You will be asked about your symptoms and health history. The doctor will ask what your pain is like and when it happens. A physical exam will be done. You may be sent to a doctor who treats the nervous system. You may also need to see a doctor who treats pain.

Tests that may be done are:

Blood tests to look for problems that may be causing the pain, such as a lack of certain vitamins and minerals
Nerve conduction tests to find out how well nerves are passing electrical signals
Electromyography (EMG) to measure the electrical activity in the nerves
A biopsy to look for problems that may be causing pain

Treatment

Any underlying problems with the need to be treated, such as diabetes.

The goal of treatment is to manage symptoms. Options are:

Medications

One or more of these medicines may be given to manage pain:

Over the counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen
Prescription pain relievers
Antiseizure medicine
Antidepressants
Topical creams put on the skin or patches, such as capsaicin cream

Some states allow residents to use medical marijuana for health problems. It may be helpful for people with neuropathic pain related to HIV.

Procedures

Nerve decompression surgery may be advised to ease pain. Other procedures that may be done are:

A nerve block—An anesthetic is injected into the painful site to block pain.
Pain pump—A pain pump is placed in the body to deliver pain medicine.
Nerve stimulators—A device is attached to the nerve and delivers electrical signals to control pain.
Surgery may be done to block the hurt nerves from sending signals.

Prevention

The risk of neuropathic pain may be lowered by managing other health problems, such as diabetes.

RESOURCES:

American Chronic Pain Association
https://theacpa.org

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
http://www.ninds.nih.gov

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Diabetes Association
http://www.diabetes.ca

Chronic Pain Association of Canada
http://chronicpaincanada.com

References:

Barrell K, Smith AG. Peripheral Neuropathy. Med Clin North Am. 2019 Mar;103(2):383-397.

Causes. The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy website. Available at: https://www.foundationforpn.org/what-is-peripheral-neuropathy/causes. Accessed October 2, 2020.

Peripheral neuropathy. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/peripheral-neuropathy. Accessed October 2, 2020.

7/20/2015 EBSCO DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance https://www.dynamed.com/condition/peripheral-neuropathy: Whiting PF, Wolff RF, Deshpande S, et al. Cannabinoids for medical use: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2015;313(24):2456-2473.

Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Rimas Lukas, MD
Last Updated: 5/21/2021

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