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Constant pain in the hips, legs and back, it can gradually lead to chronic neuropathic pain. ©shutterstock
When the sensory system of the body is attacked by a disease or an external injury, it causes neuropathic pain. Mostly, the system breaks down and there is a lack of sensation in the entire body. The nerves are unable to send messages to the brain and this causes numbness. However, sometimes, the body exhibits pain not with numbness but with actual pain in the respected area. This is a continuous debilitating pain that stays through the day. The intensity may vary, but the pain does not go away.
These pains are mostly caused by diabetes, injury to the spinal cord or injuries to the brain. Stubbing a toe or hitting the elbow can cause short-lived pains. But neuropathic pain lasts longer. Although the science is same, the intensity is different. People describe it as a shooting and burning pain. But numbness in between is common too. This pain gets worse over time. According to a study published in the ScienceDirect Journal, 10 per cent of all Americans suffer from neuropathic pain. It is important to understand the root cause of neuropathic pain for proper treatment. Let us look at a few causes of this kind of pain.
External injury can damage the tissue of the spine, which can, in turn, cause neuropathic pain. Slipped disk and spinal cord compression can lead to this kind of pain. Similarly, if you have constant pain in the hips, legs and back, it can gradually lead to chronic neuropathic pain. The injury may heal, but the damage to the sensory system is long-lasting. That's why some people must take painkillers long after their accidents.
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People with HIV or syphilis are prone to neuropathic pain. These STDs lead to nerve damage and this affects communication to the brain. The brain responds by sending out more signals and this causes a traffic jam like situation. These increased levels of neurotransmitters lead to neuropathic pain in the affected region.
During amputation of a leg or arm, the brain fails to understand the absence of the limb. It may keep on sending the same message again and again to the phantom limb. This leads to neuropathic pain. This is very uncommon and is called the phantom limb syndrome.
Many diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis or multiple myeloma, may present themselves initially with a neuropathic pain. The most common disease that may cause this kind of burning and spiking pain is diabetes. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of neuropathic pain and is behind more than 30 per cent of cases. Intake of too much alcohol can also cause nerve damage and lead to chronic neuropathic pain. Radiation and chemotherapy are other causes. These two treatments can cause injury to nerves and induce this kind of pain.