Nerve pain, also known as neuropathic pain or neuralgia, is a common complaint among Americans, with studies showing that as many as 10% of people experience some form of nerve pain. It occurs when a health condition affects the nerves that carry sensation to the brain.
The primary symptoms of nerve pain are burning, stabbing, numbness, spontaneous pain, difficulty sleeping, emotional problems, and evoked pain. There are many different types of nerve pain and it is important to understand these in order to find effective treatment.
In this blog post, we will look at what is nerve pain and some of the most common types.
Peripheral Neuropathy
This type of nerve damage relates to damage to the peripheral nervous system. This specifically refers to the nerves outside of the spinal cord and brain. In total, there are more than 100 types of peripheral neuropathy and can cause pain in several areas of the body, including the arms, hands, legs, and feet.
Sensory Neuropathy
This is a type of peripheral neuropathy that involves damage to nerves that transmit sensory information. This includes temperature, touch, and pain. This condition can result in severe pain from everyday stimuli, such as changes in temperature and light touches.
Motor Neuropathy
Another type of peripheral neuropathy, this condition involves damage to the nerves that control voluntary muscle movement. Symptoms of this type of nerve pain include muscle twitching or weakness and painful muscle cramps.
Postherpetic Neuralgia
Postherpetic neuralgia occurs as a complication of shingles. It may occur anywhere on the body. As a viral infection, it is characterized by blisters and a painful rash.
Pain can be severe and it can be intermittent or persistent. It is usually isolated to one side of the body as it occurs along the path of a nerve.
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Another type of neuralgia, this condition involves damage to the trigeminal nerve in the head. It can result in severe, recurrent pain in the face (usually on one side).
Causes of this type of nerve pain include injury to the nerve and multiple sclerosis. It is most common in older people.
Central Pain Syndrome
This type of nerve pain develops as a result of damage to the central nervous system. This includes the spinal cord, brain, and brainstem. It can result in moderate to severe pain that may either be concentrated in certain areas or over large areas of the body.
If you suffer from nerve pain, check out this link for more information on medication management.
Guide to the Different Types of Nerve Pain
The above 6 types of nerve pain are among the most common examples, though there are many more. If you are experiencing nerve pain, we recommend that you consult with your doctor.
Like this blog post on understanding nerve pain? Be sure to check out our other informative articles on a wide range of interesting topics.
Read more interesting articles at Today General News