Neuropathic pain - how to manage nerve pain

What is nerve pain? Types and causes of nerve pain

Nerve pain, also called neuropathic pain or neuralgia, occurs when damaged nerves send false signals of pain sensation to the brain, causing you to feel real pain. Damaged nerves can also do the opposite, ie cause you not to feel pain, when you actually have an injury that should feel painful.

There are many different types of nerve pain including:

Peripheral neuropathy - affects the peripheral nerve system which sends signals between the central nervous system and the rest of the body
Autonomic neuropathy - affects the nerves that control the internal organs and manage essential bodily functions such as heart rate, breathing and digestion
Focal neuropathy - usually caused by damage to a single nerve such as in the case of Bell’s palsy
Proximal neuropathy - a rare type of nerve damage that causes pain on one side of the body, in the hip, buttock or thigh
Compression mononeuropathy - such as carpal tunnel syndrome, caused by damage to a single nerve
Phantom limb syndrome - pain or other sensations in a missing limb following an amputation
Trigeminal neuralgia - intense pain in the face caused by compression or damage to the trigeminal nerve (often caused by a stroke, MS or facial surgery)
Postherpetic neuralgia - a complication of shingles which causes pain in the area where you had the shingles rash
Thoracic or lumbar radiculopathy - a type of mononeuropathy affecting the chest or abdominal wall
Occipital neuropathy - causes pain at the base of your skull and back of your head
Pudendal neuropathy - causes pain between the legs in the “saddle area”

Nerve pain is usually caused by disease or injury. Around a third of all cases of nerve pain are caused by diabetes. Other causes include:

Trapped nerves (such as carpal tunnel syndrome)
Nerve damage caused by trauma or surgery
Spinal nerve compression or inflammation
Amputation
Disorders affecting the central nervous system (such as stroke, MS, Parkinson’s etc)
Alcoholism
Infections such as HIV, AIDS, shingles
Cancer (tumors etc) and cancer treatment with radiation, surgery or chemotherapy
Vitamin B12 or thiamine deficiency

Symptoms of neuropathy - what does nerve pain feel like?

Neuropathic pain may present itself through a variety of different symptoms. It often appears as spontaneous pain (pain that appears from nowhere, without stimulation) and feels like a shooting, burning, stabbing or even electrical shock type of pain. It can also feel like a tingling, “pins and needles” type of sensation.

People with nerve pain may be very sensitive to cold and may experience pain from even the lightest touch. This is called allodynia. They may also feel more (hyperalgesia) or less (hypoalgesia) pain from normally painful stimuli. An abnormal and unpleasant sensation that can come from stimulus or appear spontaneously is called dysesthesia.

Whether mild or severe, nerve pain is often worse at night and can interfere with sleep, sex, work and exercise. As a result, some people with nerve pain may eventually experience related anxiety and depression.

Nerve pain relief

There is a lot you can do to manage nerve pain, but it can take some time to figure out what works best for you and fits best with your lifestyle. A digital pain coach such as Paindrainer can give you customized personal advice about how to optimize your daily activities so that you have energy to do what is of value to you.

A number of treatments and lifestyle changes can also offer some relief:

OTC painkillers
Topical painkillers
Vitamins and supplements (as recommended by your doctor)
Acupuncture
Physical therapy
Massage
Assistive devices
Biofeedback
Hypnosis
Relaxation
Talk therapy
A healthy diet
Regular exercise
Not smoking

If your nerve pain is severe, it’s important to get help from a doctor to correctly diagnose and make a treatment plan.

Sciatica - what causes sciatic nerve pain?

Sciatica, or sciatic nerve pain, is pain that radiates down along the sciatic nerve, from your lower back, through your hips and buttocks and down each leg, usually affecting only one side of your body. The pain can be accompanied by numbness, a tingling sensation, or weakness in the leg.

Sciatica can cause pain ranging from a mild ache, to severe pain such as a sharp burning sensation or pain that feels like an electric shock. It’s usually caused by compression of the nerve from a herniated disk, bone spur on the spine or a narrowing of the spine (spinal stenosis).

A physiotherapist can give you exercises that will help the sciatic nerve to glide more smoothly. Some simple exercises are available in the PainDrainer app, a digital pain coach that can help you manage your pain.

Sciatic nerve pain relief

Most often, sciatica resolves itself with the help of non-operative treatments within a few weeks. To speed up recovery, doctors recommend you to:

Keep moving! Maintain your regular activities as far as possible, and regularly do exercises for sciatica
Talk to your pharmacist - they can help you to find the right painkiller to relieve pain and make it possible for you to keep moving
Hold a heat pack against the painful area - but avoid hot water bottles since numbness in the affected area may prevent you from feeling a burn before it’s too late
Use cushions to support your legs when sleeping
Avoid sitting or lying down for longer periods

Treatment of sciatica may involve medication, physical therapy, steroid injections and surgery. In addition, since obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor posture may be factors that increase your likelihood of experiencing sciatica, regular exercise, good posture, and maintaining a healthy weight can all help to prevent sciatica.

Radial nerve pain

If you are experiencing pain in the back of your hand, around your thumb, and in your middle and index fingers, that may make it hard to fully stretch out your arm and fingers, it may be due to a radial nerve injury. The radial nerve runs down the underside of your arms to your fingertips. An injury to this nerve is usually felt when your palm is pressed against something and your wrist is bent back. Although radial nerve injuries usually cause pain, numbness, or a tingling or burning sensation, they can also be completely painless. A radial nerve injury can also cause weakness in the hand and wrist or difficulty moving that part of your body.

Nerve pain in the leg

Nerve pain in the leg can range from a mild dull ache to a shooting, throbbing or burning pain. It can be intermittent or constant and may be accompanied by a loss of sensation or an icy feeling. Since nerve pain in the leg can be due to a wide variety of causes or conditions, it’s important to get a correct diagnosis in order to treat it correctly.

Nerve pain in the foot

Nerve pain in the foot may be caused by a pinched nerve, or a chronic illness such as diabetes. Such nerve pain can result in:

Sharp pain, like the feeling of an electric shock in the foot
A burning, throbbing or tingling sensation
Numbness
Muscle weakness in the foot
Pain that is worse at night or in connection with specific activities

Managing neuropathic pain

If you are experiencing neuropathic pain, see your doctor to discuss your symptoms and make a treatment plan. New advancements in chronic pain management can also help you to optimize how you live with chronic pain while maintaining an active lifestyle.

Sources:

Neuropathic pain
‍https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15833-neuropathic-pain

Nerve pain explained
‍https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/ss/slideshow-neuropathy

What you should know about neuropathic pain
‍https://www.healthline.com/health/neuropathic-pain

Nerve pain (Neuralgia)
‍https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/nerve-pain

What is nerve pain?
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-nerve-pain-and-how-does-it-differ-from-other-kinds-of-pain/

Types and causes of neuropathic pain
‍https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/neuropathic-pain

Nonprescription treatments for nerve pain
‍https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/nonprescription-treatments-nerve-pain

Sciatica
‍https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sciatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20377435

Sciatica
‍https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sciatica/

Nerve pain in the foot
‍https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/nerve-pain-in-foot

Causes and treatment of radial nerve injuries
‍https://www.verywellhealth.com/radial-nerve-injury-2488802