Ask Dr. K: Several ways to treat neuropathic pain – Sat, 09 Aug 2014 PST

Anthony L. Komaroff Universal Uclick

DEAR DOCTOR K: I suffer from what my doctor calls chronic neuropathic pain. What are my treatmentoptions?

DEAR READER: There are two main types of pain. Nociceptive pain results from an injury to tissues outside your nervous system. Burns, sprains and broken bones are all examples of nociceptive pain. Tiny nerve fibers are always present in tissues. When the tissue gets injured, the nerve fibers detect it. The signal they send the brain is nociceptive pain. The signal says to the brain: Do something to avoid furtherinjury!

Neuropathic (nerve) pain is the second type of pain. Thats

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DEAR DOCTOR K: I suffer from what my doctor calls chronic neuropathic pain. What are my treatmentoptions?

DEAR READER: There are two main types of pain. Nociceptive pain results from an injury to tissues outside your nervous system. Burns, sprains and broken bones are all examples of nociceptive pain. Tiny nerve fibers are always present in tissues. When the tissue gets injured, the nerve fibers detect it. The signal they send the brain is nociceptive pain. The signal says to the brain: Do something to avoid furtherinjury!

Neuropathic (nerve) pain is the second type of pain. Thats the pain your doctor has diagnosed. It results from injury to or malfunction of the nerves themselves. This causes abnormal processing of pain signals and sensations. As a result, the nerve that was the mere messenger of pain now becomes a source ofpain.

Neuropathic pain can result from diseases or conditions as varied as diabetes, shingles, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, spinal cord injury or stroke. The pain may be felt as a burning or shooting pain, or you may have an unpleasant sensation of pins and needles. The pain may move out from one part of the body and spread to adjacent areas. It can be chronic and difficult tomanage.

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Ask Dr. K: Several ways to treat neuropathic pain - Sat, 09 Aug 2014 PST