Neuralgia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Pain is a significant concern in people with chronic wounds. A systematized approach is recommended for the management of wound-associated pain with the objectives to address pain relief, increase function, and restore overall quality of life. RECENT FINDINGS: Combinations of pharmacological agents are often recommended based on varying degree of pain severity, coexisting nociceptive and neuropathic pain, and chronic inflammation related to wound-associated pain.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is frequent in persons living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Conventionally, the pain is treated pharmacologically, yet long-term pain medication is often refractory and associated with side effects. Non-pharmacological interventions are frequently advocated, although the benefit and harm profiles of these treatments are not well established, in part because of methodological weaknesses of available studies.

BACKGROUND: A number of different therapies have been used for postherpetic neuralgia. We decided to conduct a systematic review of existing randomized controlled trials. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of available therapies for relieving the pain of established postherpetic neuralgia. METHODS: We performed a systematic review, including meta-analysis, of existing randomized controlled trials. Eleven published trials and one unpublished trial were identified which met the inclusion criteria and were included in the current review.

BACKGROUND: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a complication of acute herpes zoster, which is emerging as a preferred clinical trial model for chronic neuropathic pain. Although there are published meta-analyses of analgesic therapy in PHN, and neuropathic pain in general, the evidence base has been substantially enhanced by the recent publication of several major trials. Therefore, we have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis for both efficacy and adverse events of analgesic therapy for PHN.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the evidence from rigorous clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses of complementary and alternative therapies for treating neuropathic and neuralgic pain. METHODS: Systematic searches were carried out in the databases Medline, Embase, Amed, Scopus, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Natural Standard, and the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Each database was searched from its respective inception until March 2006. To be included, trials were required to state that they were randomized.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the place and level of proof of physical therapeutics for treating neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. METHOD: Literature review from three databases: PubMed, Embase, Pascal. The following keywords were selected: chronic neuropathic pain/non-pharmacological treatment; transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, physiotherapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, heat therapy, ice therapy, cold therapy, massage, ultrasound, alternative treatment, complementary treatment, occupational therapy.

BACKGROUND: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a complication of acute herpes zoster, which is emerging as a preferred clinical trial model for chronic neuropathic pain. Although there are published meta-analyses of analgesic therapy in PHN, and neuropathic pain in general, the evidence base has been substantially enhanced by the recent publication of several major trials. Therefore, we have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis for both efficacy and adverse events of analgesic therapy for PHN.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the evidence from rigorous clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses of complementary and alternative therapies for treating neuropathic and neuralgic pain. METHODS: Systematic searches were carried out in the databases Medline, Embase, Amed, Scopus, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Natural Standard, and the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Each database was searched from its respective inception until March 2006. To be included, trials were required to state that they were randomized.

Neuropathic pain is caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction of the nervous system and can occur in the cornea. However, neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) is currently an ill-defined disease. Patients with NCP are extremely challenging to manage, and evidence-based clinical recommendations for the management of patients with NCP are scarce. The objectives of this review are to provide guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of patients with NCP and to summarize current evidence-based literature in this area.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is frequent in persons living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Conventionally, the pain is treated pharmacologically, yet long-term pain medication is often refractory and associated with side effects. Non-pharmacological interventions are frequently advocated, although the benefit and harm profiles of these treatments are not well established, in part because of methodological weaknesses of available studies.