How to Understand Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain, more commonly known as neuralgia, is caused by problems with sensory, motor or autonomic nerves. According to a June 2006 report issued by The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), pain can significantly decrease a person's quality of life and is the main reason why Americans go to see their doctors. What makes neuropathic pain such a complex issue is that even when the physical cause of pain is no longer present, the nerves continue to generate pain signals to the brain. A better understanding of this multi-faceted pain syndrome may be the key to more effective treatment.

Instructions

• 1

  Characterize different types of pain. Acute pain lasts for fewer than six months, whereas chronic pain, whether or not it has an identifiable cause, generally results in ongoing pain that lasts for more than six months. When a person suffers neuropathic pain even though a physical injury has healed, or an illness resolved, nerves in the body continue to send pain messages to the brain. For this reason, neuropathic pain is usually considered to be chronic in nature, especially since the pain can be quite debilitating.

• 2

  Distinguish between the primary sources of pain. While pain can have various causes, it is generally divided into two groups. Nociceptive pain comes from a physical cause like a herniated disc. The body's nervous system is functioning the way it should. In contrast neuropathic pain occurs when the body tells the brain that something is hurting despite there being no obvious cause.

• 3

  Recognize that you can feel more than one type of pain. Actually, most people who suffer neuropathic pain tend to experience several different kinds of pain simultaneously. Pain may be described as stabbing, aching, shooting or a burning sensation. Sometimes a person may even have an exaggerated response to a particular pain stimulus.

• 4

  Measure the intensity of the various kinds of pain. Pain intensity scales help health care providers monitor the effectiveness of certain treatments. The popular numeric rating scale (NRS) is used as an indicator of a person's subjective assessment of the current intensity of any pain he or she may feeling. The NRS bases intensity of pain on a scale of 0 to 10 with "0" representing no pain and "10" representing the severest pain possible.

• 5

  Continue to seek different treatments, whether conventional medical or alternative therapies. Even though a chronic pain syndrome may not be fully reversible, many times some improvement is possible with proper treatment. A treatment regimen may include a combination of medication, physical therapy, relaxation techniques, and other alternative therapies such as massage, acupuncture, chiropractic or biofeedback.