Neuropathic Pain Quiz

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Kenji Igarashi

Kenji Igarashi, MD (Anesthesiology)

Dr. Igarashi graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Medicine. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology and joined Ubie in October 2017. At Ubie, he designs medical data and supports the pharmaceutical team. He also works regularly as an anesthesiologist and internist.

Hiroshi Otake

Hiroshi Otake, MD (Anesthesiology)

A 20+years experienced board-certified Anesthesiologist/Critical Care Physician. | An expert in clinical implementation for digital health and machine learning with multi-national clinical experiences in Japan, US and Australia. | Graduated from Master of Science in Clinical Informatics Management at Stanford University in 2022. Served as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology and Vice President of Showa University Hospital, one of the largest academic medical centers in Tokyo, before Stanford. | Introduced the first tele-ICU program in Asia and had business experiences as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company to engage in developing the marketing strategy of new drugs for pharmaceutical companies and standardizing the drug inspection processes for PMDA, a Japanese drug approval agency.

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People with these symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes

  • Pain in legs

  • Both my back and legs hurt but the legs hurt more

  • Shoulder pain when raising arms

  • Moderate leg pain with mild back pain

  • Shoulder pain when sleeping

  • My leg hurts

  • Severe leg pain with moderate back pain

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Learn more about Neuropathic pain

Content updated on Jul 24, 2023

What is neuropathic pain?

Neuropathic pain is usually caused by an injury, disease, or problem with the somatosensory nervous system. This is a common long-term pain condition that greatly affects a person's quality of life. The nerves in this system are what let us feel things like temperature, pressure, and pain. This type of pain often feels like a burning, tingling, sharp, or stabbing sensation. It can be triggered by light touch or cold, and can be constant or come and go. It can also get worse when resting or at night. Neuropathic pain is often caused by viral infections like post-herpetic neuralgia, cancer, blood vessel abnormalities, alcoholism, diabetes, nerve pressure, nerve damage from surgery or accidents, and neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis and shingles.

Symptoms of neuropathic pain

  • Tingling or prickling sensation of the skin

  • Tingling, numbing chest pain

  • Pain in the arms and/or legs

  • Moving the arm / shoulder worsens the pain

  • Shoulder pain

  • Red, painful rash with tiny blisters, like Shingles

Questions your doctor may ask to check for neuropathic pain

Your doctor may ask these questions to diagnose neuropathic pain

  • Do you feel tingling without your skin being touched?

  • Does your chest pain feel like a numbing pain?

  • Do you have pain in your arms and/or legs?

  • Does your pain worsen when you move arms or shoulders?

  • Do you have shoulder pain?

Treatment for neuropathic pain

The aim of treating neuropathic pain is to control the pain and better the person's life. This usually involves a mix of drugs, physical therapy, and mental health treatments. Medicines used might be antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opioid pain relievers. Physical therapies work to build up the body and increase movement, while mental health treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy can help people deal with the emotional effects of having long-term pain. Sometimes, surgery or neurostimulation therapies might be used.

View the symptoms of Neuropathic pain

  • Limb pain

  • Pain in the shoulder

References

  • Baron R, Binder A, Wasner G. Neuropathic pain: diagnosis, pathophysiological mechanisms, and treatment. Lancet Neurol. 2010 Aug;9(8):807-19. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(10)70143-5. PMID: 20650402.

    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(10)70143-5/fulltext

  • St John Smith E. Advances in understanding nociception and neuropathic pain. J Neurol. 2018 Feb;265(2):231-238. doi: 10.1007/s00415-017-8641-6. Epub 2017 Oct 14. PMID: 29032407; PMCID: PMC5808094.

    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-017-8641-6

  • Bouhassira D. Neuropathic pain: Definition, assessment and epidemiology. Rev Neurol (Paris). 2019 Jan-Feb;175(1-2):16-25. doi: 10.1016/j.neurol.2018.09.016. Epub 2018 Oct 29. PMID: 30385075.

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0035378718308105?via%3Dihub

  • Szok D, Tajti J, Nyári A, Vécsei L. Therapeutic Approaches for Peripheral and Central Neuropathic Pain. Behav Neurol. 2019 Nov 21;2019:8685954. doi: 10.1155/2019/8685954. PMID: 31871494; PMCID: PMC6906810.

    https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bn/2019/8685954/

  • Gierthmühlen J, Baron R. Neuropathic Pain. Semin Neurol. 2016 Oct;36(5):462-468. doi: 10.1055/s-0036-1584950. Epub 2016 Sep 23. PMID: 27704502.

    https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0036-1584950

  • Cohen SP, MaoJ, Neuropathic pain: mechanisms and their clinical implications BMJ 2014;348:g2323

    https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g2323

  • Finnerup NB, Kuner R, Jensen TS. Neuropathic Pain: From Mechanisms to Treatment. Physiol Rev. 2021 Jan 1;101(1):259-301. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00045.2019. Epub 2020 Jun 25. PMID: 32584191

  • Jensen, T. S., Baron, R., Haanpää, M., Kalso, E., Loeser, J. D., Rice, A. S. C., & Treede, R. D. (2011). A new definition of neuropathic pain. Pain, 152(10), 2204–2205.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2011.06.017

  • Finnerup, N. B., Attal, N., Haroutounian, S., McNicol, E., Baron, R., Dworkin, R. H., ... & Wallace, M. (2015). Pharmacotherapy for neuropathic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Neurology, 14(2), 162-173.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(14)70251-0

User testimonials

Reviewed By:

Kenji Igarashi

Kenji Igarashi, MD (Anesthesiology)

Dr. Igarashi graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Medicine. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology and joined Ubie in October 2017. At Ubie, he designs medical data and supports the pharmaceutical team. He also works regularly as an anesthesiologist and internist.

Hiroshi Otake

Hiroshi Otake, MD (Anesthesiology)

A 20+years experienced board-certified Anesthesiologist/Critical Care Physician. | An expert in clinical implementation for digital health and machine learning with multi-national clinical experiences in Japan, US and Australia. | Graduated from Master of Science in Clinical Informatics Management at Stanford University in 2022. Served as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology and Vice President of Showa University Hospital, one of the largest academic medical centers in Tokyo, before Stanford. | Introduced the first tele-ICU program in Asia and had business experiences as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company to engage in developing the marketing strategy of new drugs for pharmaceutical companies and standardizing the drug inspection processes for PMDA, a Japanese drug approval agency.

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Shohei Harase, MD

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Kameda Medical Center, Japan

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Yu Shirai, MD

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Yotsuya Yui Clinic, Japan

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Rohini R, MD

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