Chronic Pain vs. Neuropathic Pain: What You Need to Know for Better Relief
Everyone thinks they know what pain is, and because it’s subjective, they often do. Some have a higher tolerance for pain than others and can plow through it, while others have more problems with everyday life. However, questions and difficulties arise when discussing chronic versus neuropathic pain, its causes, and how it can be treated.
According to the experts at Beaumont Health, there are five kinds of pain to be aware of.
- Acute pain is normally short and often related to soft tissue injuries.
- Chronic pain is more prolonged, lasts several months, and often happens because of a health condition.
- Neuropathic pain is related to problems with the central nervous system.
- Nociceptive pain is any discomfort related to damaged body tissue.
- Radicular pain is related to spinal nerve compression or inflammation.
How Are Chronic & Neuropathic Pain Different or Similar?
Pain means something different to everyone. Everyone reacts to it differently, battling various symptoms unique to their condition as they try to live their lives as best as possible. When looking at chronic and neuropathic pain and deciding how they’re different or similar, let’s start with the obvious.
By its very nature, chronic pain is mysterious and long-term and doesn’t necessarily have an identifiable cause. You may think you know what’s causing your leg pain, but if you broke it years ago and nothing’s shown up on x-rays, why does your limb still hurt after all this time? And is a healed broken bone the cause of such long-lasting discomfort?
Chronic pain is normally much longer in duration than other pain and can be constant, occasional, mild, or severe. For instance, headaches can be regarded as chronic when they persist for many months or years – even in the absence of the pain at a particular moment in time. Chronic pain is often caused by a health condition, like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or a spinal problem.
Precise boundaries limit neuropathic pain. Yes, this kind of pain can encompass your entire body, but it’s always confined to problems with the central nervous system – meaning your brain, spine, and nerves outside of them. So, whereas your healthcare provider may work diligently to understand how your central nervous system was damaged or why it’s not working correctly, there remain deep mysteries about the whys and what not – especially related to the brain.
One of the key goals of researchers everywhere is fully understanding the brain and chronic pain, outside of the fact they’re intimately related. The brain is responsible for sending pain signals throughout the body. How we perceive pain, so one line of thinking is that if medicine and science can figure out how to rewire the brain – teaching it to process pain differently – we may deal with various kinds of pain more effectively. The same, of course, applies to neuropathic pain.
Another way to think of differences and similarities is this. Neuropathic or nerve pain relates to inflammation, irritation, and other issues with the central nervous system not associated with a physical problem. Nociceptive pain, also considered chronic pain, relates to how your body reacts to physical stress, like a muscle strain or a broken bone. However, in both cases, the pain can be near-debilitating and severely affect the quality of life.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Diagnosing and treating pain from either condition follows similar but different paths.
For nerve pain, you can expect to undergo a:
- Complete medical examination. This is to document your problem and symptoms when the pain happens and related details. You may also be asked about your personal and family medical history and if you know of any specific causes.
- The neurological examination involves your healthcare provider checking tendons, muscle strength and tone, how you react to certain sensations, and posture and coordination level.
Diagnosing chronic pain is slightly different. A clinician will inquire about medical history and want as much detail as possible (where the pain is located, intensity on a scale of one to 10, how often it happens, its effect on your quality of life, and other information), and suggest using blood tests, x-rays, and other procedures to uncover the source of your pain.
In either case, the best form of treatment is normally an integrated approach. This may involve physical or occupational therapy, psychological counseling, prescription or over-the-counter pain medicine, self-help strategies, diet and lifestyle changes, and treatment like ketamine therapy.
Ketamine for Neuropathic Pain Management
Ketamine for neuropathic pain management offers a powerful solution for individuals seeking relief from chronic, hard-to-treat pain. At Southern Ketamine and Wellness, we understand that whether you’ve been managing neuropathic pain for years or have only recently been diagnosed, the impact on your quality of life can be overwhelming.
Ketamine therapy, known for its rapid and effective pain-relieving properties, provides new hope where other treatments may have fallen short. Take control of your pain and explore how our personalized ketamine treatments can help you regain comfort and well-being today.
The Benefits of Ketamine for Neuropathic Pain Management
1. How Ketamine Works
Ketamine works by blocking NMDA receptors, which play a role in transmitting pain signals and developing chronic pain. This action helps reduce the ongoing pain that other treatments may not address. In addition to NMDA receptors, ketamine also affects other pathways involved in pain, giving it a broader effect than most medications.
Because of its unique approach, ketamine can be effective for patients who have not responded to other treatments. It tackles multiple aspects of pain, making it a strong option for treating conditions that are resistant to standard care.
2. Ketamine for Fast Pain Relief
One of the major benefits of ketamine is how quickly it provides pain relief. Traditional pain medications, like antidepressants or anticonvulsants, often take weeks or even months to start working. Ketamine, however, can begin to relieve pain within hours or days.
Research shows that even a single low-dose infusion of ketamine can lead to significant pain relief for several days or even weeks. This fast action is especially helpful for people dealing with severe pain who need immediate relief. Ketamine is a viable option for both short-term pain crises and ongoing management of chronic pain.
3. Reducing Opioid Use with Ketamine Therapy
Ketamine offers another key benefit: it can help reduce the need for opioids. Opioids are commonly used for chronic pain, but they carry risks like addiction, tolerance, and overdose. With the opioid crisis, finding safer alternatives for pain relief has become a priority.
Ketamine not only helps with pain, but it can also lower the amount of opioids a patient needs. Some patients are even able to stop taking opioids altogether after starting ketamine therapy. Ketamine may also reverse a condition called opioid-induced hyperalgesia, where long-term opioid use actually increases pain sensitivity. By reducing both pain and opioid use, ketamine provides a safer, more effective option for long-term pain management.
4. Improving Quality of Life with Ketamine for Pain
Chronic neuropathic pain can greatly reduce a person’s quality of life, affecting sleep, mood, movement, and mental health. Many people with neuropathic pain also suffer from depression and anxiety due to the constant discomfort. Ketamine, with its strong pain-relieving abilities, can improve these aspects of life.
In addition to reducing pain, ketamine has been shown to have antidepressant effects, which is especially beneficial for those with both pain and mood disorders. After ketamine treatment, many patients report better mobility, improved sleep, and a general sense of well-being.
Ketamine also enhances neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize itself. This may lead to long-term improvements in both pain relief and emotional resilience, helping patients manage their pain better over time.
5. Long-Term Pain Relief
Although ketamine is often used for short-term relief, it may also provide long-lasting benefits for neuropathic pain. Some patients experience reduced pain for weeks or even months after their last ketamine infusion.
This extended relief is thought to occur because ketamine can reset the brain’s pain pathways, allowing the nervous system to respond to pain in a healthier way. For people with chronic neuropathic pain, this long-term effect is a major advantage compared to other treatments that must be taken continuously to maintain their benefit.Ready to
Take Control of Your Pain? Contact Southern Ketamine & Wellness Today!
If you’re struggling with chronic neuropathic pain and looking for effective relief, Southern Ketamine and Wellness is here to help. Our experienced team offers ketamine for pain management in Birmingham, and Auburn, AL, to help improve your quality of life. To learn more about how ketamine can work for you, contact Southern Ketamine and Wellness today. We proudly serve the Birmingham and Auburn, AL areas and are committed to helping you find the relief you deserve. Reach out now to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward a pain-free future.