What is the Meaning & Definition of Neuralgia

A neuralgia is pain due to injury to a nerve, is a very intense pain with a distribution that corresponds to the path of a nerve trunk. This type of pain usually persists over time becoming chronic, if not treated properly can affect the quality of life of who suffers from it taking you to a State of disability.

Nerve pain has well-defined characteristics that differentiate it from other types of pain

Neuralgias are accompanied by a very particular pain, it is described as a deep pain that is accompanied by abnormal as burning, burning, tingling, electric shock, or cramping sensations.
Something characteristic to the painful area is accompanied by changes in sensitivity, and may have a decreased sensitivity to touch (hypoesthesia) or increased (hyperesthesia), even many times a stimulus which does not normally produce pain as touch is perceived as painful (allodynia).

Neuralgias are not alleviated with regular medications

The most common headaches respond well to treatment with painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs, however in the case of neuralgia pain these drugs have no effect since the mechanism that causes the pain in this type of condition is not inflammation. Rather the self-medication leads to people taking high doses of these medications which not only does not relieve them, but it takes you to develop adverse effects and toxicity in a large number of cases.
Disorders such as the neuralgia pain is because the affected neurons are able to be activated without stimulus, or maintain nervous system signs even though the stimulus is already gone, why the treatment is based on the use of drugs capable of blocking the transmission of these signals to the nerve centers that are part of the pain pathways which is accomplished with type medications, anticonvulsants and antidepressants.

Neuralgias are very frequent

The neuralgia may occur by any peripheral nerve involvement, however there are some types that are more frequent, among which include:
Arnold's neuralgia. It's the condition of the occipital nerve of Arnold that sits on the back of the head, this neuralgia causes pain as an electric shock with ardor that radiates from the neck to the back of the eye, usually occurs on one side.
Trigeminal neuralgia. It is a pain that affects the face, it can be located in the front, in the middle or in the mandible. This pain is so intense and desperate that occurred several cases of suicide for their cause.
Diabetic neuropathy. Due to the injury of peripheral nerves by elevated levels of sugar in the blood, this pain is described as a sensation of burning and burning in the soles of the feet, predominantly at night.
Root neuralgia. Herniated discs and spinal problems are able to produce compression of the nerve roots that emerge from the spine causing pain that you can distribute to the arms, trunk or legs depending on the affected nerve.