What is Neuropathic Pain?
The prevalence of neuropathic pain, which significantly disturbs life quality is around 1%. Neuropathic pain results from damage, irritation, lesions, or diseases of nerves. It is a syndrome of chronic pain, and the therapy is difficult because the nerves are directly affected.
What are the Reasons of Neuropathic Pain?
- Inflammation,
- Zona Zoster infections
- Cancer treatment (chemotherapy – drugs, radiotherapy-X rays),
- Surgeries,
- Nerve deformities due to aging,
- Genetic problems,
- Mechanical pressure of tumours,
- Hernia,
- Brain damage (such as stroke),
- Diabetes,
- Thyroid diseases,
- Anaemia,
- Pancreas diseases and tumours,
- Gallbladder diseases and tumours,
- Emboly in bowel vasculature.
What are the Clinical Signs and Symptoms in Neuropathic Pain?
- Sharp, severe pain,
- Burning sensation,
- Tingling,
- Prickle,
- Electrification,
- Numbness,
- Feeling chilly or freezing,
- Pain by touching
Types of Neuropathic Pain
There are 3 types of neuropathic pain:
- Neuropathic pain caused by stimuli that do not cause pain under normal circumstances is called as allodynia.
- Feeling severe pain with stimuli that cause slight pain under normal circumstances is called hyperalgesia.
- Pain characterised by tingling, prickle, itching-like senses is called as dysesthesia.
Diagnosis of Neuropathic Pain
Radiographic imaging, blood tests and various nerve conduction tests are used for diagnosis.
How to Treat Neuropathic Pain?
Most effective treatment methods are:
- Pain killers,
- Morphine derivatives,
- Antidepressants,
- Antiepileptics,
- Nerve blockage,
- Sympathetic ganglion blockage,
- Radiofrequency therapy,
- Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
Diabetic Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain is most frequently seen in diabetic patients due to the nerve damage seen. The most typical findings in diabetic neuropathic pain cases are burning sensation and numbness in hands and feet. Control of neuropathic pain in diabetic patients depend mainly on drug treatment, regular hand-feet care, maintenance of good metabolic control of diabetes.