Neuropathic PainEtiology and Treatment

Pain ConceptsCharacteristic Acute Pain Chronic Pain

Cause Generally known

Often unknown

Duration of Pain

Short, well- characterized

Persists after healing, ≥3 months

Treatment approach

Underlying disease

Underlying disease and pain disorder

Pain Concepts• Types of Neuropathies

– Focal• Mononeuritis• Entrapment

– Diffuse• Proximal• Distal

– Large fiber– Small fiber

Pain Concepts

• Problems in Neuropathic Pain– Many patient with neuropathic pain

continue to suffer, despite optimal therapy– Development of rationally based, novel

treatments has been slow– Neural mechanism for ‘pain’ is unproven

for the common syndromes (DM Peripheral neuropathy/Postherpetic neuralgia)

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