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What does neuropathic pain feel like?

Neuropathic pain, more commonly known as nerve pain, can present in many different ways, making the diagnosis difficult, and the treatment even moreso. 

Symptoms of Neuropathic Pain in the Head and Neck:

Sharp, Shooting,
Electric-like pain

  • Sudden, intense bursts of pain, often described as electric shock-like

  • Sharp, jabbing sensations that can occur spontaneously or be triggered

  • Persistent or intermittent burning sensation

Numbness or "pins and needles"

  • Reduced sensation or a feeling of partial or complete numbness

  • Paresthesia, often described as a prickling or tingling feeling

  • Hyperalgesia: Increased sensitivity to pain, with stimuli that normally cause pain being felt more intensely

  • Allodynia: Pain resulting from stimuli that are not usually painful, such as light touch

Referred Pain

  • Ear: referred pain that affects the ear, commonly seen in glossopharyngeal and trigeminal neuralgia

  • Eye pain: pain around or behind the eyes, which can occur in conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia or a trigeminal autonomic cephalgia

  • Neck stiffness or pain: discomfort or stiffness in the neck, often radiating from the site of neuropathic pain

Increased pain with temperature changes

  • Pain triggered or exacerbated by exposure to hot or cold stimuli

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