Paper Title: Neuropathic pain review: Global year against neuropathic pain.
Authors: Nnaji C.
Article DOI:
Abstract/Summary:
Neuropathic pain results from damage or dysfunction in the peripheral or central nervous system. It is clinically divided into peripheral and central neuropathic pain. The pain is often triggered by an injury, but this injury may or may not involve actual damage to the nervous system. The pain frequently has burning, shooting, lancinating, or electric shock qualities; it can be spontaneous, continuous, paroxysmal, or evoked with some common features include tingling, pins and needles, and crawling sensations. Some of the aetiological causes are postherpetic neuralgia, phantom limb pain, stump pain, iscahemic neuropathy, antiretroviral agents, chemotherapy, alcohol, diabetic mellitus, uraemia, human immunodeficiency virus, stroke, spinal cord injury, and complex regional pain syndrome type I and II. Some assessment tools like Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire, Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questions, Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic symptoms and sign, and Pain Detect proves helpful in diagnosis. Patients can achieve some benefit from pharmacological agents like gabapentin, pregabalin, serotonin-noradrenaline receptor inhibitors, a tricyclic antidepressant, topical lidocaine, tramadol, and opioids and nonpharmacological methods like education, physiotherapy, and psychotherapy.
Publication Date:
2015-06-30