NEURALGIA

Neuralgia is defined as an intense burning or stabbing pain caused by irritation of or damage to a nerve. The pain is usually brief but may be severe. It often feels as if it is shooting along the course of the affected nerve. It is also known as nerve pain. It involves one or more than one nerve.
Neuralgia can affect adults of any age, although some types are more common after middle age.

Cause-
Causes of neuralgia include:

Certain drugs
Chemical irritation
Chronic renal insufficiency
Diabetes
Infections, such as shingles, syphilis, and Lyme disease
Porphyria
Tooth decay
Poor diet.
Eye strain
Nose infections
Exposure to cold and damp weather.
Pressure on nerves by nearby structures (for instance, tumors)
Swelling and irritation (inflammation)
Trauma (including surgery)

In many cases, the cause is unknown.
Types-
1. Trigeminal neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia comes from the trigeminal nerve. The causes of trigeminal neuralgia are not completely understood. In some cases, it may not be possible to identify a cause.
However, in 80-90% of cases, trigeminal neuralgia is thought to be caused by blood vessels pressing on the root of the trigeminal nerve (where the nerve leaves your brain).
It is thought that the pressure that is placed on the trigeminal nerve causes uncontrollable pain signals to travel along the nerve to face, causing the sudden stabbing pains of trigeminal neuralgia.
Other, less common causes of trigeminal neuralgia include pressure on the trigeminal nerve from a tumor and multiple sclerosis (a long-term condition that affects the central nervous system).
2. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia consists of recurring attacks of severe pain in the back of the throat, the area near the tonsils, the back of the tongue, and part of the ear. The pain is due to malfunction of the 9th cranial nerve (glossopharyngeal nerve), which moves the muscles of the throat and carries information from the throat, tonsils, and tongue to the brain.
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia, a rare disorder, usually begins after age 40 and occurs more often in men. Often, its cause is unknown. But sometimes glossopharyngeal neuralgia results from an abnormally positioned artery that compresses the glossopharyngeal nerve near where it exits the brain stem. Rarely, the cause is a tumor in the brain or neck
3. Occipital neuralgia
Occipital neuralgia, also known as C2 neuralgia, or Arnold's neuralgia, is a medical condition characterized by chronic pain in the upper neck, back of the head and behind the eyes.

Symptoms-

Impaired function of affected body part due to pain, or muscle weakness due to motor nerve damage
Increased sensitivity of the skin or numbness of the affected skin area
Pain along the path of a specific nerve
Pain located anywhere, usually on or near the surface of the body

>>In the same location for each episode
>>Sharp, stabbing pain that comes and goes (intermittent) or constant, burning pain
Any touch or pressure is felt as pain. Movement may also be painful.

Diagnosis-
To diagnosis neuralgia, doctor will-
1.Take a complete medical history
2.Perform a physical examination. It include
a.Abnormal skin sensation absent or not.
b.Loss of deep tendon reflexes or not.
c.Loss of muscle mass or not.
d.Lack of sweating or not.
e.Tenderness along the course of nerve is there or not.
3.Dental examination.
4.X-ray of para-nasal sinuses
5.Blood test to evaluate Blood sugar and kidney functions.
6.Magnetic resonance imaging.
7.Nerve conduction study with electromyopathy.
8.Lumbar puncture.

Treatment-
The goal of the treatment is to find the cause of the neuralgia and to relieve symptoms. Treatment varies depending on the cause, location, and severity of the pain, and other factors. Even if the cause of the neuralgia is never identified, the condition may improve on its own or disappear with time. Depending on the cause, treatment will be done accordingly. This may include surgery to remove tumors or separate the nerve from blood vessels or other structures that press on it. This can be done for some cases of carpal tunnel syndrome and trigeminal neuralgia.
Medications, surgical procedures, pain relieving injections all these method help in treating it.
Unfortunately, these procedures do not guarantee improvement and can cause loss of feeling or abnormal sensations.

Role of homoeopathy-
Homoeopathy proves effective in treating cases of neuralgia. Homoeopathic medicines will help in decreasing the intensity and frequency of the symptoms. It will also help in preventing further damage to the affected nerve.

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