12 Aug Treatments for Nerve Pain
The nerves are vital to healthy functioning of the body, as they deliver messages about all external stimuli to the brain and about how the body should respond, from the brain to the entire body.
When you’re suffering from nerve pain, the pain can range from minor aches to excruciating pain that prevents you from going on about your day. Nerve pain may even lead to anxiety and depression because of the effects it can have on your life.
Treating chronic neuropathy is complex. Fortunately, modern pain medicine allows your doctor to help you find lasting relief from nerve pain, using minimally invasive interventional treatment options.
Causes of Nerve Pain
Before understanding about treatments for nerve pain, it is important to know what could be causing it. Nerve pain can be the result of a wide range of things, from life style to underlying conditions. Some of the most common sources of neuropathy include –
- Brain Injury
- Certain Medications
- Heavy Drinking
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Sciatica
- Spinal Injury
- Repetitive movements
- Peripheral Neuropathy
The source of pain will determine the relief options that will be effective in your case, and the first step to relieve nerve pain is to see a pain management doctor.
Nerve Pain Relief
When over-the-counter medications aren’t able to provide relief from nerve pain, it is a sign there is an underlying condition or injury that needs to be resolved.
Initially, your doctor may recommend conservative treatment options, such as –
- NSAIDs – Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
- Physical Therapy
- Activity modification and lifestyle changes
However, if you are unable to obtain relief with these, your pain management doctor may use one of the following, depending upon the severity of your pain and the root cause –
- Epidural steroid injection
- Nerve blocks
- Facet joint injection
- Radiofrequency Ablation
- Spinal Cord Stimulation
All these are minimally invasive treatments that are conducted on an outpatient basis that don’t require a hospital stay or long periods of rehabilitation. You are able to resume your normal activities soon and the relief may last from weeks to over a year.
These are just some of the effective treatments that can reduce nerve pain. To live a full and active life, schedule a consultation with your pain management specialist right away.