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Neuropathic Pain

Raye Reeder, MPH, MD Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • The term neuropathic pain represents a broad spectrum of pain syndromes and encompasses a wide variety of peripheral and central disorders.

  • Defined as injury of the nociceptive pathwa...

DIAGNOSIS

Diagnosis is based primarily on clinical history and the findings on physical examination. 

HISTORY

  • Onset and duration of symptoms, location, intensity (0-10), exacerbating factors

  • Pain often d...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Due to multiple neuropathic pain pathways, all medications have limited efficacy and minority of patients have significant benefit at tolerable doses.

  • Physical and occupationa...

ONGOING CARE

PROGNOSIS

Chronic course of pain symptoms often requires management with numerous medications and adjunctive therapies. Pain management requires ongoing evaluation, patient education, and ...

REFERENCES

1
Jones  RCIII, Lawson  E, Backonja  M. Managing neuropathic pain. Med Clin North Am.  2016;100(1):151–167. [View Abstract on OvidMedline]
2
...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Colloca L, Ludman T, Bouhassira D, et al. Neuropathic pain. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017;3:17002.

  • Fornasari D. Pharmacotherapy for Neuropathic ...

CODES

ICD10

  • M79.2 Neuralgia and neuritis, unspecified

  • E10.40 Type 1 diabetes mellitus with diabetic neuropathy, unsp

  • E11.40 Type 2 diabetes mellitus with diabetic neuropathy, unsp

  • G54.6 Phantom limb syndr...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Neuropathic pain is a common syndrome, affecting up to 10% of the population with major impacts on quality of life.

  • Due to numerous mechanisms in neuropathy, potential benefit from any ...

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