Strategies For Easing Nerve Pain

Nerve pain is often described as feeling like jolts of electricity, burning, or pinpricks. It can range wildly in severity and may be chronic (or it may be intermittent). Integrated Pain Consultants works with nerve pain (neuropathy) sufferers to design a pain management approach that’s conservative, safe, and effective. Sometimes nerve pain is related to a condition (such as diabetes, cancer, or shingles). It’s important for a person’s activities of daily living to address both the symptoms and the condition to achieve a quality of life.

HOW NERVE PAIN LIMITS ACTIVITIES

Nerve pain can limit activities and mobility. Chronic nerve pain sufferers say it wears them down. Studies have linked nerve pain to insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Not all nerve pain is curable, but it’s all treatable. Nerve pain is caused when the nerves in the body aren’t sending the correct pain messages to the brain. Feeling pain is important to prevent injuries—it’s what tells the brain there’s danger.

However, if you have nerve pain, the messaging system is malfunctioning. Your brain is receiving a pain signal without any harmful action taking place and no way to turn this signal off. Common causes of nerve pain can include cancer, HIV, diabetes, shingles, and physical injuries where nerves are cut, compressed, or crushed. Another cause is complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), which is a chronic pain condition that usually affects a single limb following an injury. CRPS is caused by the damage to the central and/or peripheral nervous systems. It can be accompanied by a change in skin temperature, color, or swelling of the injured area.

TYPES OF CRPS

There are two types of CRPS: Those with a confirmed nerve injury and those with an associated confirmed nerve injury. Both can have the pain treated. Since neuropathy can be a lifelong condition, it’s important to work with a pain specialist to choose a safe pain management approach that’s sustainable. Alternative treatments may include epidural injections, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulation, or joint injections.

Chronic neuropathy patients often want to steer clear of addictive drugs such as opioids, which are effective but should only be used for short-term pain relief. Safe medication management is critical to avoid side effects and risks of addiction. Fortunately, there are plenty of options including sympathetic blocks, ketamine infusions, and spinal cord stimulation.

CHRONIC NEUROPATHY TREATMENT AT INTEGRATED PAIN CONSULTANTS

A combination of these pain management approaches may be best, and in some cases, medication management may be prescribed briefly (particularly for those with neuropathy from an injury). Make your online appointment today with Integrated Pain Consultants – (480) 626-2552. We also invite you to learn more about Dr. Nikesh Seth and other providers including Dr. Anne-Marie Cosijns, Dr. Lisa Sparks, Dr. Michael Givens, and our team of Nurse Practitioners.