All Neuropathic Pain Articles

Provider Perspective: Carpal Tunnel's Association with Hypothyroidism

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common and widely studied nerve entrapment syndrome, accounting for 90% of all such disorders.1 The syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist at the carpal tunnel.2 Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may experience pain and paresthesia in the distribution of the median nerve, which inclu

Management of Trigeminal Neuralgia in Multiple Sclerosis

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most frequent type of facial pain, with a worldwide incidence ranging from 12.6 per 100,000 annually to 27 per 100,000 annually.1 TN is usually divided in two subtypes:

When Pain Intrudes on Daily Function: A Study of Individuals Living with Multiple Sclerosis

Pain and pain-related illness, as well as beliefs about pain, had a limiting effect on the ability of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) to engage in activities, based on data from 161 adults with MS who reported at least mild pain.

COVID-19: What It Means for Diabetics, the Obese, and Those with Other Immune Diseases

Any immune disorder increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2virus and COVID-19 illness. The most prevalent immune disease is diabetes. Type 2 diabetes and obesity have increased worldwide to epidemic proportions and, together, are deadly contributors to the COVID-19 pandemic. Obesity and type 2 diabetes also are important factors in the management of chronic pain disorders.

Emerging Gene Therapy May Reduce the Painful Impact of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Emerging gene therapy may reduce pain associated with diabetic neuropathy and offer an alternative to opioid use.

Chronic Pelvic Pain as a Form of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

The authors share their clinical experience in assessing and treating chronic pelvic pain (CPP) based on the presentation of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) characteristics, including response to nerve blocks and stimulation.

Managing Phantom Limb Pain with Medication

Pharmacologic options for the treatment of phantom limb pain, including gabapentin, TCAs, opioids, ketamine, memantine, lidocaine, and bupivacaine.

Unproven Intervention: Could OTC Topical Ambroxol Relieve CRPS Symptoms?

The cream may reduce pain and improve motor function in patients with CRPS.

The Management of Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions

The clinical state of overlapping pain conditions among patients with chronic pain is often overlooked.

Complex Chronic Pain Disorders

The pathophysiology of approaches to 3 commonly seen pain conditions: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and Small Fiber Neuropathy.

Emerging Treatments for Postherpetic Neuralgia

Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies show promising results in patients with shingles.

Two Studies Focus in on the Intricacies of Mechanical Allodynia

Researchers pinpoint the biology of underlying pain associated with mechanical allodynia

THC’s Potential Impact on Chronic Neuropathic Pain

New research shows mechanisms for THC in cannabis for chronic nerve pain treatment.

Patients with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Found to Have Low Vitamin D

Patients with Type 2 diabetes and painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy were found to have low vitamin D levels compared to healthy subjects.

New Insights in Understanding Chronic, Central Pain

A series of case studies help to better understand types of non-cancer-related centralized pain conditions.

The Fight to End Peripheral Neuropathy

The impact of peripheral neuropathy on quality of life and hopes for future treatment options.

Electroacupuncture Improves Pain and Sleep for PDN Patients

In patients with PDN, greater pain intensity leads to poorer quality of life, sleep, function, and work productivity.

Practitioner as Patient: Understanding Disparities in CRPS

Differences in Pain Management of Peripheral Vascular Disease and Peripheral Artery Disease

When diagnosing peripheral artery disease, a common condition in people with diabetes, leg pain may arise from intermittent claudication and ischemia.

How Can Healthcare Providers Better Advocate for Patients With CRPS?

Jim Broatch, executive vice president and director of the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association, advocates for a multidisciplinary approach to pain management for patients with complex regional pain syndrome.

Updates in Management of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Emerging research on pain treatment for complex regional pain syndrome, a debilitating neurological pain syndrome.

Nerve Decompression Surgery Can Reverse Neuropathy of the Foot

Learn how decompression surgery can help relieve and reverse symptoms (tingling, numbness, pain) of diabetic neuropathy of the foot.

Medical Management of Diabetic Neuropathy

Controlling type 1 and type 2 diabetes is the most effective way to prevent diabetic neuropathy. When treatments are needed, however, there are a number of promising options.

Neuropathy in HIV Patients: Pain Management Concerns

Learn more about the symptoms, diagnosis, and pain treatment of HIV-related neuropathies.

New Perspectives on Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

The definition, incidence, diagnosis, and treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) are somewhat controversial.

Meralgia Paresthetica—A Common Cause of Thigh Pain

Meralgia paresthetica (MP), a common condition seen by both primary care physicians and specialists, is easily misdiagnosed because it can mimic other disease processes. Often, merely the awareness of the condition and knowledge of a few key differentiating factors helps the clinician quickly recognize this disorder.

Ask the Expert: Burning Foot Syndrome

Eight months ago, a patient developed diabetic neuropathy. He is now complaining of a severe burning sensation, pain, and numbness in both lower limbs. He currently is taking pregabalin (Lyrica) at 150 mg bid and duloxetine at 60 mg bid.

Demystifying CRPS: What Clinicians Need to Know

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) often has baffled the medical community. However, improved knowledge of pro-inflammatory cytokines and central sensitization of pain are unraveling some of the secrets behind CRPS.

Neuropathic Pain: A Literature Review

Chronic pain is a common problem in the community and major source of healthcare utilization in the United States.

Assessment and Treatment of Neuropathic Pain

Assessment of neuropathic pain begins with a thorough neurologic history, addressing the nature and onset of pain symptoms and underlying etiologic factors.

Diabetes & PAD: Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment Paradigms

Peripheral artery disease is common in patients with diabetes. Proper prevention and early diagnosis can help patients avoid painful neuropathies and lower-extremity amputations.

Diagnostic Ultrasound in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Helpful Additional Tool

Occupationally induced carpal tunnel syndrome is a reactive condition that responds quickly to offending movements, and symptoms can manifest within minutes of beginning activity in those susceptible individuals. Those symptoms correlate well with median nerve swelling, which can be detected using ultrasound.

Decompression Surgery to Reduce Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Similar to carpel tunnel syndrome surgery, nerve decompression surgery helps improve symptoms of DPN of the foot and prevents amputation.

An Overview of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and its Management

By combining medication management with interventional and non-interventional therapies, patients with CRPS can often dramatically reduce their symptoms and lead full and functional lives.

Part Two: Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Closer Look at This Enigmatic and Debilitating Disease

Trigeminal neuralgia is a relatively common neuropathic disorder that is characterized by sudden severe episodes of lancinating or electric pain along the distribution of cranial nerve V (CNV).

Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Closer Look at This Enigmatic and Debilitating Disease

In-depth article discusses the etiology and differential diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Article describes symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, one of the most common pain conditions seen in clinical practice.

HCG and Diabetic Neuropathy

Letter to the Editor of Practical Pain Management about human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Critical Necessity to Diagnose Pain That Is Centralized

Centralized pain is fast emerging as a critical factor in therapeutic, diagnostic, and medical-legal issues. It's crucial to know how to diagnose central pain; learn from a leader in the pain field.

Classic Central Pain Syndromes: Review of Neurologic Causes of Pain

Neuropathic pain has a number of forms or diagnoses, but possibly the most difficult to understand and treat is central neuropathic pain (CNP). Article from a pain medicine specialist on classic central pain syndromes, including multiple sclerosis and phantom limb pain.

Effective Treatments for Neuropathic Pain

A pain management specialist answers the question: What is a basic formula for treating neuropathic pain? Reviews diabetic neuropathy treatments, including first-tier and second-tier medications.

Electric Current and Local Anesthetic Combination Successfully Treats Pain Associated With Diabetic Neuropathy

In an open-label trial, a unique electric current combined with a local anesthetic reduced pain in patients who have diabetic neuropathy. Read up on the results in this neuropathy research study.

Pain Management of Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, associated with duration of the disease and duration of hyperglycemia. Article covers treating the painful symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.

Current Treatments for Phantom Limb Pain

For many people with single- and multiple-limb amputations, pain does not cease following amputation. Article covers current treatments.

A Practical Approach to the Management Of Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of peripheral neuropathy. This article focuses on the epidemiology and pathogenesis as well as clinical features, diagnosis, and management of DSPN, the most common form of diabetic neuropathy.

Treatment of Neuropathic Pain: The Role of Unique Opioid Agents

Although there is limited data in published guidelines on the use of opioids to treat neuropathic pain, several reports suggest that certain unique opioids might be useful in this setting. This article explores those unique opioids.

Managing Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain (DPNP)

A review of the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.

Treating Neuropathic Pain in Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

This article discusses treatment of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis and explains how patients demonstrated improvement using the oral synthetic cannabinoid nabilone.

First Line Treatment of Musculoskeletal and Neuropathic Pain

Initial treatment of musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain can be more effective by incorporating combination pharmacologic alternatives as adjuncts to oral or parenteral analgesic medication.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)

Read this personal account of life with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), and one writer's journey to regain control of her life.

Lidoderm Studied for New Applications

While Lidoderm is currently FDA-approved only for the pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), Phase IV studies suggest that Lidoderm has potential utility in a variety of chronic pain syndromes.

Referred Pain vs.Origin of Pain Pathology

Understanding the organic and physiological patterns of referred pain helps to identify the true origin of pathology and inform proper treatment.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as a Neuropathic Condition

Characterized by hand and wrist pain, carpal tunnel syndrome is a symptomatic distal median nerve neuropathy at the wrist and is the most commonly encountered entrapment neuropathy.

Activated Glia: Targets for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain

The workshop was organized by Mark S. Cooper, PhD (Univ. Washington); Donald C. Manning, MD, PhD (Shionogi USA, Inc.); and Kirk W. Johnson, PhD (MediciNova, Inc).

Acute Herpes Zoster Neuritis and Postherpetic Neuralgia

Acute herpes zoster neuritis and postherpetic neuralgia continues to be one of the most painful, acute and chronic conditions to afflict mankind. It will continue to be a major health problem as the baby-boomer generation in the United States ages and is at risk for the reemergence of the varicella zoster virus.

Clinical Recognition of Central Abnormal Neuroplasticity

Arguably the major scientific research finding in the Decade of Pain is that severe pain causes rearrangement or reconfiguration of nerve cells in the central nervous system.1-8 This rearrangement or transformation, called neuroplasticity, is a response to electronic impulses that arise from a peripheral pain site that is not healed by the body’s basic immune response to a painful in

The Pain of Multiple Sclerosis: Is it Real and Is it Treatable?

More than 40% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience at least one type of pain. Learn more about diagnosing and treating MS patients with pain.

A Non-Surgical Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Donald R. Eck, DO writes about a non-surgical treatment option for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Issues of Neuropathic Pain

The use of laboratory studies and imaging studies in the diagnosis of neuropathic pain present clinical challenges and, although medications remain the mainstay of therapy, it is frequently necessary to try multiple different medications and modalities for adequate treatment.

Non-pharmacologic Treatment of Shingles

Shingles pain and lesions resolved in 48 hours after treatment with frequency-specific microcurrent. Learn about this non-pharmacologic treatment of shingles.

Deconstructing Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Progress in understanding the pathophysiology of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS: used to be called RSD or causalgia) is leading to new and more effective treatments.

Body Perception Disturbance (BPD) in CRPS

Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome commonly describe a diverse range of sensory and motor problems. These include pain to touch or the threat of touch, temperature, color and sweating abnormalities, problems in initiating movement and reduced function.

An Overview of CRPS

CRPS (which used to be called RSD) is a chronic pain condition. Overview from a pain management specialist to help doctors better understand and treat CRPS.

Therapeutic Laser in the Treatment of Herpes Zoster

Laser therapy can be easily and economically used in the treatment of both acute phase herpes zoster and in chronic post-herpetic neuralgia.

Atypical Herpetic Reactivation and Chronic Pediatric Pain

A report of three unexplained, severely-disabling pediatric cases, in otherwise healthy children, successfully treated with long term anti-viral therapy.

Painful Herpetic Reactivation and Degenerative Musculoskeletal Injury

Article discusses a pain patient that presents with postherpetic neuralgia and multiple musculoskeletal issues, which provides an interesting and challenging case study.

The Pathophysiology of Neuropathic Pain

A discussion of the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain and an overview of the modalities used to alleviate it.

Relief of Symptoms Associated with Peripheral Neuropathy

Low-level consumption of glutathione-enhancing micronutrients may be beneficial in relieving symptoms of peripheral neuropathy of unknown origin.

Right Unilateral Electroconvulsive Therapy Treatment for CRPS

Results and implications of this increasingly utilized option for the treatment of refractory CRPS.

Postherpetic Neuralgia Pain and Laser Acupuncture

Background, diagnosis, discussion, and case report of successful management of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) pain in an elderly patient using laser acupuncture.

Low-level Laser Therapy for Trigeminal Neuralgia

Case reports from 2 patients whose unrelenting facial pain and hypersensitivity from their diagnosed trigeminal neuralgia was resolved with low-level laser therapy.

Functional Restoration and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Learn the basics of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS, also called RSD), including common treatments and the importance of patient education.

Neurodevelopmental Basis for Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome

Article highlights the first level of evaluation for diagnosing the chronic pain patient with chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS) using the multilevel method of diagnosis Practical Application of Neuropostural Evaluations (P.A.N.E.) process.

Non-surgical Decompression Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome continues to be a vexing problem occupationally in industry and in the general medical population as well.

The Pseudo-RSD Pain Patient

A case report of a patient successfully mimicking the signs and symptoms of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) together with a review of what is currently known about RSD presentation, epidemiology, and pathophysiology.

Combined Phrenic Nerve Palsy and Cervical Facet Joint Pain

Pain management challenge in diagnosing and treating a rare case of phrenic nerve palsy in combination with cervical facet joint pain in a diabetic patient.

Diabetic Neuropathy Study

Under-consumption or lack of critical nutrients in the diets of diabetics may be implicated in diabetic complications including neuropathy.

Laser Therapy: Infrared Photo Energy May Reduce Neuropathic Pain

Near infrared light therapy, together with physical therapy, may be able to reduce pain in neuropathy patients and possibly reduce medication dosage levels of those undergoing drug therapy.