Nerve Pain
About Nerve Pain
Your nerves are the conduits of all sensation, including pain. The signals from any source of pain travel along the nerves to the brain where pain is perceived. There are circumstances, however, in which the nerves themselves can be the cause of pain. Nerves will cause pain when they are compressed, inflamed, or damaged. Often, it requires the presence of all three of these conditions to cause nerve pain, also known as Neuropathy.
Common Causes of Nerve Pain
Neuropathy can occur for many reasons, but most often we do not know the exact cause of the nerve damage. This is called an Idiopathic Neuropathy. The most common causes of neuropathy that we can identify are:
- Diabetes
- Toxin exposure
- Hormonal imbalances
- Dietary deficiencies
- Herniated Disc or Spinal Stenosis (narrowing of nerve tunnels within the spine) compressing a nerve. This is often referred to as “sciatica”, which is sciatic nerve pain that stems from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down the thigh. Other symptoms besides pain can include tingling and numbness along the nerve path.
- Compression or entrapment of a peripheral nerve can cause localized nerve pain and inflammation
Treatment of Nerve Pain
The treatment of Nerve Pain, or Neuropathy, depends on the location and exact cause of the nerve injury. Possible treatment options include:
- Epidural Injections in the case when there is a herniated or degenerated disc.
- Perineural Injection Therapy for chronic peripheral nerve entrapments.
- Prolotherapy
- Implantable Therapy such as Spinal Cord Stimulation.
- Medications for treatment and pain relief.