[Therapeutic approach to pain syndromes after peripheral nerve injuries]

There are a variety of reasons that pain might persist beyond the period of normal healing, and usually these reasons are complex and multifactorial. The acute phase of denervation of muscles, especially that of large ones, can be quite painful. Also, during the early months of regenerative process patient may experience associated paresthesias or dysesthesias. Such a pain pattern is selflimited, just as is the regenerative process. Neuropathy is a condition in which pain impulses are generated and perpetuated by injured, malfunctioning nervous tissue itself. Causalgia nad reflex sympathetic dystrophy are terms reserved to describe a very characteristic burning pain, accompanied by hyperesthesia and autonomic disturbances. In this study we analysed a series of 727 patients operated on Institute of neurosurgery with injury of one or more peripheral nerves, and 170 patients with brachial plexus injury.