Do you also have this unbearable nerve pain? (Neuropathic Pain) Let's find out exactly

Do you sometimes feel severe pain in your body for no reason, like burning, electric shocks, or pins and needles? Maybe even the clothes you are wearing rub against your body and it hurts so much that you can't bear it? These things are not just random things. These can be a special painful condition called 'Neuropathic Pain' in medicine, which is caused by some problem in our nervous system. This is not like a normal headache or backache, it is different. So today, let's talk about this simply, as if we were talking to a friend, in a way that you can understand.

Simply put, what is neuropathic pain?

Okay, to understand this, we first need to know a little about the nervous system in our body. Think of our nervous system as a network of telephone wires that runs all over the country. The two main centers of this network are our brain and spinal cord . We call this the central nervous system. From these main centers, there are many tiny wires that carry messages to every corner of the body, including the arms, legs, fingers, and internal organs. These are what we call peripheral nerves.

Now imagine what happens if some of the wires in this telephone network are damaged or malfunctioning? The messages don't go through properly, right? Maybe the wrong messages are sent. That's what happens with neuropathic pain. When our nerve fibers are damaged, those damaged nerves start sending the wrong signals to our brain, the wrong message that says "pain." Even when there's no real reason for the pain to occur, you can feel pain because of these wrong signals.

Another name for this is neuropathy . It is a change or disruption in the function of one or more nerves. This condition can occur in up to 30% of people with diabetes. In addition, a number of other diseases, for example, shingles after chickenpox, HIV/AIDS, and alcohol use disorder, can also cause this neuropathic pain.

How does this pain feel to you? What are the symptoms?

Neuropathic pain is not a single type of pain. It can be felt in many different ways. For some people, it gets worse and worse until it becomes unbearable, while for others, it comes and goes. To make it easier to understand, let's look at these symptoms in a table.

Why does this kind of pain occur? What are the main causes?

There is no single cause for this neuropathic pain. There can be many causes. Let's look at the main contributing factors.

• Diabetes: As we mentioned earlier, the main and most common cause of neuropathic pain is diabetes. Long-term high blood sugar levels can damage the nerves.
• Alcohol use disorder: Long-term excessive alcohol consumption can also damage the nerves and cause this pain.
• Shingles: This is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After chickenpox has healed, the virus can remain dormant in our nerve cells and reactivate years later to cause this severe pain.
• HIV/AIDS: The HIV virus itself can damage the nerves, and some medications taken for it can also cause this.
• Central nervous system diseases: This pain can also be caused by diseases that affect the brain and spinal cord, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Complex regional pain syndrome: Severe, chronic pain in an arm or leg after an accident.
• Facial nerve conditions: For example, trigeminal neuralgia.

In addition to these, there are other reasons:

• Cancer treatments: Some anti-cancer drugs, such as cisplatin, paclitaxel, and vincristine, and radiation therapy can damage nerves.
• Amputation: After a limb or leg is surgically removed, the sensation of pain in the area where the limb was removed is called phantom limb pain .
• Spinal nerve compression: Pain can be caused by compression of nerves due to conditions such as spinal disc prolapse.
• Surgery or accidents: Damage to a nerve during a surgery or accident.
• Tumors: This pain can also be caused by a cancerous or normal tumor pressing on a nerve.

How does a doctor diagnose this condition?

When you talk about symptoms like these, the first thing your doctor will do is ask you for a detailed explanation.

• Ask about your medical history.
• You will be thoroughly examined (physical exam).
• Depending on the nature of the pain you describe (such as burning, stabbing, or numbness), the doctor can get an idea of ​​whether this is neuropathic pain.

Then, the doctor will try to find the underlying cause of the pain. This means that he or she can run tests to determine if it is due to diabetes, another disease, or medication.

What are the treatments for this?

Treating neuropathic pain is a bit more complicated because it's not like regular pain. Treatment depends on the underlying cause of your pain and the nature of your symptoms. The main goals of treatment are to:

• Treating the underlying condition: For example, surgically removing a tumor that is pressing on a nerve. In the case of diabetes, controlling blood sugar levels.
• Pain relief: Reducing pain and providing you with relief.
• Helping to continue daily activities: Helping to resume activities that have been interrupted due to pain.
• Improving quality of life: Preparing yourself to live well with pain.

Often, it is difficult to control this pain with a single treatment method, so a combination of several treatment methods is usually used.

If these treatments do not control your pain, your doctor will also explain to you more advanced treatments, such as spinal cord stimulation.

Can this pain be prevented?

While this cannot always be prevented, there are several things we can do to reduce the risk.

• Stop smoking. Smoking damages blood vessels, which can reduce blood supply to the nerves.
• Develop an exercise routine that suits you. Exercising daily improves blood circulation.
• Eat a healthy diet. Eat foods rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and lean proteins.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
• If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar levels regularly and take good care of them. Take special care of your feet.

When should you see a doctor?

If you have any of the symptoms below, be sure to see a doctor.

• If some parts of your body are numb
• If you always feel like you're being stabbed by a needle
• If you feel your muscles are getting weak
• If you have uncontrollable muscle twitching (twitching)
• If things in your hand keep falling to the floor

When should you go to the Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU)?

If you have severe pain, numbness, or weakness that gets worse quickly, it could be a sign of serious nerve damage. In such a case, you should go to the Emergency Department (ETU) of your nearest hospital. These symptoms are also serious:

• Fast or irregular heartbeat.
• Changes in toilet habits, such as difficulty urinating .
• Dizziness or loss of consciousness.

In conclusion, neuropathic pain is a life-threatening condition that can make it difficult to perform daily activities. But don't think you can't live with it. With the right treatment and pain management, you can control the pain and live a good life. The most important thing is to see a doctor as soon as possible and not just tolerate the pain.