An estimated 20 million people in the United States experience Neuropathic (nerve) pain, a type of complex, chronic pain that occurs when nerves in the central nervous system become injured or damaged. These damaged nerve fibers send incorrect signals to other pain centers, like static on a telephone line, distorting and sometimes interrupting messages between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body.

Symptoms:

There are three different types of nerves in the body: sensory, motor and autonomic. Symptoms depend on the type of nerves affected. Typical symptoms can range from numbness or tingling, to pricking sensations or muscle weakness. Areas of the body may become abnormally sensitive leading to an exaggeratedly intense or distorted experience of touch. In such cases, pain may occur in response to a stimulus that does not normally provoke pain. Severe symptoms may include burning pain (especially at night), muscle wasting, paralysis, or organ or gland dysfunction. Damage to nerves that supply internal organs may impair digestion, sweating, sexual function, and urination. In the most extreme cases, breathing may become difficult, or organ failure may occur.

Causes:

There are many factors that can cause different types of neuropathies. The most common type of neuropathy is diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This is the result of nerve damage caused by prolonged exposure to high blood sugar, affecting especially the delicate nerves in the legs and feet. High blood sugar interferes with the ability of the nerves to transmit signals. It also weakens the walls of the small blood vessels (capillaries) that supply the nerves with oxygen and nutrients.

Other forms of neuropathy (peripheral, autonomic, and proximal) can be caused by multiple factors: alcoholism, autoimmune diseases, exposure to toxins, chemotherapy, cancer medications, infections, inherited disorders, nerve trauma/pressure, other diseases, surgical complications, tumors, vitamin deficiencies and bone marrow disorders.

In 30% of neuropathy cases in the US, no specific cause is found. This is known as idiopathic peripheral neuropathy.

Treatment:

The goals of treatment are to manage the condition causing your neuropathy and to relieve symptoms, especially pain. Over-the-counter pain medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can relieve mild symptoms. Other medications like gabapentin (Neurontin), pregabalin (Lyrica), capsacin and antidepressants may be prescribed by your doctor. For more severe symptoms, your doctor may recommend prescription painkillers.

Prescription painkillers are medications containing opioids, such as tramadol (Conzip, Ultram, others), oxycodone (Oxycontin, Roxicodone, others), or hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco, Lortab). These type of medications can lead to dependence and addiction, so these drugs generally are prescribed only when other treatments fail.

Another option for your healthcare provider to explore is prescription-strength topical pain creams. These creams drastically reduce the side effects experienced with the use of oral, pill-based pain medications like NSAIDs and opioids. This advantage is because topical pain creams are applied on the skin, directly at the site of pain without traveling through the bloodstream. Topical application reduces systemic absorption and, therefore, reduces drug exposure to the bloodstream, tissues and internal organs.

BioMed is an expert in the formulation of prescription-strength topical pain creams, designing powerful pain relief creams based on the uniqueness of your neuropathic condition. Here are examples of commonly prescribed formulas:

BioMed’s Recommended Formulations:

For more information:

1 - American Chronic Pain Association page on Neuropathy:
https://www.theacpa.org/condition/neuropathic-pain

2 - WebMD.com article, Neuropathic Pain Management:
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/neuropathic-pain#1

3 - National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Peripheral Neuropathy Fact Sheet:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/peripheralneuropathy/detail_peripheralneuropathy.htm

4 - The Open Neurology Journal, Transdermal Lidocaine and Ketamine for Neuropathic Pain: A Study of Effectiveness and Tolerability:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3401865/

5 - Podiatry Today, A Closer Look At Pharmacologic Compounds For Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy:
http://www.podiatrytoday.com/closer-look-pharmacologic-compounds-painful-diabetic-peripheral-neuropathy#sthash.qpitMZuD.dpuf