Nerve Pain

What causes nerve pain?

Nerve pain can be the result of an infection or trauma that causes damage to your peripheral nervous system. This system includes all the nerves of your body outside of your brain and spinal cord. 

Neuropathic pain is a chronic type of pain that often develops from a progressive nerve condition or due to an underlying disease like diabetes. Diabetes can cause nerve damage if your blood sugar levels remain too high. 

This prompts your body to send abnormal pain signals to your brain, and that results in chronic and even debilitating pain.

Other conditions that can cause neuropathic pain include:

• Spinal arthritis
• Herniated discs
• Thyroid disorder
• Vitamin B deficiency
• Spinal cord compression

When should I seek help for nerve pain?

If you have nerve-related pain that is not getting better with over-the-counter medications and rest, the team at Performance Pain and Sports Medicine recommends scheduling a diagnostic evaluation. A prompt diagnosis can prevent additional injuries and a worsening of your pain.

You can request a consultation if you experience:

• Pain without injury
• Stabbing or burning pain
• Pain that radiates into your limbs
• Sleep disruption due to pain
• Increased sensitivity to pain

If left untreated, nerve pain can get worse and interfere with your ability to work and stay physically active. It can also disrupt your mental health and lead to anxiety and depression.

How is nerve pain treated?

Your treatment plan for nerve pain depends on the root cause of your pain and its location. The team at Performance Pain and Sports Medicine offer a variety of treatments to ease existing nerve pain and reduce your risk for additional complications.

Available treatments include:

Joint injections

If nerve pain relates to joint damage that presses on surrounding nerves, you may benefit from a joint injection. This injection contains an anti-inflammatory and anesthetic medication that numbs pain and reduces inflammation to relieve pressure on your nerve.

Radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment that uses heat energy to destroy damaged nerves and stop pain signals from traveling to the brain.

Spinal cord stimulation

A spinal cord stimulator is an implantable device that delivers pulses of energy into the nerves of your spine to interfere with pain signals. You control the stimulator with an external remote or your smartphone to manage your pain as needed.

Peripheral nerve stimulation

Peripheral nerve stimulation is a minimally invasive procedure that effectively treats nerve pain originating from one or two identifiable nerves. It involves the implantation of a device that allows patients to control the impulses delivered to the nerves, reducing pain. A small wire is surgically placed over the affected nerve to disrupt pain signals, and a wearable device powers the system through the skin, providing a convenient and customizable pain management solution.

Intrathecal pain pump

An intrathecal pain pump is a medical device used to manage chronic pain by delivering medication directly into the spinal fluid near the spinal cord. It consists of a small pump implanted under the skin that is connected to a catheter placed in the spinal fluid. By targeting the pain receptors in the spinal cord, the pump can provide more effective pain relief with lower doses of medication and fewer side effects compared to oral pain medications.

To learn more about which treatment option is right for your chronic nerve pain, call the Performance Pain and Sports Medicine office nearest you to schedule a consultation.