What you should know about neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is chronic pain, often caused by advanced neurological disease or by infections and medical conditions. Once chronic neuropathic pain is present, it can flare up at any time, even without an obvious pain event or factor.

Usually, pain is not caused by nerves, but by injury or disease. For example, if a book falls on your leg, the nervous system sends pain signals as soon as the book touches it. With neuropathic pain, pain is usually not triggered by an event or injury, but the body still sends pain signals to the brain. The pain may be continuous or it may be intermittent. Nerve pain tends to get worse over time.
The most common causes of neuropathic pain can be divided into 4 main categories: Illness, trauma, infection and limb loss.
1.1 Caused by Medical Conditions Neuropathic pain can be a symptom or complication of several medical conditions. These include multiple sclerosis, multiple myeloma, and other types of cancer. Not all people with these conditions will experience neuropathic pain, but it can be a problem for some people with underlying medical conditions. For example, diabetes is one of the causes of neuropathic pain.
People with diabetes often experience loss of sensation and numbness, followed by pain, burning, and stinging in the limbs and fingers.
Excessive alcohol use over a long period of time can cause many complications, including chronic nerve pain.
Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful condition with severe nerve pain on one side of the face. This is one of the most common types of nerve pain and it can happen for no apparent reason.
Cancer treatment can also cause nerve pain. Chemotherapy and radiation can both affect the nervous system and cause abnormal pain signals.

1.2 Trauma Trauma to tissues, muscles, or joints are uncommon causes of neuropathic pain. But injuries to the back, legs, and hips can cause long-term damage to nerves. While trauma can heal, damage to the nervous system may not be able to heal and may cause persistent pain for years after the accident. Herniated discs and spinal cord compression can also damage the nerve fibers around the spine.
1.3 Due to infection Infection is very rare but can cause neuropathic pain. Shingles caused by the reactivated chickenpox virus can cause nerve pain for several weeks. Nerve pain in the back of the neck is a rare complication of shingles that is associated with persistent nerve pain.
Syphilis infection can also lead to unexplained burning, stinging pain.
1.4 Loss of a limb An uncommon form of nerve pain called phantom limb syndrome, this syndrome can occur when an arm or leg is amputated but the brain still thinks it is receiving pain signals from the muscle part may be removed. This is because the nerves near the amputation are misbehaving and sending the wrong signals to your brain.
1.5 Other causes Other causes of nerve pain include:
Vitamin B deficiency Carpal tunnel syndrome Thyroid problems Facial nerve problems Arthritis in the spine

Although the symptoms of neuropathic pain can vary from person to person, the following are common:
Burning or throbbing sensation Tingling, numbness, or pricking sensation Spontaneous or pain that occurs without stimulus There is a sensation of intense pain but no painful events, such as pain when hearing rubbing sounds or when in cold temperatures. Difficulty sleeping Have emotional problems due to chronic pain such as insomnia and difficulty expressing emotions.

The goal of neuropathic pain treatment is to identify the underlying disease or condition causing the pain and treat it if possible. In addition, another important goal is to reduce pain and improve quality of life.
The most common treatments for nerve pain include:
3.1 Taking over-the-counter pain relievers Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Aleve, Motrin are also sometimes used to treat nerve pain. . However, many people find these drugs ineffective for neuropathic pain because they do not target the source of the pain.
3.2 Prescription Medication Topical analgesics that can be used in the treatment of neuropathic pain include lidocaine patches, capsaicin patches, ointments, and prescription creams. Opioid pain relievers are not usually used because they do not relieve various types of pain. In addition, doctors may not want to prescribe this drug for fear that the patient may become dependent.
3.3 Antidepressants Two common types of antidepressants prescribed to people with this condition are tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. These medications can treat both pain and symptoms of depression or anxiety caused by chronic pain.

3.4 Anticonvulsants Antiepileptic and anticonvulsant drugs are also used in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Among them, Gabapentinoids are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the treatment of neuropathic pain. The researchers believe that these drugs interfere with pain signals and prevent faulty transmission.
3.5 Nerve blockade The doctor may inject steroids, a local anesthetic, or other pain relievers into the nerves thought to be responsible for intense pain signals. However, these blocks only have a temporary effect, so they must be used repeatedly to continue working.
3.6 Implantable Device This invasive procedure requires a surgeon to implant a device in the body. Some devices can be used in the brain and some in the spine. Nerve impulses can block abnormal nerve signals and control symptoms. This method is usually only used in people who have not responded well to other treatment options.
3.7 Lifestyle Improvement Methods Physical and mental therapies are also used to relieve symptoms of neuropathic pain. These forms of treatment can help soothe the muscles. Your health care provider can also teach you how to deal with pain.

If a doctor can identify the underlying cause of the nerve pain, then treatments can reduce and even eliminate the pain.
For example, diabetes is a common cause of neuropathic pain. Therefore, proper diabetes care, including a healthy diet and regular exercise, can eliminate or reduce nerve pain.
Neuropathic pain can have a negative impact on life if steps are not taken to treat and prevent worsening of symptoms. Finding the right treatment options can take time, but patients and doctors can work together to reduce symptoms of the condition.
Nerve pain can leave many complications for sufferers, so it is very important to examine and detect nerve pain. Currently, Vinmec is implementing a lot of periodic health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a very favorable price policy, including:
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Reference source: healthline.com