Management issues in neuropathic pain

2021 ◽  
pp. 485-490
Author(s):  
Lise Ventzel ◽  
Nanna Brix Finnerup

Neuropathic pain is a common complication to cancer and cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Neuropathic pain may be present in up to 40% of cancer patients and may persist independently of the cancer and affect the quality of life in disease-free cancer survivors. Particular surgery and chemotherapy may cause chronic neuropathic pain in cancer survivors. The diagnosis of neuropathic pain can be challenging and requires documentation of a nervous system lesion and pain in areas of sensory changes. The pharmacological treatment includes tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin–noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (duloxetine or venlafaxine), gabapentin, and pregabalin as first-line treatments. Topical lidocaine 5%, capsaicin 8% patches, botulinum toxin type A, tramadol, and strong opioids are second- and third-line treatments. Steroids may have a role in the acute management of cancer-related neuropathic pain. Due to limited efficacy or intolerable side effects at maximal doses, combination therapy is often required and careful monitoring of effect and adverse reactions is important.

Author(s):  
Nanna Brix Finnerup ◽  
Troels Staehelin Jensen

Neuropathic pain is a common complication to cancer, cancer treatment, HIV, and other conditions that may affect the somatosensory nervous system. Neuropathic pain may be present in up to 40% of cancer patients and may persist independently of the cancer and affect the quality of life in disease-free cancer survivors. Particular surgical treatment and chemotherapy may cause chronic persistent neuropathic pain in cancer survivors. The diagnosis of neuropathic pain can be challenging and requires documentation of a nervous system lesion and pain in areas of sensory changes. The pharmacological treatment may include tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (duloxetine or venlafaxine), calcium channel α2↓ agonists (gabapentin or pregabalin), and opioids. Topical lidocaine and capsaicin, NMDA antagonists, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and cannabinoids may be indicated. Due to limited efficacy or intolerable side effects at maximal doses, combination therapy is often required and careful monitoring of effect and adverse reactions is important.


2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 346-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuel de Jesus Soares de Sousa ◽  
Gustavo Celeira de Sousa ◽  
Vitor Ferreira Baia ◽  
Danusa Neves Somensi ◽  
Marília Brasil Xavier

ABSTRACT Neuropathic pain is a chronic syndrome that is difficult to treat and often affects patients with leprosy. Recommended treatment includes the the use of analgesic drugs, codeine, tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptics, anticonvulsants and thalidomide, but without consensus on uniform dose and fully satisfactory results. Objective: To analyze botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) effectiveness in treatment of chronic neuropathic pain in refractory leprous patients, as well as evaluate and compare the quality of life of patients before and after using the medication. Methods: We used a specific protocol including clinical, demographic, DN4 protocol, analogue scale (VAS), sensory evaluation and evaluation of the WHOQOL-BREF. Therapeutic intervention was performed with BOTOX® BTX-A 100U administered subcutaneously. Fifteen patients were evaluated on days 0, 10 and 60. Results: Patients on VAS showed pain between 5 and 10, in one case there was complete pain relief in 60 days, while others showed improvement in the first week with the return of symptoms with less intensity after this period. WHOQOL-BREF's domains Quality of Life and Physical to have a significant increase in QOL. Conclusion: BoNT-A proved to be a good therapeutic option in relieving pain with improved quality of life for these patients.


Author(s):  
Hossein Salehi ◽  
Moein Moussaei ◽  
Zahra Kamiab ◽  
Alireza Vakilian

Background: Neuropathic pain is one of the most common problems in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, the effect of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) on neuropathic pain, quality of sleep, and quality of life of diabetic patients with sensorimotor polyneuropathy was studied. Methods: This randomized placebo-controlled trial study was carried out in a double-blind (patientresearcher) method. The study was performed on 32 patients with type 2 DM. Neuropathy was confirmed by Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) Questionnaire and nerve conduction study (NCS). The patients were randomly assigned to two intervention and control groups based on the random numbers table. After selecting the subjects, we used 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Neuropathic Pain Scale (NPS),  Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires before and after 3 months of 100 units BTX-A injection (as intervention group) or same amount of chloride sodium (as control group) to the subjects' feet. The data were analyzed by SPSS software using independent twosample t-test, chi-square test, and one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: 12 male and 20 female patients participated in this study. There was a significant difference in the mean VAS, PSQI, physical dimension of the SF-36, and some NPS indices over time (12 weeks) (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that BTX-A reduced neuropathic pain and improved the quality of life and sleep in people with diabetic neuropathy.  


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 816
Author(s):  
Rosmara Infantino ◽  
Consalvo Mattia ◽  
Pamela Locarini ◽  
Antonio Luigi Pastore ◽  
Sabatino Maione ◽  
...  

Chronic pain, including neuropathic pain, represents an untreated disease with important repercussions on the quality of life and huge costs on the national health system. It is well known that opioids are the most powerful analgesic drugs, but they represent the second or third line in neuropathic pain, that remain difficult to manage. Moreover, these drugs show several side effects that limit their use. In addition, opioids possess addictive properties that are associated with misuse and drug abuse. Among available opioids compounds, buprenorphine has been suggested advantageous for a series of clinical reasons, including the effectiveness in neuropathic pain. Some properties are partly explained by its unique pharmacological characteristics. However, questions on the dynamic profile remain to be answered. Pharmacokinetics optimization strategies, and additional potentialities, are still to be explored. In this paper, we attempt to conceptualize the potential undiscovered dynamic profile of buprenorphine.


Author(s):  
Anna L.J. Verhulst ◽  
Hans H.C.M. Savelberg ◽  
Gerard Vreugdenhil ◽  
Massimo Mischi ◽  
Goof Schep

The objective was to study the effect of whole-body vibration (WBV) on strength, balance and pain in patients with peripheral neuropathies and to consider its significance for the rehabilitation of patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Using a broad search strategy, PubMed was searched for clinical trials on WBV interventions aimed at improving strength, balance or pain in patients with peripheral neuropathies, which were published in English until 5th June 2014. The search was performed by the first author and generated a total of 505 results, which yielded 5 articles that met the inclusion criteria, being studies: i) published in English; ii) involving adult human subjects’ peripheral neuropathies; iii) evaluating the effect of WBV as a therapeutic intervention; and iv) reporting findings for at least one of the following outcomes: strength, balance or pain. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed independently by first and second author, using the physiotherapy evidence database scale. The overall methodological quality of included studies was low. Two studies found a beneficial effect of WBV on neuropathic pain, but another study failed to find the same effect. One study found significant improvements in both muscle strength and balance, while another study found improvements only in some, but not all, of the applied tests to measure muscle strength and balance. The results of this literature search suggest insufficient evidence to assess the effectiveness for the effects of WBV on neuropathic pain, muscle strength and balance in patients with peripheral neuropathies. More high-quality trials are needed to guide the optimization of rehabilitation programs for cancer survivors with CIPN in particular.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Osvaldo J.M. Nascimento ◽  
Bruno L. Pessoa ◽  
Marco Orsini ◽  
Pedro Ribeiro ◽  
Eduardo Davidovich ◽  
...  

Neuropathic pain (NP) is the result of a series of conditions caused by diseases or lesions to the somatosensory system. Due to the better understanding of NP pathophysiology previously unexplored therapies have been used with encouraging results. In this group, acetyl-L-carnitine, alpha-lipoic-acid, cannabinoids, clonidine, EMA401, botulinum toxin type A and new voltage-gated sodium channel blockers, can be included. Besides, changing paradigms may occur with the advent of optogenetics and a better understanding of epigenetic regulation. We reviewed the published literature on the pharmacological treatment of NP. Despite the interesting results, randomized controlled trials are demanded the majority of the therapies previously mentioned. In spite of several studies for the relief of NP, pain control continues being a challenge.


2008 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. BCBCR.S784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mugdha Dabeer ◽  
Michelle Cororve Fingeret ◽  
Fatima Merchant ◽  
Gregory P. Reece ◽  
Elisabeth K. Beahm ◽  
...  

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer in the US. It is estimated that more than 180,000 American women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2008. Fortunately, the survival rate is relatively high and continually increasing due to improved detection techniques and treatment methods. However, maintaining quality of life is a factor often under emphasized for breast cancer survivors. Breast cancer treatments are invasive and can lead to deformation of the breast. Breast reconstruction is important for restoring the survivor's appearance. However, more work is needed to develop technologies for quantifying surgical outcomes and understanding women's perceptions of changes in their appearance. A method for objectively measuring breast anatomy is needed in order to help both the breast cancer survivors and their surgeons take expected changes to the survivor's appearance into account when considering various treatment options. In the future, augmented reality tools could help surgeons reconstruct a survivor's breasts to match her preferences as much as possible.


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