Nerve pain is mainly known in the form of facial nerve and sciatica, but dr. According to Géza Prinz, a neurologist, psychiatrist and infectious disease expert at the Pain Center, the so-called neuropathic pain encompasses a much larger group of diseases. It is also worth finding out about the typical symptoms and treatment options.
What is characteristic of neuropathic pain?
Neuropathic pain actually primary damage to certain parts of the peripheral or central nervous system or pain caused by its malfunction. As the definition suggests, a lot many complaints can be called neuropathic pain, as it can be caused by many different things, including nerve damage, nerve irritation, infection or other diseases.
The main types of this pain are trigeminal neuralgia (in the facial nerve), postherpetic neuralgia (nerve pain following shingles), diabetic neuropathy (nerve pain in diabetic patients, loss of sensation), postoperative nerve pain, sciatica (nerve pain radiating from the waist to the back of the lower limb), and the tunnel syndromes.
What are the un. Symptoms characteristic of “polyneuropathic” nerve pain?
– Burning, itching, stinging, tingling sensation.
The pain always occurs along the affected nerve. It happens that it comes and goes, but it can also be present all the time, it can increase to movement.
– Hypersensitivity to touch and cold.
Even gentle pressure can be bothersome and even painful.
– Weakness, loss of sensation.
The muscles located along the affected area may even weaken to the point of immobility.
The two most common pains: sciatica and facial nerve
For sciatica, sciatica is also called sciatic nerve pain, which is named after the longest nerve in the human body, the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is not an independent disease, but a set of painful symptoms arising from the lumbar spine, the causes of which are many, but a sedentary lifestyle is definitely considered a risk factor.
The most common underlying causes also include disc herniation, lumbar spinal canal narrowing, inflammation or circulatory disorders. It happens that the pain is caused by a wrong movement, an improper lifting, and in very rare cases, a tumor can also cause such a symptom. The leading symptom of sciatica is pain in the lower limbs, which can be significantly aggravated by coughing, sneezing, abdominal compression, but numbness, loss of sensation, stinging, clumsier movement, possibly muscle paralysis, and in severe cases, even the inability to hold urine or stool.
The most common cause of a facial nerve is that a blood vessel begins to press on the sensory nerve of the face along the brain stem, which often extends to several nerve branches. In the majority of cases pain occurring only on one side of the face without symptoms, occurs suddenly and usually goes away very quickly, but sometimes it keeps popping up for weeks. It can also cause spasms and numbness in the facial nerve, difficulty speaking, and difficulty chewing.
What can a neurologist do?
- The treatment of neuropathic pain is not an easy and especially not an automatic task, since we have to decide on the treatment depending on the cause, location and severity of the pain. The first step is to find out the origin of the nerve problem and, if possible, to treat the root cause itself, he emphasizes dr. Géza Prinz, PájdalomKözpont neurologist, psychiatrist, infectologist. – In addition, of course, we have to take care of adequate pain relief. The good news is that there are many effective treatments available, including:
- Personalized drug anti-inflammatory treatment.
- Medical gymnastics and therapeutic massagewhich relieves pressure on the nerves.
- Mckenzie turnswhich mobilizes nerves stuck due to inflammation.
- Treatments with a natural mechanism of action, such as medical collagen injection or shock wave therapy.
- If necessary, treatment of iron deficiency anemia.
- Lifestyle suggestions, such as spinal training, a properly designed workstation, a desk, and a medium-hard mattress for sleeping.
Source: Pain Center
Source: www.patikamagazin.hu
