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[Pain after nerve injuries (author's transl)]
MMW, Munchener Medizinische Wochenschrift
|May 25, 1979
Summary
Peripheral nerve injuries frequently cause painful hypersensitivity and non-causalgic pain. These conditions can persist long-term, potentially leading to analgesic misuse.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pain Medicine
- Surgical Reconstruction
Context:
- Nerve injuries, particularly cut injuries, affect a significant portion of the injured population.
- Post-injury pain syndromes, including painful hypersensitivity and non-causalgic pain, are common sequelae.
- Clinical attention to these specific pain forms following peacetime nerve injuries has been limited.
Purpose:
- To highlight the prevalence and characteristics of painful hypersensitivity and non-causalgic pain after nerve injuries.
- To discuss the temporal onset and remission patterns of these pain conditions.
- To emphasize the diagnostic challenges and potential for analgesic misuse.
Summary:
- Approximately 70% of individuals with nerve cut injuries develop painful hypersensitivity, and at least 50% experience non-causalgic pain.
- Painful hypersensitivity typically emerges within six months post-surgery, with resolution in half of cases by two years, while non-causalgic pain often starts earlier and rarely remits completely.
- Both pain types, especially when severe, pose a risk of analgesic overuse and require careful differential diagnosis from causalgia.
Impact:
- Increased awareness of the high incidence of post-nerve injury pain syndromes.
- Improved understanding of the chronicity and diagnostic complexities of these conditions.
- Potential to guide clinical management and reduce analgesic misuse in affected patients.