Summary: Neuropathic pain happens due to the malfunction of the nervous system of the human body. Neuropathic pain is difficult to treat and often only one way of treatment is not enough.
The pain that is caused by a glitch in the way the nervous system of the human body works is termed as neuropathic pain. This type of pain is difficult to diagnose and treat, often requiring an amalgamation of various methods of treatment. The main support to treat this type of pain is medication. The medication may not really decrease the pain but often succeeds in reducing the sensation of the pain.
The central nervous system at the level of spinal cord generally filters the information about pain that the nerves send to the brain. The drugs that are prescribed to treat neuropathic pain work at this level. That is they help the spinal cord filter more information about pain than it normally would, so the brain receives less signals about the pain. Medicines like antidepressants, which influence the amount of serotonin or norepinephirne and antiseizures that manipulate the amount of neurotransmitters like GABA and glycerin, are prescribed by the doctors.
The spinal cord stimulator is one of the most important and powerful tools that help to treat neuropathic pain. This tool delivers small amounts of electrical energy directly into the spine, which ensures that the spinal cord functions normally even when the body experiences pain and interrupts unsuitable pain information being sent to the brain.
Neuropathic pain includes the following types of pain.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome – Also referred to as reflex sympathetic dystrophy, in this condition the affected site receives nerve impulses in high levels. The person may experience chronic pain and the affected area may swell and become red. The pain may spread to a greater area in this condition and not remain confined to just the affected area.
Fibromyalgia – It is also a chronic pain condition but the exact causes of it are still unknown. In patients suffering from fibromyalgia it is found that the central nervous system is hypersensitive and there also is a nerve growth factor in the spinal fluid.
The other conditions that are associated with neuropathic pain are, Interstitial Cystitis, which is a chronic urinary urgency in which the individual feels the need to urinate immediately and this happens frequently though it may change over time for the individual. The irritable bowel syndrome occurs due to the malfunction of muscles or nerves of the bowel of an individual and this may include conditions like ulcers, colitis, etc. Along with these, sympathetically maintained pain also is included in neuropathic pain.