Do you feel pain or tightness in your veins? Let's talk about this nerve pain.

Have you ever felt a tingling, prickling, or burning sensation in your legs or arms? Even though these things may seem like a minor thing, they could be a signal from your body's nervous system. This nervous system is involved in everything from breathing to controlling your muscles to sensing heat and cold. So if these nerves are damaged or in pain, it can have a big impact on your life. So, let's talk about this in a little more detail today.

Let's first see, what are these nerves?

Simply put, the nervous system is the 'wire system' that carries information around our body. It is divided into two parts. One is the Central Nervous System . This includes our brain and spinal cord. The other is the Peripheral Nervous System . This carries messages from the brain and spinal cord to all the other parts of the body.

There are three main types of nerves in our body:

1. Autonomic nerves: These are the ones that control the 'automatic' things in our body. Think of things that we don't consciously control, like our heart rate , blood pressure, sweating, and digestion. These nerves help these things happen automatically.

2. Motor nerves: These nerves control our movements, such as moving our arms and legs, walking, etc. These 'motor' nerves carry messages from the brain to the muscles, which cause those movements.

3. Sensory nerves: These nerves carry the sensations we feel from our skin and muscles - things like pain, touch, and heat - back to the brain and spinal cord. Like a 'messenger'.

What are the symptoms of nerve damage?

The symptoms of nerve damage vary depending on what type of nerve is damaged and where. Let's look at the symptoms of damage to each type of nerve.

Sometimes a person can experience symptoms of two or three of these types of neuropathy at the same time. For example, you may experience weakness in your legs along with a burning sensation.

Why do these nerves get damaged? What are the causes?

There are over 100 causes of nerve damage. Symptoms and treatments can vary depending on each cause. Here are some of the main causes.

• Diabetes: The leading and most common cause of nerve damage is diabetes. About 70% of people with diabetes have some degree of nerve damage. If the disease is not controlled, this condition will worsen. We call this diabetic neuropathy.
• Autoimmune diseases: Conditions in which our own body's immune system attacks our own nerves. Examples include diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and Lupus.
• Cancer: Nerve damage can occur when tumors press on nerves or certain types of cancer cause nutritional deficiencies in the body. Also, nerve pain can occur as a side effect of some chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer.
• Compression/Trauma: Nerve damage can occur due to conditions such as a pinched nerve, a severe injury, or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• Nutritional deficiencies: Deficiencies in vitamins, especially vitamin B6 and B12, can cause nerve weakness, pain, and inflammation. This condition can also occur in people who drink alcohol excessively.
• Alcohol and Toxic substances: Excessive alcohol consumption over a long period of time is a major cause of nerve damage. Also, ingesting toxic substances such as lead, arsenic, and mercury can also cause nerve damage. If you suspect that you have inadvertently ingested a toxic substance, immediately contact the National Poisons Information Centre at the Colombo National Hospital.
• Infectious diseases: Some infections, such as Lyme disease, herpes viruses, HIV, and Hepatitis C, can affect the nerves.
• Drug side effects: Some medications for HIV and some chemotherapy drugs for cancer can cause nerve pain as a side effect.

What are the treatments for this?

In most cases, nerve damage is difficult to completely cure. However, there are many treatments that can help control symptoms and make life easier. The most important thing is to see a doctor as soon as symptoms start. The sooner you start treatment, the more likely you are to prevent permanent damage.

Treatment first focuses on treating the underlying condition that caused the nerve pain.

• If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar levels under control .
• If there is a nutritional deficiency, provide the necessary vitamins.
• If this condition is caused by a medication, talk to your doctor and change the medication.
• Physical therapy or surgery for a condition such as a pinched nerve.
• Giving medications for autoimmune diseases.

Pain relief medications

Your doctor may prescribe medications like these to help reduce your pain:

• Common painkillers.
• Some medications for depression, such as Amitriptyline and Duloxetine (Cymbalta).
• Some medications for epilepsy (seizures). Although these are medications for epilepsy, they are also very effective in controlling nerve pain. Examples: Gabapentin (Neurontin) and Pregabalin (Lyrica).
• Types of skin creams. Examples: Creams containing Capsaicin and Lidocaine.

Other treatments

In addition to medications, the doctor may also recommend treatments such as:

• Physical therapy: Exercise and massage can help prevent muscle weakness and maintain good joint mobility.
• Surgery: Surgery may be the best solution for pain caused by a pinched nerve or an accident.
• Nerve Block: Injecting a numbing drug around the painful nerve temporarily stops pain signals from reaching the brain.
• TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation): A device that uses small electrical signals to control pain.
• Alternative treatments: Things like acupuncture, meditation, and certain vitamins (under medical supervision) may also provide relief for some people. However, be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any alternative treatment.

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