Nerve-related pain can develop from diabetes, peripheral nerve irritation, shingles, injury, surgery, or conditions involving abnormal pain signaling. Because neuropathy and neuralgia can have different causes, the right treatment begins with a careful evaluation.
Our pain management team helps identify the likely source and pattern of your symptoms and recommend treatment options based on your diagnosis, medical history, prior care, and goals.
We commonly help patients experiencing:
Symptoms may include:
Treatment options may include:
Treatment options may include:
Treatment for peripheral neuropathy or neuritis depends on the underlying diagnosis and whether symptoms are generalized or limited to a clearly identifiable nerve. Radiofrequency treatment should be reserved for a defined sensory or articular nerve target after appropriate diagnostic confirmation and should not be presented as treatment for generalized neuropathy.
Spinal cord stimulation should likewise be tied to a defined indication, such as appropriately selected refractory painful diabetic neuropathy, rather than generalized neuropathy alone.
Treatment options may include:
A cluneal nerve block may be used to help determine whether one of these nerves is contributing to the pain. When a diagnostic block provides meaningful temporary relief, radiofrequency ablation may be considered in selected cases.
Peripheral nerve stimulation may also be evaluated for persistent cluneal nerve pain that has not improved adequately with other treatment options.
Examples include:
Treatment options may include:
CRPS commonly affects an arm, hand, leg, or foot. Symptoms may include:
Treatment options may include:
Patients may experience:
Treatment options may include:
Peripheral nerve stimulation may be considered when pain can be linked to a specific peripheral nerve and has not improved adequately with medications, injections, or other conservative treatments.
The treatment uses mild electrical stimulation to influence pain signals carried by the targeted nerve.
Spinal cord stimulation and dorsal root ganglion, or DRG, stimulation are neuromodulation treatments that may be considered for selected chronic nerve pain conditions.
DRG stimulation may be considered when pain is highly localized, including selected cases of CRPS.
These treatments are not appropriate for every patient. Evaluation typically includes a review of the diagnosis, prior treatment history, pain pattern, functional limitations, and overall medical condition.
Your evaluation may include a physical exam, a review of your symptoms and medical history, and a discussion of whether prior records, imaging, laboratory results, or additional diagnostic steps are needed to better understand your condition and recommend appropriate next steps.
We may ask about:
Your provider may also evaluate sensation, strength, reflexes, areas of tenderness, skin changes, swelling, and whether a specific nerve appears to be involved.
From there, we can discuss which treatment options may be appropriate for your specific diagnosis and goals.
Not all neuropathy or nerve pain comes from the same source. Diabetic neuropathy, focal peripheral nerve irritation, postherpetic neuralgia, and CRPS may require different treatment strategies.
Our approach focuses on:
