Pain Phenotypes in Rare Musculoskeletal and Neuromuscular Diseases

•Acute & chronic pain are highly prevalent in rare musculoskeletal and neuromuscular diseases.•Chronic pain in rare conditions typically develops as a result of cumulative musculoskeletal deformities, peripheral neuropathy, or central sensitization.•Improved phenotyping of pain may be achieved with multidimensional pain assessment tools.•Imaging (e.g. MRI & PET/CT) may assist in better quantifying disease severity and identifying peripheral and central sources of pain.•Parallel research strategies and analgesic treatment approaches may be applied across distinct rare conditions.