Understanding Neuropathic Pain: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

If you’ve been experiencing unexplainable pain that feels like burning, shooting, or electric shock-like sensations, you could be dealing with neuropathic pain. The pain may seem to develop suddenly or may feel like a persistent ache that started gradually. 

Unlike pain from an injury or inflammation, neuropathic pain is a result of damage or dysfunction in the nervous system. The nerves send false pain signals to the brain, which is one reason it’s often misdiagnosed or dismissed.

Getting the right diagnosis is crucial because neuropathic pain doesn’t respond to regular painkillers that may work well for a sprained ankle or a headache. The right treatment requires identifying what’s causing the nerve dysfunction and targeting it.

At SEPA Pain & Spine, we have the expertise to properly diagnose neuropathic pain, identify its causes, and develop a treatment plan that addresses it. If unexplained pain has been affecting your quality of life, our team is the right place to get answers and effective care.

Here, we cover what neuropathic pain is, what causes it, how we diagnose it, and what treatment options are available.

What causes neuropathic pain

Diabetes is one of the most common causes. High blood sugar over time damages the nerves, particularly in your feet and legs, triggering a condition called diabetic neuropathy, which causes burning, tingling, and numbness. 

For many people with diabetes, nerve pain is one of the most disruptive aspects of living with the condition.

Shingles can cause a type of neuropathic pain called postherpetic neuralgia, which is severe nerve pain that persists in the area of the shingles rash even after the rash has cleared. This can last for months or years and can be debilitating.

Injuries that damage nerves directly, whether from an accident, surgery, or compression, can cause neuropathic pain. Sciatica — when a compressed nerve in the lower back causes shooting pain down the leg — is one of the most commonly recognized examples of this.

Conditions like multiple sclerosis, which affects the central nervous system, and certain cancers or cancer treatments can also cause neuropathic pain. In some cases, there’s no clear underlying cause.

How we diagnose neuropathic pain

To diagnose neuropathic pain, we thoroughly assess your medical history and symptoms. We also learn whether the pain feels like a burning, stabbing, or electric shock sensation. What triggers the pain, where it is, and when it started all provide us with important clues. 

We also conduct a physical examination to assess sensation, reflexes, and nerve function in the affected area.

Blood tests help us identify underlying causes like diabetes or vitamin deficiencies that can damage nerves. 

Nerve conduction studies measure how well electrical signals travel through specific nerves, which helps us identify where and to what extent there’s nerve damage. In some cases, we use imaging to check for structural causes of nerve compression.

Treatment options

Medications specifically targeting nerve pain are the most common starting point. Certain antidepressants (particularly SNRIs) and anticonvulsant medications like gabapentin and pregabalin work by calming the overactive nerve signals producing the pain. 

They don’t work for everyone, and finding the right medication and dose takes time, but they effectively relieve pain for a significant number of people.

Topical treatments like lidocaine patches or capsaicin cream applied directly to the painful area work locally without affecting the rest of the body. This makes them a good option for people who can’t tolerate oral medications or who want to minimize side effects.

For people whose pain hasn’t responded to medication, nerve blocks deliver medication directly to the affected nerve to interrupt pain signaling. 

Spinal cord stimulation uses mild electrical impulses delivered near the spinal cord to disrupt pain signals before they reach the brain. It has produced significant long-term relief for people with neuropathic pain that hasn’t responded to other treatments.

Addressing the underlying cause is also crucial. With diabetic neuropathy, better blood sugar control slows the progression of nerve damage. When the cause is nerve compression, relieving the compression through physical therapy or surgery can reduce or resolve the pain. 

Neuropathic pain is complex yet treatable when properly diagnosed and managed. If you’ve been living with unexplained pain that hasn’t responded to standard treatment, getting a proper assessment from one of our pain specialists is the next step to take.

Call us today to schedule a consultation at any of our offices in Horsham, Langhorne, Meadowbrook, Chalfont, East Norriton, or Pottstown in southeastern Pennsylvania. You can also request one online here.