What is neuropathic pain and why is it hard to treat?

When a human feels pain, it is the result of damage, inflammation or some disturbance to body tissues. In some cases, the pain is easily detected and treated. For example, a broken arm can be x-rayed, diagnosed, and treated, the same for a cut that needs stitching.

It gets more complicated with pain that is inside the body, such as problems with the stomach or appendix. However, these can still be tested and treated by surgery or medications. Nerves, however, are a different thing altogether. Nerve pain can be more difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat.

Nerve pain is caused by damaged nerves that cause tingling, burning, or severe pain. What makes it even more difficult to pinpoint is the original problem that caused the neuropathic, nerve, pain may seem completely unrelated. FOr example, someone with diabetes can develop a very painful disorder called diabetic neuropathy, which causes pain along the nerve endings often in the feet. Or, you could have a spinal cord injury that causes nerve pain elsewhere in the body.

Finally, another reason that makes nerve pain hard to diagnose is that it can be felt differently by different people. Some may feel an intense burning, while others may feel electrical shock-like sensations.

Right now, there are not too many medications on the market that can adequately help relieve nerve pain. Those that are available can be very helpful for some, but for others, they may not help at all.

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