

This study highlights the need to incorporate pain-related information into treatment protocols, utilizing educational strategies that aim to support self-management and enhance disease education.