Neuropathic Pain: An Uncomfortable Nocturnal Companion

It could be that the expression  neuropathic pain sounds a bit strange. However, if we talk about this  pain, itching or numbness in the hands and feet that intensifies at night, it is possible that the topic is very familiar to many people.

This type of disorder looks a lot like an electrical discharge. In moments, it makes us feel burning, tingling and, although it may disappear for a few weeks, it returns a short time later with more force, to the point of preventing us from reconciling a deep and restful sleep.

Neuropathic pain affects 10% of the population. It takes away quality of life and, in turn, it is also worth saying that there is no effective treatment that makes this problem disappear completely.

Still, it may be accompanied by another type of symptomatology that is worth considering.

If this is your case, we recommend that you look for a good specialist. There are different types of therapeutic approaches, and the most appropriate is to test those that best fit our characteristics.

Below we explain some basic secrets and also explain why this disease intensifies at night. So be sure to check it out!

What causes neuropathic pain?

Neuropathic pain originates from a small change in the nervous system.  It is also associated with those people who suffer chronic pain.

Sometimes, some spinal cord injuries can be found that stem from these uncomfortable discharges.

Furthermore, neuropathic pain may also be related to immunological disorders or peripheral nerve problems.

So much so, that in many occasions the discomfort is located in the trigeminal nerve of the face or in the intercostal nerve.

It’s a very complex type of disease; so much so that it goes far beyond the classic numbness of hands and feet.

It will always be the specialists who will offer us an adequate diagnosis according to our symptoms, which is why it is important to look for a professional.

What symptoms can I have?

Neuropathic pain is chronic. As we pointed out at the beginning, it comes and goes, for seasons. However, patients often complain that the pain becomes unbearable during the night.

To the discomfort located in the feet and hands, it is also customary to add various  sensory changes throughout the body, that is, just rubbing we can feel pain.

Why is the discomfort more intense at night?

Experts say neuropathic pain is underdiagnosed. If so, it is due to several reasons:

• This pain is not related to bones or joints. We speak of nerves and neuroglia, that is, a type of central sensitization located in glial cells.

• Neuropathic pain doesn’t go away with an aspirin. In fact, it is common for patients to become desperate when they do not find relief.

Little by little, and in case of not getting a solution, we can feel a certain despondency.

Furthermore, if the pain intensifies at night, it is because we are very “quiet”. While we are on the move, our body somehow soothes this alteration in the nerves.

Now, when remaining at rest, electrical discharges are more intense. The muscles are no longer exercised and the tension is now concentrated to a greater degree in the extremities, as are the feet and hands.

In other words, hypersensitivity is also heightened overnight. It’s like having pins all over your body.

Is there any effective therapy for neuropathic pain?

We are facing chronic pain. This requires, first of all, concentration. This discomfort, these pains that sometimes incapacitate us and make us sleepless, will always accompany us.

Now, the key is not surrender, but the continuous search for an adequate quality of life.

This battle is very personal. This means that, while a certain treatment may work for someone, it may be that you need a different one.

Thus, it is important that we have several alternatives in different account:

• The medication. As we indicated before, drugs do not guarantee that neuropathic pain will go away 100%. However, it is necessary to try several medications, such as steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs or others that the doctor recommends.

• Passive physiotherapy, such as massage or application of heat/cold, can relieve us. Furthermore, active therapies such as moderate exercise can also help us.
• The surgery. It will be the specialist treating the case who will inform about the possibility or not of this option, who will have the objective of finding the focus that causes the pain and correcting it.
• Neurostimulators. These types of clinical techniques also usually offer a good quality of life. It involves sending small, very gentle electrical impulses to the epidural space near the spine.
  

In this way, the perception of intense pain is relieved, replacing it with an almost imperceptible tingling sensation.

In conclusion, we can say that neuropathic pain is a very delicate reality for which there are many types of treatments.

It is appropriate to test all treatments to see which one suits us to do the activities normally and thus reduce the impact of pain.