Last updated: Mon, Jun 26, 2017
There are many types of painful neuropathy. It can be caused by traumas (amputations, damage to a large peripheral nerve, mastectomy), diabetes, herpes, alcoholism, various nutritional deficiencies, certain medications (anti-retroviral drugs, cancer drugs), toxins (arsenic, acrylamide, thallium, and others), genetic conditions, malignancies, or a variety of other causes.
About 2.4% of the population is estimated to experience neuropathic pain, a percentage that peaks at 8% at increased age. The two most common causes of peripheral neuropathies are alcoholism and diabetes. Some 10 to 20% of patients with diabetes mellitus develop neuropathic pain along with 10% of chronic alcoholics.
Recent studies show that 60 to 80% of amputees experience phantom limb pain.1 The severity and frequency of this pain fortunately tends to decrease with time.
Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a painful aftermath of acute herpes zoster. The diagnosis PHN is applied if pain persists after three months. It is one of the most common conditions treated in pain clinics. Herpes zoster affects only 0.2% of those younger than 50, but as much as 1% of 80-year-olds. Pain persists three to six months following onset in about 10% of those with herpes zoster. The severity of PHN pain generally decreases with time.2
As with other chronic pain syndromes, neuropathic pain is often accompanied by mood disorders (depression and anxiety) and altered sleep. About 60% of neuropathic pain sufferers reported at least “discomfort” as a result of sleep troubles. Moderate-to-severe depression is present in a third and anxiety in a quarter of neuropathic pain patients. Other problems reported include lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and several symptoms perhaps related to medication.3