The sensation of neuropathic pain is frequently described as a shooting or burning pain. It can go away on its own, but it is frequently chronic. It can be aggressive and severe at times, and it can also come and go. It is typically caused by nerve damage or a defective nervous system. The effect of nerve damage is a change in nerve function at the site of the injury as well as in areas surrounding it.

Neuropathic pain is demonstrated by phantom limb syndrome. This uncommon condition occurs when an arm or leg is surgically removed due to illness, but the brain continues to receive pain messages from the nerves that originally carried impulses from the amputated limb. These nerves are now malfunctioning and causing pain.

Neuropathic Pain Causes

The most common causes of neuropathic pain cover the following: illness, injury, infection, and limb loss.

Disease

Neuropathic pain may be a symptom or a side effect of a variety of diseases and conditions. Multiple sclerosis, multiple myeloma, and other cancers are among them.

Although neuropathic pain may not affect everyone with certain conditions, it can be a problem for some.

As per Cleveland Clinic, diabetes is responsible for 30% of neuropathic cases. The way your nerves function may be affected by chronic diabetes. People with diabetes usually experience numbness and loss of sensation in their limbs and fingers, followed by discomfort, burning, and stinging.

Excessive alcohol use over time can lead to a variety of problems, including chronic neuropathic pain. Nerve damage caused by excessive alcohol use may have long-term and painful impacts.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful condition characterized by extreme facial neuropathic pain on one side. It’s one of the most common types of neuropathic pain, and it can strike for no known cause.

Finally, cancer treatment could result in neuropathic pain. Chemotherapy and radiation may also harm the nervous system, resulting in unexpected pain signals.

Injuries

Tissue, muscle, or joint injuries are a rare source of neuropathic pain. Nerve dysfunction may also be triggered by the back, leg, and hip problems or injuries.

While the injury can heal, the nervous system damage doesn’t. As a result, you can suffer long-term pain following the accident. Accidents or trauma to the spine may also result in neuropathic pain.

Nerve fibers across the spine can be affected through herniated discs and spinal cord compression.

Infection

Neuropathic pain is rarely caused by infections.

Shingles, which are triggered by the chickenpox virus reactivating, can cause neuropathic pain along the nerve for several weeks. Postherpetic neuralgia is a rare shingles complication that causes chronic neuropathic pain.

A syphilis infection can also cause intense burning and stinging pain. This intense pain is common in HIV patients.

Limb loss

When an arm or leg is amputated, phantom limb syndrome, which is a rare type of neuropathic pain. Even though a limb has been removed, the brain believes it’s transmitting signals to the brain from the removed body part.

However, what’s going on is that the nerves near the amputation are misfiring and transmitting erroneous messages to your brain. Phantom pain can be felt in the fingertips, toes, penis, neck, and some other body parts in addition to legs and arms.

Other reasons

• Vitamin B deficiency is also another cause of neuropathic pain.
• Thyroid issues
• Problems with the facial nerves
• Spinal arthritis

Neuropathic Pain Diagnosis

A doctor will execute an interview and a physical test to diagnose neuropathic pain. They could inquire of how you’d explain your pain, when it occurs, or if anything in specific triggers pain. The doctor will also question the neuropathic pain risks and may order blood and nerve tests.

Treatment for Neuropathic Pain

Anticonvulsant and antidepressant medications are often used as first-line treatments. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Aleve or Motrin, have been shown in some trials to help with neuropathic pain.

Gabapin is a medicine that helps people with epilepsy and neuropathic pain. It is used to treat various ailments, including restless leg syndrome, seizures, and nerve weakness. Gabapin is available in tablet form.

It’s a kind of anti-epileptic medication. Gabapentin is the most important component. Gabapin 300 effectively relieves the pain and discomfort.

Patients will, however, be given it depending on their age and physical condition. Make sure you and the doctor talk about the benefits and drawbacks of the Gabapin 300 mg you’re taking.

If another condition exists, such as diabetes, better treatment of that condition can help to reduce the pain. Electrical stimulation of the nerves involved in neuropathic pain can help to reduce pain symptoms significantly.

Other therapies for neuropathic pain

Here are a few examples:

• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Physical therapy
• Working with a counselor
• Relaxation therapy

Unfortunately, traditional therapies sometimes fail to help neuropathic pain, and may sometimes worsen rather than improve over time. It can cause severe disability in such people. However, combining approaches in a multidisciplinary approach is a very effective way to relieve neuropathic pain.