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Identifying the causes of peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients can be difficult. There are many common causes of peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients. Neuropathic pain is defined as pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Peripheral neuropathies arise from disorders associated specifically within the peripheral nervous system. Symptoms of peripheral […]
I was told September is “Pain Awareness Month.” Pain is strictly an individual concept, especially for chronic pain patients. Medicine uses a blank line that is 10 centimeters long, numbered 0 to 10 with smiley faces to crying faces, as well as other methods to measure pain. None of these methods are really appropriate for
What are Dermatomes? A dermatome is an area of skin in which sensory nerves derive from a single nerve root. These nerves can cause pain within the dermatome area. The body is divided into specific regions called dermatomes. A dermatome refers to the part of the embryonic somite. The spinal cord is broken up into
Skeletal muscles primarily function our way of moving by attaching to other muscles and joints. When those muscles get knotted up, like when you sleep on your neck wrong, or have a back spasm, trigger points develop causing the muscle to shorten and become dysfunctional. Myofasical trigger points prevent normal muscle function, not allowing the
In addition to the seven cervical vertebrae, cervical anatomy features eight cervical nerve roots (C1-C8). These roots branch from the spinal cord and control motor and sensory abilities for different parts of the body. From there each cervical nerve is named based on the lower cervical vertebra that it runs between. As an example, the
Pain in your lower back can be caused by many things including muscle pain, soft tissue pain, or joint pain. The sacroiliac (SI) joints can also be a cause of lower back and arthritis pain. Similar to the knee, the SI joint contains cartilage which degenerates over time. Saroiliac pain can cause different forms of
Many health factors can effect whether or not fractures are a risk in spinal osteoarthritis. Spinal osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis in general is more prevalent in women, is more common in women over 50; but can occur in men. OA related fractures in the spine may be an under-diagnosed result of spinal osteoarthritis. Fractures that do occur
Leg and foot pain can originate from other chronic conditions such as lumbar back pain. The nerves that control muscle functions in the legs are located in the lower back, and that’s where symptoms of leg pain can instigate in some cases. Symptoms of leg pain caused by the lower back conditions can include numbness,
Neuropathic pain originates in the nerves; and can be thought of as similar to static on a telephone line. Neuropathy happens when nerves become damaged or dysfunctional because of an injury or trauma. It’s considered a chronic condition. Neuropathic pain is distinct from other types of pain. If a person breaks a bone, pain signals
A study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has found, for the first time in humans, that patients with chronic sciatica – back pain that shoots down the leg – have evidence of inflammation in key areas of the nervous system. In their paper published in the May issue of the journal Pain, the research team
