Omar Viswanath1,2,3, Ivan Urits4, Mark R Jones4, Jacqueline M Peck5, Justin Kochanski6, Morgan Hasegawa6, Best Anyama7, Alan D Kaye7. 1. Valley Anesthesiology and Pain Consultants, Envision Physician Services, 645 E. Missouri Avenue, Suite 300, Phoenix, AZ, 85012, USA. viswanoy@gmail.com. 2. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA. viswanoy@gmail.com. 3. Department of Anesthesiology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA. viswanoy@gmail.com. 4. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 5. Department of Anesthesiology, Mt. Sinai Medical Center of Florida, Miami Beach, FL, USA. 6. Creighton University School of Medicine - Phoenix Regional Campus, Phoenix, AZ, USA. 7. Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Neuropathic pain is often debilitating, severely limiting the daily lives of patients who are affected. Typically, neuropathic pain is difficult to manage and, as a result, leads to progression into a chronic condition that is, in many instances, refractory to medical management. RECENT FINDINGS: Gabapentinoids, belonging to the calcium channel blocking class of drugs, have shown good efficacy in the management of chronic pain and are thus commonly utilized as first-line therapy. Various sodium channel blocking drugs, belonging to the categories of anticonvulsants and local anesthetics, have demonstrated varying degrees of efficacy in the in the treatment of neurogenic pain. Though there is limited medical literature as to efficacy of any one drug, individualized multimodal therapy can provide significant analgesia to patients with chronic neuropathic pain.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Neuropathic pain is often debilitating, severely limiting the daily lives of patients who are affected. Typically, neuropathic pain is difficult to manage and, as a result, leads to progression into a chronic condition that is, in many instances, refractory to medical management. RECENT FINDINGS:Gabapentinoids, belonging to the calcium channel blocking class of drugs, have shown good efficacy in the management of chronic pain and are thus commonly utilized as first-line therapy. Various sodium channel blocking drugs, belonging to the categories of anticonvulsants and local anesthetics, have demonstrated varying degrees of efficacy in the in the treatment of neurogenic pain. Though there is limited medical literature as to efficacy of any one drug, individualized multimodal therapy can provide significant analgesia to patients with chronic neuropathic pain.