neuropathic pain Archives - Dr. Michael A. Castillo, MD

30 Apr 2018

Light Therapy to Treat Neuropathic Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Peripheral Neuropathy, Therapies & Treatmentsalternative therapies, light therapy, neuropathic pain, Neuropathy

For someone with peripheral neuropathy, even the slightest touch can cause burning, stinging or shooting pain, usually in the hands or feet. The pain is caused when the peripheral nervous system is damaged by diabetes, shingles, chemotherapy or some other medical condition. About 8% of adults worldwide suffer from some form of neuropathy. Medications prescribed to dull the pain – such as opioids, anti-depressants or gabapentin (Neurontin) -- often prove to be ineffective, don’t last long or have unwanted side effects. Scientists in Italy have now discovered an experimental way to treat neuropathy that provides pain relief for weeks at…

Blocking Intracellular Glutamate May Halt Neuropathic Pain

Chronic Pain News, Peripheral Neuropathy, Therapies & Treatmentschronic pain, Intracellular Glutamate, neuropathic pain, Neuropathy, pain management

Experiments to block receptors deep within spinal neurons, metabotropic glutamate 5 receptors (mGluR5), may open the door to more effective treatments for neuropathic pain. Understanding how the body processes pain is essential to understanding how to better treat it. Aiding in that understanding has been intense research on one of the key players that transmit nociceptive information through the body. G-protein-couple receptors (GPCRs) play a critical role in various bodily functions, including as a mediator of neuroplasticity underlying chronic pain. One specific receptor, metabotropic glutamate 5 receptor (mGluR5), is heavily abundant in the dorsal horn (DH),1,2 prime real estate for…

Brain discovery leads to new treatments for neuropathy

Chronic Pain Conditions, Peripheral Neuropathy, Therapies & Treatmentsbrain discovery, diabetic neuropathy, neuropathic pain, peripheral neuropathy, treatment

Peripheral neuropathy is a debilitating condition for which there are few effective treatments, mainly because we do not fully understand the underlying molecular mechanisms, say researchers whose latest discovery appears to shed new light in this area. The team, from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, reports the discovery in The Journal of Neuroscience. They hope the findings will lead to new research to help patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy or neuropathic pain. According to the National Institutes of Health, around 20 million people in the US have some form of peripheral neuropathy - trauma or disease damage to the peripheral…

Tag: neuropathic pain