The Atlanta Center for Medical Research is currently seeking adult volunteers to participate in a clinical study on chronic nerve pain.
Chronic nerve pain, or neuropathic pain, is a complex pain state that is usually accompanied by tissue injury. The American Chronic Pain Association explains that with chronic nerve pain, the nerve fibers themselves may be damaged, dysfunctional, or injured and these damaged nerve fibers send incorrect signals to other pain centers. Chronic nerve pain has no obvious cause, but some common causes include: alcoholism, amputation, chemotherapy, diabetes, shingles, back, leg, and hip problems, and spine surgery.
Symptoms of neuropathic pain include:
- Shooting and burning pain
- Tingling and numbness
Treatment for chronic nerve pain varies depending on the cause. Unfortunately, chronic nerve pain often responds poorly to standard pain treatments and occasionally may get worse instead of better over time. Ongoing research is needed to better treat and relieve chronic nerve pain.