Neuropathic pain
What is neuropathic pain?
Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain condition usually caused by an injury, disease, or infection. It occurs when nerves in the central nervous system become injured or damaged.
What are the common causes of neuropathic pain?
While injury, disease, infection are common causes there are some other things that can also cause this pain:
- Surgery
- Vitamin B deficiency
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Thyroid problems
- Facial nerve problems
- Arthritis in the spine
What are the symptoms of neuropathic pain?
Each individual's symptoms vary. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Burning, stabbing, or shooting pains
- "Pins and needles" feeling
- Pain that occurs without trigger
- Pain caused by events that normally wouldn't cause pain such as brushing your hair
- Chronic sensation of feeling abnormal
- Difficulty resting/sleeping
- Emotional problems
How is neuropathic pain diagnosed?
Your provider will first look at your medical history and if there's any previous neurological damage, they'll then complete a physical exam, and a diagnostic test confirming a neurological disease that explains the pain.
How can neuropathic pain be treated?
Once the underlying cause or disease is determined, your provider may discuss treatment options including:
- OTC pain medication
- Prescription medication
- Antidepressant drugs
- Anticonvulsants
- Nerve blocks
- Lifestyle treatments
Finding an appropriate pain management plan
When determining an appropriate pain management plan, it is important to take the following steps.
When developing an appropriate pain management plan for chronic pain, the most critical factor is to determine the stressor and the cause of the pain. For example, if you are having back pain - where is the pain coming from? Is it related to your posture? Is it related to stress? Maybe you regularly lift heavy objects?
Once the stressor is identified, short-term interventions may be added to your pain management plan to help ease your pain, so you are comfortable enough to make adjustments to your lifestyle. Medications, injections, or surgery are some options that can help reduce inflammation. It is very important to know that opioids should not be used to treat chronic pain - they are not the answer for this type of pain.
The next step is to make lifestyle adjustments. These may include physical and occupational therapy to increase strength, daily exercise, massage therapy, chiropractic care, etc. Treatment with exercise will provide a long-term pain solution.
Inactivity leads to stiff muscles, decreased mobility, and decreased strength - all of these can worsen the symptoms of chronic pain. Gradually becoming more active will improve flexibility, reduce inflammation, and strengthen the muscles around joints.
The first step to finding an appropriate treatment plan for chronic pain is to talk with your primary care provider. If your provider finds it appropriate, referrals can be made to the Pain Clinic at Crossing Rivers Health.
Request a referral to the Pain Clinic