Neuralgia Treatment

Neuralgia, or pain along the path of a single nerve or multiple nerves, can fall under two types: central neuralgia and peripheral neuralgia. The pain can be sharp, severe or shooting and can come and go. Fortunately, there are quite a number of treatment options for neuralgia pain.

Medicine

• Medications are often the first treatment for neuralgia. Medications to treat neuralgia include anticonvulsants, steroids and painkillers. These medications help to control the burning and pain associated with neuralgia.

Surgery

• When medication doesn't relieve neuralgia pain, surgery can be employed to stimulate the nerve. Surgical procedures include microvascular decompression, balloon compression and severing the nerve.

TENS

• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, is a treatment that involves applying electrodes over the painful nerve areas. The patient can utilize the TENS unit according to their pain level and pain frequency.

Radiation

• High doses of radiation applied to the root of the nerve is another treatment option to reduce or eliminate neuralgia pain.

Alternatives

• According to the Mayo Clinic, some patients relieve their pain using complimentary or alternative treatments. These include acupuncture, chiropractic procedures, biofeedback, glycerol injections, topical creams, patches, vitamin therapy and nutritional therapy.