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Monday, March 15, 2010

What Causes Nerve Pain ? What Causes of Neuropathic Pain

Home > Diseases & Conditions > Pain Management > What Causes Nerve Pain ? What Causes of Neuropathic Pain Neuropathic pain is a type of pain which is caused by damage to or dysfunction of the nervous system.[1] Neuropathic pain cannot be explained by a single disease process or a single specific location of damage.
Neuropathic pain may be associated with abnormal sensations called dysesthesias, which occur spontaneously and allodynias that occur in response to external stimuli. Neuropathic pain may have continuous and/or episodic (paroxysmal) components. The latter are likened to an electric shock. Common qualities of neuropathic pain includes burning or coldness, "pins and needles" sensations, numbness and itching. Nociceptive pain is more commonly described as aching.
As much as 7% to 8% of the population is affected and in 5% it may be severe.[2][3] Neuropathic pain may result from disorders of the peripheral nervous system or the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Thus, neuropathic pain may be divided into peripheral neuropathic pain, central neuropathic pain, or mixed (peripheral and central) neuropathic pain.
Central neuropathic pain is found in spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and some strokes. Fibromyalgia, a disorder of chronic widespread pain, is potentially a central pain disorder and is responsive to medications that are effective for neuropathic pain.[4]
Aside from diabetes (see Diabetic neuropathy) and other metabolic conditions, the common causes of painful peripheral neuropathies are herpes zoster infection, HIV-related neuropathies, nutritional deficiencies, toxins, remote manifestations of malignancies, genetic, and immune mediated disorders.[5][6]
Neuropathic pain is common in cancer as a direct result of cancer on peripheral nerves (e.g., compression by a tumor), or as a side effect of chemotherapy[7][8] , radiation injury or surgery.
Neuropathic pain is a complex, chronic pain state that usually is accompanied by tissue injury. With neuropathic pain, the nerve fibers themselves may be damaged, dysfunctional, or injured. These damaged nerve fibers send incorrect signals to other pain centers. The impact of nerve fiber injury includes a change in nerve function both at the site of injury and areas around the injury.
One example of neuropathic pain is called phantom limb syndrome. This occurs when an arm or a leg has been removed because of illness or injury, but the brain still gets pain messages from the nerves that originally carried impulses from the missing limb. These nerves now misfire and cause pain.
Causes of Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain often seems to have no obvious cause; but, some common causes of neuropathic pain include:
Alcoholism Amputation Back, leg, and hip problems Chemotherapy Diabetes Facial nerve problems HIV infection or AIDS Multiple sclerosis Shingles Spine surgery
Treatment of Neuropathic Pain
Pain medication for pain relief ,Pain Medication and Drugs Prescribed for Chronic Pain
What is Pinched Nerve?What is the prognosis?
Pain Caused By Burns,What Causes Burns?What Are the Symptoms of Burns?
Symptoms of Neuropathic Pain Neuropathic pain causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments
What Causes Nerve Pain ? What Causes of Neuropathic Pain
What is referred pain?How do you measure pain?
What Is Chronic Pain?
What Is Pain?Pain Basics,Chronic Pain,How Is Pain Treated?

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