New frontiers in mechanisms and therapy of painful peripheral neuropathies

Ten years ago we had no more than informed speculations about the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain, and our ability to give these patients relief was so limited that neuroablative therapy or even deep brain stimulation via an implanted electrode was often the only hope. We now have a thorough emperically based, although undoubtedly still incomplete, understanding of the pathophysiology. Moreover, we have discovered new classes of drugs that specifically relieve neuropathic pain. It is not unreasonable to hope that in the near future patients with painful peripheral neuropathy will never again have to suffer unrelieved pain.