You’re probably familiar with occasional numbness and tingling, that pins-and-needles feeling when you sit in an awkward position too long. When these symptoms are persistent, they may be the early warning signs of serious or even permanent nerve damage.
Persistent nerve pain can be a sign of underlying medical conditions that need medical evaluation. Prompt diagnosis can improve the outcomes of treatment as well as preventing your pain symptoms from getting worse.
Treating nerve pain can be complex. Family nurse practitioner Savitri Gopaul and her team at Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness in Richmond, Virginia, is the place to start when you need to gain the upper hand on nerve pain problems.
In this month’s blog, we take a deeper look into the clues your persistent pain symptoms may be trying to tell you, to help you work toward effective pain solutions with our help.
In the absence of traumatic injury, many types of nerve pain come on gradually, going through symptomatic stages that aren’t painful. Some of the common signs of neuropathic (nerve) pain include:
Symptoms may start out intermittently, coming and going with no obvious causes. Over time, attacks may become more frequent and/or intense.
Nerve pain can point to certain conditions, sometimes via the location of your symptoms or other cases through the nature of your pain. Your pain may be due to one or more of the following:
Medical conditions like postherpetic neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, or complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) create persistent pain after an injury or following a condition like shingles. The sooner these conditions are recognized, the better your chances for a positive outcome.
Pinched nerves and sciatica are two examples of pain resulting from irritation or compression of nerve tissue. This could occur for a wide range of reasons, including things like bone spurs, herniated discs, and spinal stenosis.
Some autoimmune diseases, infections, tumors, or conditions like multiple sclerosis can also impair nerve function, creating persistent pain. Though less common, the pain of these conditions is real, and you’ll benefit from accurate diagnosis.
A broad category referring to nerve problems anywhere beyond the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system), peripheral neuropathy tends to start in the areas farthest from your brain — your feet and hands.
Diabetes is a common cause, but peripheral neuropathy can also result from alcohol misuse, from chemotherapy, as a side effect of some medications, or through vitamin deficiencies.
Living with pain is never easy. Touch base with us at Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness by phone or online to book your personal consultation today.
