Treatments For Nerve Pain
What Is The Best Treatment For Nerve Pain?
- The pain of nerves (neuralgia), is often described as a burning, stabbing, or shooting sensation.
- The brain or the nerves that transmit pain signals to your brain are damaged or injured.
- Nerve pain is a difficult condition to treat.
- Exercise, acupuncture, and relaxation techniques can be used in conjunction with pain medications.
What Is Nerve Pain?
- When a condition such as neuralgia, neuropathic or other pains affects your nerves, you will experience nerve pain. The sensation of nerve pain is different from that of other types.
- Nerve pain can occur in any part of your body. However, it is more common to experience nerve pain in certain areas. Some examples include:
- Post-herpetic Pain — This can occur after you have had shingles (herpes Zoster). It affects the same part of the body as the shingles rash.
- Trigeminal Pain — causing pain to your jaw or cheek
occipital Pain — causes pain at the base of your skull, which can spread to your back. - Pudendal Pain — Causing pain in the “saddle area” between your legs
What is the diagnosis of nerve pain?
You will be examined by your doctor and asked about your symptoms. The doctor will examine you and test your nerves. They will check your reflexes, muscle strength, and sensitivity to touching.
You may be referred to a doctor for other tests, such as:
- Blood Tests To check your general health, and to look for underlying diseases
- Nerve conduction studies measure the speed at which electrical signals are carried by your nerves
- A CT Scan, or an MRI Scan can be used to determine the cause of your discomfort
How To Treat Nerve Pain?
There are many ways to treat nerve pain, and the best option for you will depend on the severity of your symptoms and the underlying cause. Over-the-counter and prescription medications, both oral and topical, can all aid in easing nerve pain symptoms.
Topical treatments, including pain killing gels and lidocaine patches, are especially effective on small areas of skin that are experiencing the most discomfort. They typically work well for pain caused by shingles, HIV-related neuropathies and cancer-related neuropathic pain.
Painkillers are a common add-on to many other nerve pain treatment options and include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen) and acetaminophen. NSAIDS are not as effective for nerve pain as they are for inflammation-related pain, but they may help reduce some of the more general side effects associated with these medications, like stomach upset and drowsiness.
Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline and nortriptyline, are another medication that is commonly prescribed for nerve pain. These medications were originally designed to treat mental health conditions, but they have been shown to be effective in reducing neuropathic pain. Research suggests that gabapentin, an anticonvulsant drug, can also significantly lower neuropathic pain.
For severe or resistant nerve pain, powerful opioid painkillers may be recommended. However, these medications can be addictive and have serious side effects, so they are only usually prescribed in cases where other treatment options are ineffective.
Nonpharmacological approaches, such as acupuncture and hypnosis, can also be helpful in relieving nerve pain. And some types of electrical stimulation, such as PENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) and rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation), can be used to ease some kinds of nerve pain, such as occipital neuralgia (pain in the back of the head).
Your GP at CannaTelehealth ‘Contact Us’ can provide more information on how Medicinal cannabis can be beneficial in alleviating chronic nerve pain.
Nerve Pain Treatment at Home
The human body has an intricate electrical wiring system that consists of billions of nerve cells, some of which are in the spinal cord and brain and others that branch out to the rest of the body. When these nerves are impaired, damaged or misaligned, the results can be a wide range of symptoms including pins and needles, stabbing, burning, shocking, and/or throbbing pain.
A variety of treatments can help alleviate nerve pain, including natural remedies, medications and lifestyle changes. Herbs like capsaicin, vitamins and dietary supplements such as vitamin B12 and ginger root can provide relief, as well as alternative therapies including acupuncture and massage therapy. These can also be combined with more traditional medication, and in some cases may offer more relief than the medications alone.
Keeping weight down, especially if you have diabetes, can reduce pressure on the nerves, as can using an ergonomic workstation and making sure to get up and move around often at work, and taking frequent walks at home. Regular exercise will help keep blood flowing, which is another important factor in reducing nerve pain.
For those who have a more severe case of nerve damage, talk therapy and relaxation techniques can help to manage stress. Acupuncture can reduce pain by helping to stimulate the nerves and increase blood flow to the affected areas. Getting enough sleep, and avoiding alcohol and smoking can help as well.
During an online consultation doctors have found home treatment for nerve pain could also be beneficial with the use of medicinal cannabis CBD Oils. Of course in Australia this is considered a second line of treatment and the patient would need to be assessed and found eligible before being prescribed these medications.
Doctors available for online consultation on nerve pain treatment options.
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Disclaimer: CannaTelehealth is not promoting the use of medicinal cannabis. Medicinal cannabis does affect every person differently, due to factors such as size, weight, health, dosage, tolerance and age. Medicinal cannabis might not work for you, and you might experience side-effects. Information provided by CannaTelehealth is for educational and informational purposes only. For medical advice, please refer to your doctor. Medicinal cannabis in Australia is regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and details about cannabis as a scheduled drug can be found on their website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Most Common Drug Used For the Treatment of Neurotic Pain?
There are many different drugs that can be used for the treatment of neuropathic aches and pains, but the most commonly used are anticonvulsants like gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica). These medications can help reduce neuropathic pain by inhibiting the reuptake of glutamate. They can also increase the levels of GABA, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps to dampen inappropriate or excessive pain signalling from nerves.
Studies show that these medications are effective in treating neuropathic pain associated with herpes zoster, diabetic neuropathy and spinal cord injury. They are generally well tolerated, although some people can experience sedation and dizziness.
It is important to treat the underlying cause of your neuropathic pain before you start taking these medications. Depending on the cause, this might involve a combination of medicines, physical therapy or psychological counselling.
Often, opioid pain medications are not recommended as first-line treatments for neuropathic pain because they can worsen symptoms such as drowsiness and confusion. However, they can be used in combination with other drugs or if other therapies are not successful. Medications such as tramadol and the FDA-approved tapentadol7 have shown promising results in neuropathic pain trials.
Topical treatments are another option for neuropathic pain. Creams, ointments and patches with ingredients such as lidocaine can decrease pain by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in nerve fibres that are responsible for the propagation of action potentials.
These can be applied directly to the painful area or in the form of oral medication. Menthol products are another type of over-the-counter treatment that works by causing a cooling sensation that desensitise nerve endings and decreases blood flow to the area, which can decrease pain.
In addition to traditional medications medicinal cannabis has been found to relieve some of the symptoms associated with nerve and sciatica pain. Doctors online consultations are an effective way to have a home based treatment plan for nerve pain.
Cannabis has been used to relieve pain for thousands of years. Some patients and their supporters are currently promoting herbal cannabis to treat chronic pain of any kind. (2)
What is the Latest Treatment for Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is a condition that affects the peripheral nerves, which are outside of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by many things, including diabetes, autoimmune disorders, vitamin deficiencies, certain drugs and exposure to toxins.
It is estimated that more than 20 million people in the United States suffer from this condition, and it can cause pain, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness and other symptoms. Treatment options for neuropathy include over-the-counter pain medications, prescription opioids, antiseizure medications and antidepressants.
Many of these medications can have unfavourable side effects. For this reason, patients often seek an alternative treatment option like medical marijuana.
About Us
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Our goal is to provide accurate information about our services and values. Learn more about our mission, vision, and commitment to patient care by visiting the “About Us” page.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please visit our “Contact Us” page. Our customer service team will answer all your questions and guide you through the process.
Our website outlines clearly our eligibility criteria so that everyone who is eligible can access our service. This helps determine whether a person is eligible for our online consulting service.
Online consultations are virtual appointments with qualified healthcare professionals who can provide advice, treatment choices and medication when necessary. We aim to offer personalised care and support to our patients in the comfort of their own homes.
CannaTelehealth offers a trustworthy online healthcare service which puts your health first. We will always be here to give you the best possible care.
Virtual Medical Cannabis Doctors- Online Treatment and Consultation Services
Although cannabis-based medicines appear to be mostly harmless, mild side effects are often experienced. These include somnolence and sedation. Amnesia is also common. The risks have not been systematically analysed. There is a special concern about how adverse effects might affect vulnerable populations such as elderly patients. 3) However others maintain its safe and effective alternative to prescription pain medications for those suffering from chronic pain and severe nausea. It has also shown to be effective in treating symptoms related to nerve pain (back and sciatica) seizures and PTSD, such as anxiety and depression.
With all states now allowing patients to be evaluated via online medical cannabis clinics, it is easier than ever for patients to obtain their physician’s approval to use cannabis if they qualify under the eligibility criteria.
The process is convenient for all involved and saves time, money and travel. It is especially useful for patients in remote areas, those with disabilities or the elderly who find it difficult to visit traditional doctors.
Most often the patients’ general practitioner (GP) – play an important role in the online consultations. However, some of these healthcare professionals have a number of concerns and beliefs about the safety of medical cannabis that may influence their decision to prescribe this medication to their patients.
This is mostly due to the complex and lengthy prescription process that requires jumping through regulatory hoops and coordinating with appropriately licensed pharmacies.
Online portals, such as CannaTelehealth, have stepped in to assist with this process by providing doctors education on available products and the scientific evidence around their treatment. They help streamline the process and assist with filing regulatory approvals.
References:
- https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/nerve-pain#what-is
- Cannabis‐based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018; 2018(3): CD012182. Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group, Martin Mücke, Tudor Phillips, Lukas Radbruch, Frank Petzke, and Winfried Häuser Cannabis and pain: a scoping review
- Camila Pantoja-Ruiz,a Paula Restrepo-Jimenez,a Camilo Castañeda-Cardona,b Alexandra Ferreirós,c and Diego Rossellid,⿎ Braz J Anesthesiol. 2022 Jan-Feb; 72(1): 142–151.
