Neuralgia

Neuralgia and neuropathic pain syndromes frequently cause severe pain that can significantly reduce the quality of life. Neuralgia pain in your hands, fingers, feet, legs, or any other area can stop you from completing important tasks and participating in the activities you enjoy. The team at The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine provides ketamine infusion therapy and other treatments that are safe and effective. To schedule an initial consultation, call the office in Dallas, Texas, or request a consultation online today.

What is neuralgia?

Damage or irritation of nerve tissue causes pain symptoms known as neuralgia. Neuralgia may arise due to aging, infections such as shingles, medical conditions like diabetes, and structural nerve irritation caused by bones, connective tissue, blood vessels, or abnormal growths.

There are many types of neuralgia, including:

Trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia affects the trigeminal nerve, which provides sensation to the face, mouth, and nose. Trigeminal neuralgia pain affects those areas. 

Peripheral neuralgia

Peripheral neuralgia affects the peripheral nervous system, which includes all nerves outside of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Symptoms of this condition typically affect the arms, legs, hands, and feet.

Central neuropathic pain syndromes

Nerve damage of the central nervous system results from a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury. Stroke and progressive conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis also cause central neuropathic pain syndrome.  

What are the symptoms of neuralgia?

The effects of neuralgia vary depending on the location of nerve damage, but most types of neuralgia share some common symptoms. These include:

• Intense, shooting, or burning pain
• Pain along the nerve path
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Sensitivity to touch or temperature
• Muscle weakness

Neuralgia may also limit your ability to move the affected body part.

How is neuralgia treated?

Neuralgia treatment depends on the underlying cause, the location of the affected nerve, the severity of symptoms, and how a patient responds to previous treatments. Because nerve pain can be difficult to control, a pain management specialist may use a combination of approaches rather than relying on a single treatment.

Medications are commonly used to manage neuralgia. Depending on the type and severity of nerve pain, treatment may include medications that help calm abnormal nerve signaling, such as anticonvulsants or certain antidepressants. Topical medications may also be useful for localized nerve pain. The goal is to reduce pain while minimizing unwanted side effects.

Nerve blocks and other interventional pain procedures may provide relief when pain originates from a specific nerve or nerve pathway. A targeted nerve block can temporarily interrupt pain signals and may help identify the source of pain. Other minimally invasive procedures may be considered depending on the affected nerve and the underlying cause of neuralgia.

Physical therapy and rehabilitation can also be beneficial, particularly when nerve irritation is related to an injury, nerve compression, or a musculoskeletal problem. Targeted exercises may improve strength, mobility, and function while reducing factors that contribute to nerve irritation.

For patients with persistent or difficult-to-treat neuropathic pain, ketamine infusion therapy may be another treatment option. Ketamine has been used safely as an anesthetic since the early 1960s and works in part by affecting N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors involved in pain processing. By influencing abnormal pain signaling in the nervous system, ketamine may help reduce certain types of chronic nerve pain.

What should I expect from neuralgia treatment?

The treatment experience varies depending on the approach you and your provider select. Patients receiving medication or physical therapy may have ongoing treatment and follow-up appointments to evaluate their response and make adjustments as needed. Those undergoing nerve blocks or other interventional procedures typically receive targeted treatment directed at the affected nerve or pain source.

For patients receiving ketamine infusion therapy, a specialist administers ketamine through an IV port in the arm while the patient is monitored throughout the treatment. The infusion typically takes about 40–60 minutes, followed by approximately 15–30 minutes of rest and observation at the clinic.

A patient should have someone available to drive them home after a ketamine infusion and, when possible, plan to rest for the remainder of the day.

At The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine, neuralgia treatment is tailored to the individual. Depending on the patient’s needs, a treatment plan may incorporate medication, nerve blocks, physical therapy, other interventional pain treatments, or ketamine infusion therapy.

To learn more about treatment options for neuralgia, call The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine, or request a complimentary consultation online today.