Description Neuralgia is a term...
Description
Neuralgia is a term that refers to pain caused by irritation or damage to a nerve. It is often described as sharp and burning and can be very severe. The pain is usually in the area of the skin supplied by the nerve and the symptoms can become worse with simply touching the area of skin involved. Common neuralgias are trigeminal neuralgia, neuralgia from shingles and radiating nerve pain from the lumbar or cervical spine.
Symptoms
Symptoms include pain described as sharp, stabbing, and electrical shocks. The symptoms are experienced in the area of the skin supplied by the nerve. The symptoms can get worse with movement or by touching the affected area. Some patients experience numbness and more rarely muscle weakness.
Tests
Common tests used for diagnosis and treatment
Workup:
A history and physical will be performed. The diagnosis can often be made without further testing. Sometimes blood and imaging tests will often be performed to determine the cause of the neuralgia.
Tests:
Complete blood count (CBC), Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), Electromyography (EMG), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Other Specific Tests: Magnesium level
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Neurology, Family Practice, Pain Medicine
Workup:
A history and physical will be performed. The diagnosis can often be made without further testing. Sometimes blood and imaging tests will often be performed to determine the cause of the neuralgia.
Tests:
Complete blood count (CBC), Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), Electromyography (EMG), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Other Specific Tests: Magnesium level
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Neurology, Family Practice, Pain Medicine
Treatment
Treatment is varied and is directed at the specific cause of neuralgia and the extent of symptoms. Drugs used to help relieve nerve pain include gabapentin (Neurontin), certain types of antidepressants and pregabalin (Lyrica).