About neuropathic pain (nerve pain)

What is neuropathic pain (nerve pain)?

Neuropathic pain is a pain condition that’s usually chronic. It’s usually caused by chronic, progressive nerve disease, and it can also occur as the result of injury or infection.

If you have chronic neuropathic pain, it can flare up at any time without an obvious pain-inducing event or factor. Acute neuropathic pain, while uncommon, can occur as well.

Typically, non-neuropathic pain (nociceptive pain) is due to an injury or illness. For example, if you drop a heavy book on your foot, your nervous system sends signals of pain immediately after the book hits.

With neuropathic pain, the pain isn’t typically triggered by an event or injury. Instead, the body just sends pain signals to your brain unprompted.

People with this pain condition may experience shooting, burning pain. The pain may be constant, or may occur intermittently. A feeling of numbness or a loss of sensation is common, too.

Neuropathic pain tends to get worse over time.

About 1 in 3 Americans experience chronic pain. Of those, 1 in 5 experience neuropathic pain.

A 2014 study estimated that as many as 10 percent of Americans experience some form of neuropathic pain.

Understanding the possible causes can help you find better treatments and ways to prevent the pain from getting worse over time.

What are the symptoms for neuropathic pain (nerve pain)?

Each person’s symptoms of neuropathic Pain may vary slightly, but these symptoms are common:

  • shooting, burning, or stabbing pain
  • tingling and numbness, or a “pins and needles” feeling
  • spontaneous pain, or Pain that occurs without a trigger
  • evoked pain, or Pain that’s caused by events that are typically not painful — such as rubbing against something, being in cold temperatures, or brushing your hair
  • a chronic sensation of feeling unpleasant or abnormal
  • difficulty sleeping or resting
  • emotional problems as a result of chronic pain, loss of sleep, and difficulty expressing how you’re feeling

What are the causes for neuropathic pain (nerve pain)?

Many conditions -- such as diabetes, shingles, and cancer -- may cause injury and nerve pain. Some people develop nerve pain for no known reason.

It is important to try to find the underlying cause of your nerve pain, such as uncontrolled diabetes, and seek appropriate treatment for it. It may help ease your pain and stop the progression of damage. But be sure you seek treatment for your pain too.

What are the treatments for neuropathic pain (nerve pain)?

A goal of neuropathic pain treatment is to identify the underlying disease or condition that’s responsible for the pain, and treat it, if possible.

An important goal is that your doctor will aim to provide pain relief, help you maintain typical capabilities despite the pain, and improve your quality of life.

The most common treatments for neuropathic pain include:

Over-the-counter pain medication

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Aleve and Motrin, are sometimes used to treat neuropathic pain.

However, many people find these medicines aren’t effective for neuropathic pain because they don’t target the source of the pain.

Prescription medication

Opioid pain medications don’t usually reduce neuropathic pain as well as they reduce other types of pain. Plus, doctors may hesitate to prescribe them for fear that a person may become dependent.

Topical pain relievers can be used, too. These include lidocaine patches, capsaicin patches, and prescription-strength ointments and creams.

Antidepressant drugs

Antidepressant medications have shown great promise in treating symptoms of neuropathic pain.

Two common types of antidepressant drugs are prescribed to people with this condition:

These may treat both the pain and symptoms of depression or anxiety caused by chronic pain.

Anticonvulsants

Anti-seizure medications and anticonvulsants are often used to treat neuropathic pain. Gabapentinoids are most commonly prescribed for neuropathic pain.

It’s not clear why anti-seizure drugs work for this condition, but researchers believe the medications interfere with pain signals and stop faulty transmissions.

Nerve blocks

Your doctor may inject steroids, local anesthetics, or other pain medications into the nerves that are thought to be responsible for the wayward pain signals. These blocks are temporary, so they must be repeated in order to keep working.

Implantable device

This invasive procedure requires a surgeon to implant a device in your body. Some devices are used in the brain and some are used in the spine.

Once a device is in place, it can send electrical impulses into the brain, spinal cord, or nerves. The impulses may stop the irregular nerve signals and control symptoms.

These devices are typically used only in individuals who haven’t responded well to other treatment options.

Lifestyle treatments

Physical, relaxation, and massage therapies are all used to relieve symptoms of neuropathic pain. These forms of treatment can help ease muscles.

Your healthcare provider can also teach you ways to cope with your pain.

For example, some people with neuropathic pain may experience increased symptoms after sitting for several hours. This might make desk jobs difficult to perform.

A physical therapist or occupational therapist can teach you techniques for sitting, stretching, standing, and moving to prevent pain.

What are the risk factors for neuropathic pain (nerve pain)?

Neuropathic Pain (Nerve Pain) is a type of pain that is commonly persistent.

Risk factors for the Neuropathic Pain (Nerve Pain)
Individuals,

  • With Diabetes, particularly if your blood sugar levels are not under control
  • Consuming alcohol regularly
  • Vitamins deficiency, especially B vitamins
  • Infections including HIV, hepatitis B and C, shingles, Epstein-Barr virus, Lyme disease, and Lyme disease
  • Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are autoimmune illnesses in which your immune system assaults your own tissues.
  • Diseases of the kidney, liver, or thyroid
  • The presence of toxins
  • Repetitive movements, such those required for some jobs
  • Family members that have neuropathy


Diagnosis for Neuropathic Pain (Nerve Pain)

A doctor will examine you and perform a physical exam to determine whether you have neuropathic pain. They might inquire as to how you would describe your discomfort, when it happens, or whether something in particular set it off. Your neuropathic pain risk factors will also be discussed with the doctor, who may also order blood and nerve tests.

Symptoms
Shooting, scorching, stabbing, or electric shock-like pain,Spontaneous pain,Evoked pain,Pain that's caused by events that are typically not painful - such as rubbing against something, being in cold temperatures, or brushing your hair,A chronic sensation of feeling unpleasant or abnormal,Difficulty sleeping or resting
Conditions
Spinal nerve compression or inflammation,Trauma or surgeries with resulting nerve damage,Nerve compression or infiltration by tumors,Central nervous system disorders,Complex regional pain syndrome
Drugs
Aleve,Motrin,Tricyclic antidepressants,Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors,Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Topiramate, Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine, Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, Venlafaxine, Duloxetine

Is there a cure/medications for neuropathic pain (nerve pain)?

Neuropathic Pain (Nerve Pain) is frequently described as a shooting or burning agony. Although it is typically chronic, it is also reversible.

  • Sometimes it comes and goes; other times, it is relentless and intense. It frequently results from nerve injury or a sick, nervous system.
  • Changes in nerve function both at the location of the injury and in the vicinity are the result of nerve damage.
  • When you experience persistent neuropathic pain, it might come on suddenly and without any clear cause. It can be uncommon, and acute neuropathic pain can also happen.


Treatment

  • Your doctor will examine you physically and record your medical history. Your doctor will be able to tell if you have nerve damage if they are aware of it or suspect it.
  • Then, your healthcare professional will track the symptoms of the neuropathy and attempt to determine its underlying cause.
  • And then your doctor will treat your neuropathic pain (nerve pain). There are some other treatments mentioned below.
  • Neuropathic pain is typically treated with multimodal therapy, which may include medications, physical therapy, psychiatric counselling, and occasionally surgery.
  • Medicate the underlying illness (for example, radiation or surgery to shrink a tumor that is pressing on a nerve).
  • Improve the quality of life.


Symptoms
Shooting, scorching, stabbing, or electric shock-like pain,Spontaneous pain,Evoked pain,Pain that's caused by events that are typically not painful - such as rubbing against something, being in cold temperatures, or brushing your hair,A chronic sensation of feeling unpleasant or abnormal,Difficulty sleeping or resting
Conditions
Spinal nerve compression or inflammation,Trauma or surgeries with resulting nerve damage,Nerve compression or infiltration by tumors,Central nervous system disorders,Complex regional pain syndrome
Drugs
Aleve,Motrin,Tricyclic antidepressants,Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors,Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Topiramate, Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine, Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, Venlafaxine, Duloxetine

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