How to relieve neuralgia

Written by Liu Shi Xiang
Neurology
Updated on September 28, 2024
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Neuropathic pain can be relieved through treatments such as medication, physical therapy, and surgery. Medications used primarily include antiepileptic drugs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics, such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, gabapentin, pregabalin, sodium diclofenac, ibuprofen, and celecoxib.

Physical therapy mainly involves localized heat application, massage, manipulation, and acupuncture. Surgical treatment is mainly suitable for patients who do not respond well to medication and physical therapy. Currently, the surgical approach mainly involves minimally invasive surgery to relieve nerve compression, thereby alleviating the symptoms of neuropathic pain.

Beyond symptomatic treatment, it is important to identify and treat the underlying cause of the neuropathic pain, such as tumors, trauma, diabetes, etc. These causes can lead to neuropathic symptoms, so it is crucial to actively control these underlying diseases to potentially relieve neuropathic pain at its root.

(Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Dentistry
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What to do with tooth nerve pain?

Common symptoms of dental nerve pain include severe toothache. If teeth are not brushed and rinsed promptly after eating, food residues linger on the teeth, and bacterial fermentation produces acids, leading to symptoms of dental nerve inflammation. This is also due to the further progression of dental caries. In such cases, dental treatment should be sought as early as possible. If the decayed dental tissues are removed and the dental nerve is not exposed, direct filling treatment can be conducted. If infected dental tissues are removed and the dental nerve is exposed, the treatment depends on the development status of the tooth root. If the tooth root is not fully formed, it is advisable to preserve the living dental nerve as much as possible, and direct pulp capping or vital pulpotomy can be performed. If the root apex foramen has already formed, infected purulent dental tissues or the dental nerve can be removed for root canal treatment.

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Written by Na Hong Wei
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Symptoms of intercostal neuralgia

Intercostal neuralgia is essentially caused by inherent reasons, or pathological changes in the thoracic vertebrae, ribs, and pleura, leading to an inflammatory symptom involving the intercostal nerves. Therefore, the primary symptom of intercostal neuralgia is pain, but this pain has certain characteristics. First, the pain commonly occurs in the left second rib and the right second, third, and fourth ribs. Second, the range of the pain is usually semicircular; it does not extend beyond the anterior midline at the front or the posterior midline at the back, forming a semicircular pain along the ribs. Third, there are often fixed tender points, which sometimes are located in the costal cartilage or corresponding thoracic vertebrae and paraspinal area; these points, when pressed or tapped, can cause radiating pain. Fourth, many times the examination results are negative, so intercostal neuralgia tends to be a condition where the symptoms are severe, but physical examination often yields very few positive signs.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Symptoms of neuralgia

Neuralgia comes in many types and is generally quite severe. Patients may experience episodes of intense, short-lasting pain. The common symptoms include: Firstly, a classic type is trigeminal neuralgia, where patients primarily suffer from episodic severe pain in the areas innervated by the trigeminal nerve. This can feel like burning or electric shocks, and is often unbearable. Treatment usually requires antiepileptic drugs. The second major type of neuralgia commonly seen is postherpetic neuralgia, where pain is intense and follows the nerve distribution. Tricyclic antidepressants and antiepileptic drugs can be used for treatment. Additionally, peripheral neuropathy caused by diabetes can also lead to neuralgia. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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How is intercostal neuralgia treated?

In our clinical practice, for intercostal neuralgia, we generally have the following treatment methods: The first type is oral medication, specifically non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which can alleviate pain. The second type is traditional Chinese medicine, such as drugs that invigorate blood circulation and remove blood stasis, which can also increase local blood circulation to relieve pain. The third method is to use acupuncture, which has comparatively good therapeutic effects on this type of intercostal neuralgia. Generally speaking, most cases of intercostal neuralgia do not last very long. Regardless of which method you choose, you can achieve relatively good results, so the above methods are the most common treatments for intercostal neuralgia. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor based on specific circumstances.)

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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How to relieve neuralgia

Firstly, symptomatic treatment can be administered to patients. Medications for treating neuralgia mainly include tricyclic antidepressants and anticonvulsants, and serotonin reuptake inhibitors may also be effective. These medications should be taken under the advice of a doctor when necessary to help alleviate pain. Secondly, localized block treatment can also achieve certain clinical effects. Thirdly, it is crucial to identify the cause of the neuralgia and treat it accordingly. For example, if a patient’s neuralgia is caused by optic neuromyelitis, corticosteroids should be used; if it is due to herpes zoster virus infection, antiviral medications are required.