3 points on neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is considered that pain initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction of the nervous system. In Spain, this disease affects 8% of the population, most often over 55 years.

Causes of neuropathic pain

This type of pain may be related to various diseases:

• Diabetic neuropathy
• postherpetic neuralgia
• trigeminal neuralgia
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis
• stroke
• Herpes zoster
• Arthritis
• spinal cord injury

  

   

Symptoms of neuropathic pain

The main symptoms of neuropathic pain are:

• burning pain (burning or cold)
• Stinging
• paresthesia
• Electric shock sensations
• numbness
• Deficit tenderness
• Allodynia (hypersensitivity and pain at the slightest touch)

Treatment of neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain can be treated by different techniques:

• Pharmacotherapy: antidepressants, anticonvulsants and opiates. It is the classical treatment in the field of Neurology .
• Medical treatment: peripheral nerve blocks, radiofrequency and botulinum toxin.
• Capsaicin: local application of cream or patch.