Why Neuropathic Pain Is So Debilitating And What Are Its Causes
When there is an attack on the sensory system of the body by any disease or by any external injury, it leads to neuropathic pain. In most cases, there is a system breakdown, and there is a lack of sensation in the entire body. The nerves become incapable of sending messages to the brain, and it causes numbness. However, at times, the body shows pain and not numbness, and with actual pain, the respected areas. It can become an unbearable pain that stays throughout the day. The intensity might vary, but the pain refuses to budge.
Neuropathic pain is generally caused by diabetes, injury to the spinal cord and the brain. Stubbing the toe or hitting the elbow is short-lived pain. However, neuropathic pain can stay for a longer time. Though the science is the same, the intensity of it differs. People generally describe it as shooting and burning pain. However, numbness in between the pain is common too. Hence, it becomes crucial to understand the actual cause of neuropathic pain if you want to do its treatment properly. Here are some of the causes of neuropathic pain that you might come across.
Accidents
Accidents are the most common cause of neuropathic pain. The external injury that damages the tissue of the spine can, in turn, cause neuropathic pain. Slipped disk and spinal cord compression can also result in this type of pain. Likewise, if you have continuous pain in the hips, legs, and back, it can eventually lead to chronic neuropathic pain. The injury might heal up, but the damage to the sensory system lasts long. That is why some people have to keep using painkillers after a long time after the accident.
Infections
People having High Infectious Virus (HIV) or syphilis are also prone to neuropathic pain. These are sexually transmitted diseases that lead to severe nerve damage, and it also affects communication to the brain. The brain starts sending out more signals which results in a traffic jam-like situation. The increased level of neurotransmitter activities leads to neuropathic pain in the affected area.
Surgery
If there is an amputation of a leg or the arm, the brain generally fails to acknowledge the absence of the limb or the arm. It might keep sending the same message again and again to the phantom limb. This again can lead to neuropathic pain in the individual. It is very common, and the condition is called phantom limb syndrome.
Disease
here are many diseases like cancer, multiple myeloma, or multiple sclerosis that might present themselves as neuropathic pain. The most common ailment or disease that causes a kind of burning or spiking-like feeling is diabetes. As a matter of fact, diabetes is one of the most leading causes of neuropathic pain and the main culprit behind 30 percent of cases. Consumption of excessive alcohol can also lead to nerve damage and result in chronic neuropathic pain. There are other causes such as radiation and chemotherapy. These two treatments can cause injury to nerves and induce this type of pain