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Overview
Neuropathic pain is a type of pain that follows an injury to the nervous system. The nervous system is composed of nerves, the spinal cord, and the brain. Most conditions that lead to neuropathic pain involve an injury to nerves. Nerves are like electric cables that are distributed throughout the body. Nerves help to tell individuals about different types of feelings experienced throughout the body. Some nerves, for example, tell us about how painful, hot or cold something is, while other nerves may be better at sensing pressure or just light touch. Neuropathic pain tends to occur when a nerve that normally senses hot, cold, or pain is injured in some way.
Researchers estimate that almost four million people in the United States have neuropathic pain. The most common cause of neuropathic pain is pain from spine disorders. These disorders are very common in the general population. Fortunately, not everyone with back pain or a spinal disorder has persistent neuropathic pain. Another cause of neuropathic pain is diabetes. Diabetes is also very common in the general population, and may lead to damage of small nerves. Pain following an episode of shingles (an outbreak of localized chicken pox) is also a very common cause of neuropathic pain. This type of pain is called post-herpetic neuralgia, and affects elderly persons more often than other age groups.
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