Symptoms of Neurogenic Pain
Learn about neurogenic pain, its symptoms, prevention methods, and effective treatment options here.
Table of Contents
Overview of Neurogenic Pain
Effective pain management has been and still is one of healthcare’s greatest challenges, both modern and traditional. According to a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20.4% of adults in the U.S have experienced chronic pain within the previous year, accounting for more than fifty million people.1
Aside from high pain incidence levels, effective pain management is further complicated by the plethora of types and causes of pain. One of the more challenging types of pain to deal with is neurogenic pain.
What Is Neurogenic Pain?
Neurogenic pain originates from the nervous system, typically caused by damage or disease. Neurogenic pain is a general term that encompasses all types of pain resulting from a dysfunction of the central or peripheral nervous system. According to a study, up to 25% of people receiving pain treatments worldwide suffer from one or more neurological disorders that make up neurogenic pain.
2
This in and of itself is a pointer to how prevalent neurogenic nerve pain is and why it deserves a lot more attention.
Exploring Symptoms of Neurogenic Pain
Providing effective neurogenic pain relief depends on how early the condition is detected. Hence, it is important to learn the symptoms of neuropathy, especially for those with an existing health condition. For instance, one study found that the prevalence of neuropathic pain in patients with rheumatic disorders was 44% in osteoarthritis (OA), 28% in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and 18% in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).3
Symptoms of Nerve Pain
The symptoms of nerve pain include the following:
- Low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Low heart rate
- Body temperature changes
- Flushed skin
Common Types of Neurogenic Pain
The different types of neurogenic nerve pain include:
- Neuropathic Pain: Neuropathic pain, or neuropathy, is a nerve pain disorder characterized by burning nerve pain due to nerve injury or disease.
- Central Pain: Central pain refers to nerve pain due to lesions in the central nervous system.
- Deafferentation Pain: Deafferentation pain is a nerve pain disorder caused by the interruption or total loss of transmissions from sensory nerve fibers in the body.
Neurogenic vs. Neuropathic
Neurogenic pain and neuropathic pain are commonly used interchangeably; however, there are a few clear differences between them. The main distinction between these two neurological pain terminologies is that neuropathic pain is a type of neurogenic pain, as it is a blanket term for several nervous system pain conditions.
Neurogenic Pain Management
Neurogenic (or chronic neurogenic) pain management usually involves the combination of several treatment options and remedies for nerve pain. Treating nerve pain involves the following treatment approaches:
Physical Therapy
This neuropathy cure approach involves supporting people with nerve pain, such as neurogenic back pain, by promoting movement in the affected body regions. Physical therapy can help alleviate burning sensations in the nerves and prevent muscle atrophy.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is a neuropathy cure approach known to help with nerve pain, especially for patients suffering from phantom limb pain. It is frequently used with neuropathy medication to aid nerve pain relief.
Use of Neuropathy Medication
Neuropathy doctors can prescribe medication to relieve nerve pain, especially in milder cases of nerve damage pain, such as neurogenic back pain. Medication is commonly used in conjunction with other neuropathy cure approaches to enhance effects and increase success rates. Some classes of nerve pain medications include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Other neurogenic pain relief and management approaches include:
- Acupuncture
- Counseling Sessions
- Relaxation Therapy
Diagnosis of Neurogenic Pain
Neurogenic pain can be somewhat challenging to diagnose due to its non-specific symptoms. So, accurate diagnosis plays a very important role in treating nerve pain. To achieve this high-level diagnosis precision, health care providers employ several approaches, such as evaluating medical and family history and assessing the symptoms.
Tests for Neurogenic Pain
Doctors also run a couple of tests to identify the underlying cause of the nerve pain. These tests include:
- Urinary tests using a urinary catheter
- MRI
- CT scan (particularly useful for peripheral neuropathy diagnosis)
Neurogenic Pain Treatment
Several treatment approaches are used to relieve neuropathy pain. Nonetheless, medications, whether alone or combined with other therapies, are still the most commonly employed solutions for neurogenic inflammation treatment.
Medications
Physicians can prescribe medications alone to relieve nerve pain throughout body regions or in conjunction with another cure for neuropathy. Medication paired with other therapies is a common remedy to manage severe conditions like neurogenic shock complications. In addition, studies have shown that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Alieve and Motrin, can act as effective pain relievers for milder cases.4
Common Neuropathy Medications
Some common medications used in the management of neuropathy conditions include:
- Gabapentin (Neurontin)
- Pregabalin (Lyrica)
- Topiramate (Topamax)
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
- Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
Multimodal Therapy
Multimodal therapy combines several neurogenic pain treatment approaches for effective neurogenic pain treatment results. Compared to other forms of neurogenic therapy, multimodal therapy has produced far better treatment results, so it’s more or less the “mainstay” of pain management.
Neurogenic Pain Prevention and Management
Despite its high occurrence statistics, it is possible to prevent neurogenic pain. One of the major causes of neurogenic pain is damage to the spine and body nerves due to car accidents. An effective way to prevent this is to make lifestyle changes such as reducing alcohol consumption and never drinking while driving.
Another way to reduce the chance of developing neuropathic pain is to avoid potentially dangerous activities that can damage the spine. Since neurogenic pain can also be caused by diabetes, people can work on reducing their sugar intake and improving their diet.
Get Help With Neurogenic Pain at J. Flowers Health Institute
If you have been diagnosed with neuropathic pain or suffer from its symptoms, do not hesitate to seek treatment. At J. Flowers, we offer many effective treatments and services for nerve pain, so you’ll always be able to find one that suits you perfectly.
Resources
- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6736a2.htm
- https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Neurogenic-pain-syndromes-and-their-management.-Bowsher/2d2867a6f8527149db5e169e881bcc0554947df7
- https://www.archivesofrheumatology.org/full-text/712
- https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/neuropathic-pain#:~:text=Anticonvulsant%20and%20antidepressant%20drugs%20are%20often%20the%20first,of%20the%20medicine%20you%20take%20with%20your%20doctor.
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