Nerve Pain (Neuralgia, Neuritis, Neuropathy)
Neuralgia is a form of non-nocioceptive pain. Neuralgia (neuropathy or neuritis) is caused by nerve dsyfunction. Neuralgia is usually caused by a nerve being trapped, compressed or pinched and less commonly caused by some other diseased process. Causes of neuralgia include:
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Nerve Degeneration - multiple sclerosis, stroke , brain hemorrhage, oxygen starvation
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Nerve Pressure – trapped nerve
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Nerve Inflammation – torn or slipped disc
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Nerve Infection – shingles and other viral infections.
Types of Neuralgia (Nerve Pain):
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Entrapment Neuropathy
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Trigeminal Neuralgia
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Peripheral Neuropathy:
Peripheral Neuropathy is not a disease but a symptom of other diseases. It is associated with loss of function of touch, pain, vibration, positional sense and is associated with painful tingling sensations and numbness.
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Phantom Limb Pain:
Pain arising from a part of the body that has been amputated.
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Central Post Stroke Pain:
This pain starts when part of the CNS is injured. It usually occurs after a stroke.
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Post Herpetic Neuralgia:
Pain that persists after an acute case of Shingles. Shingles is a an acute viral infection of the Peripheral and Central nervous system by the herpes zoster virus. It usually affects a single spinal nerve root. The virus is constantly surpressed. When the immune system become suppressed the virus will acutely infect the nerve.
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Post Traumatic Neuropathy:
Pain that occurs after an injury or after a medical procedure such as surgery, injections, radiotherapy, etc.
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Pudendal Neuralgia:
Pain in the pelvis. Pelvic, perineal region (genitals, perianal). The nerves in these areas are damaged from: delivery of a baby, bone tumors, pelvic surgery, pelvic fracture, direct blunt trauma, excessive cycling, horse back riding, constipation.
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Sympathetic Pain:
Pain from the abnormal function of the sympathetic nervous system.
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Syringomyelia:
Caused by the formation of cavities in the spinal cord, most commonly in the cervical (neck) region . It causes nerve pain (neuralgia), tingling, numbness and muscle atrophy in the upper limbs. It needs to be differentiated from a slipped disc in the neck.