How does neuropathic pain occur?

Virtually every person is familiar with dental pain, headache or pain in the abdomen, but there is another group of pain syndromes that are associated with the damage to the nervous system, called neuropathic pain. Thus, neuropathic pain is widespread and is observed in 40% Patients. It can disturb a person for a long period of time, and is painful, since a person is deprived of the possibility of a normal existence. Such a pain syndrome can occur spontaneously and be strong, and sometimes simply unbearable. In this case, there is numbness, burning and tingling in the painful parts of the body.

It should be noted that neuropathic pain occurs when the nervous system, both central and peripheral, such as nerves, their roots and plexuses, as well as the spinal cord and brain, in particular the thalamus and trunk, is affected, and can exhibit positive and negative symptoms.

Positive symptoms:

1. Allodynia. The pain syndrome appears as a reaction to the stimulus, and the stimulus may be insignificant, which causes no normal pain. Pain can cause any touch and the effect of temperature.

2. Hyperalgesia. It arises from the slightest irritation of the pain receptors, thus there is a discoloration of the skin, there are edemas, often a person has increased anxiety.

3. Dysaesthesia is a violation of the perception of pain stimulation as a result of damage to nerve fibers.

4. Polistesia. Painful sensations arise as a result of the action of a single stimulus, while the sensation of the person experiences the same as with many stimuli.

Negative symptoms:

1. Hypesesia. This symptom is manifested in a decrease in the intensity of sensations.

2. Hypalgesia - reduction of pain sensitivity.

3. Analgesia is a complete lack of perception of pain.

Thus, neuropathic pain can have several manifestations and appear due to the development of some diseases or the presence of infection in the body.

With herpes infection, pain occurs after the rash has passed, and lasts for several months. Thus there are pains in the areas of rashes with a mechanical touch to them.

The occurrence of burning and stitching pain in the back and limbs as a result of spinal cord injury is associated with nerve damage in these areas. In the back, neuropathic pain can occur with muscle tension or intervertebral hernia. In this case, there is a sharp pain that runs through the body.

Pain syndrome can be observed when you touch the face, as the nerve is squeezed, while the facial nerve hurts . Such a condition can persist for several years and cause not only discomfort, but also a loss of human performance.

Some people who have undergone surgical operations may experience painful sensations accompanied by pricking or burning in the area of the sutures.

It can be said that the treatment of neuropathic pain is currently causing some difficulties. In the event that the treatment program is properly implemented, there is no absolute guarantee that the pain will pass. Only 30% of patients indicate satisfactory results of treatment.

In the treatment of this kind of pain, neurosurgical methods are used, as well as medications such as anesthetics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants and antiarrhythmics.

Thus, the attending physician, in most cases, conducts a conversation with the patient about the prognosis of treatment. Perhaps in the near future will be developed drugs that can affect specific nerve endings and, thus, eliminate pain syndrome.