Nerve Pain Causes: Exploring the Underlying Conditions

Nerve pain is a specific type of pain in the body that results from damage or irritation of nerves. Symptoms and causes can differ widely.

In this article, we will help you understand nerve pain in general and talk about treatment options and the potential causes of nerve pain.

What is nerve pain?

The nervous system is a complex network that fulfills an essential role, regulating the body and transmitting vital information like sensations, feelings, commands, and other signals. Nerves are cable-like bundles of nerve fibers threading through the entire body, acting as highways for these signals.

Nerve pain is a sensation that occurs when one or more of these nerves suffer from damage, irritation, or other disruptions.

The symptoms of nerve damage can manifest in different ways, depending on the affected nerves and the severity of the underlying issues. Neuropathic pain is usually characteristic enough to distinguish it from other sources of pain. It might feel like a tingling, shooting, stabbing, electric, needle-like, or burning sensation. Numbness is a common symptom as well.

The affected area often gets sensitive to touch. One might also experience loss of balance due to nerve damage.

What causes nerve pain?

The underlying causes behind nerve pain can be diverse. It might stem from numerous neurological disorders, poor blood supply, nerve diseases, nerve damage, or the compression or irritation of the nerves.

Neuralgia

Neuralgia refers to a specific type of intense and sharp nerve pain that occurs along the path of a nerve. The condition usually develops due to nerve damage or irritation. Neuralgia has many different types, depending on the underlying causes and the affected nerves.

Trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain disorder that occurs due to irritation or compression of the trigeminal nerve. This nerve is responsible for transmitting sensations in the face. The main symptom is sudden, severe, electric shock-like pains that usually occur only on one side of the face.

Treatment for trigeminal neuralgia involves medications to ease the symptoms and, in some cases, surgical procedures to relieve pressure on the trigeminal nerve.

Occipital neuralgia

The occipital nerves run from the upper neck to the scalp. Occipital neuralgia occurs due to the irritation or inflammation of these nerves. The hallmark symptom is recurrent episodes of severe shooting pain in the base of the skull and the back of the head.

Treatment for occipital neuralgia typically includes a combination of pain medications, nerve block injections, physical therapy, and in more severe cases, surgical interventions.

Postherpetic neuralgia

Postherpetic neuralgia is a nerve disorder that develops after getting shingles. The nerve condition persists even after the herpes rashes have healed, and it causes intense and throbbing pain that feels like a burning or stabbing sensation. The pain occurs in the area previously affected by the shingles rashes.

Postherpetic neuralgia treatment involves a combination of medications to manage pain and reduce nerve sensitivity in the area. Full recovery is possible.

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a rare neurological condition characterized by recurring episodes of severe, sharp pain in the back of the throat, tongue, ear, and tonsil area. The pain is often triggered by swallowing, speaking, or coughing, and it only lasts for a short period. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia can stem from the irritation or compression of the glossopharyngeal nerve.

Treatment options include surgical interventions, medications for pain management, antidepressants, and antiseizure drugs.

Radiculopathy

Radiculopathy is a condition that involves damage to the nerve roots due to a pinched nerve. It’s usually a result of disk problems, degenerative issues, spinal stenosis, or physical trauma.

Cervical radiculopathy

Cervical radiculopathy occurs in the neck area of the spine. The nerves branching from the spinal cord get pinched by a herniated disk, bone deformities, or the swelling of tissues around the spine. The condition causes nerve pain, tingling, and muscle weakness that might radiate into the neck, the shoulders, and the arms or hands.

Cervical radiculopathy might heal with rest alone. Pain medications and physical therapy can speed up the healing process. In severe cases, doctors might turn to surgical methods.

Lumbar radiculopathy

Lumbar radiculopathy affects the lower back area of the spine. A misaligned or herniated disk, swollen muscles, or bone deformities might lead to a pinched nerve in the lower back, causing pain, numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the back, buttocks, and legs. In rare cases, symptoms might include difficulty controlling bladder and bowel movements.

Treatment might involve physical therapy, pain medications, epidural steroid injections, and surgery.

Sciatica

The sciatic nerve stems from the lower back and runs through the buttocks and the legs. Sciatica occurs when this nerve gets irritated, compressed, or in other ways, damaged. Herniated disks, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, and injuries can all lead to sciatica. Symptoms include numbness, loss of feeling, tingling sensation, and nerve pain in the lower back, buttocks, or legs. Sciatica usually affects only one side of the body.

The focus of treatment is usually relieving the pressure on the affected nerve by treating the underlying issue. Physical therapy, various pain management methods, and rest can make healing faster and more comfortable.

Neuropathy

Neuropathy is an umbrella term encompassing various disorders and dysfunctions of the nerves. The word itself means nerve damage or nerve dysfunction.

Since neuropathy is such a wide area, we have devoted an entire article to this topic alone. If you’d like to read more about different types of neuropathy, conditions categorized as neuropathies, symptoms, and treatment methods, read our neuropathy guide.

Other nerve issues

Nerve pain might stem from numerous other nerve disorders, problems, and diseases. All of these conditions hinder the nerves in some way, either by causing nerve damage, constricting the nerves themselves, restricting blood flow, or disrupting the transmission of various nerve signals.

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
• Phantom Limb Pain
• Central Pain Syndrome
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
• Meralgia Paresthetica
• Brachial Plexus Injury
• Morton’s Neuroma
• Vitamin B12 deficiency

Treating nerve pain

When treating nerve pain, doctors will focus on fixing the underlying issue first and foremost. The methods for that might vary, depending on the cause.

Nerve compression

Nerve pain most commonly stems from the compression or irritation of the nerves or nerve roots.

Treatment options for these issues include the following:

• Physical therapy and stretches
• Activity modifications and using ergonomic equipment
• Surgery

Trauma and Injuries

Physical trauma might damage the nerves or the structures around them, causing a misaligned bone or joint to press on the nerve and lead to nerve pain.

Doctors might recommend the following treatment methods:

• Painkillers
• Nerve blocks
• Surgical interventions

Inflammation and autoimmune disorders

Certain inflammatory or autoimmune diseases might lead to symptoms like nerve pain and nerve dysfunction. This might happen due to an inflamed nerve or swollen tissues irritating it.

Possible treatment options for inflammation-related nerve pain might be:

• NSAIDs
• Immunosuppressants
• Cold therapy

Infections

Viral, bacterial, or fungal infections might cause nerve issues by attacking the nerve or the tissues around it. In some cases, like postherpetic neuralgia, the nerve dysfunction might be the aftermath of an infection.

Infections need to be treated as soon as possible.

• Antiviral medications
• Antibiotics
• Nerve blocks

Tumors and growths

Cancerous or non-cancerous tumors and other growths like cysts or bone spurs might cause constriction in the nerve canals or press on the nerves. This can lead to nerve pain, tingling, numbness, and other symptoms.

If the growth is causing irritation or putting pressure on a nerve or nerve root, it should be addressed even if it appears harmless otherwise.

• Surgical intervention
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy

Metabolic and nutritional causes

Nerve damage or nerve pain might result from nutritional deficiencies or an underlying metabolic issue, like diabetes.

In these cases, fixing the nutritional deficiency or proper management of the metabolic condition might provide relief for the nerve pain as well.

• Controlling blood sugar levels
• Addressing nutritional deficiencies with supplements
• Lifestyle or diet modifications

Nerve pain relief

Pain management is a vital part of the treatment process. Finding the right methods to relieve your symptoms can make the healing process more comfortable and aid in managing chronic conditions daily.

When it comes to nerve pain management, you have various options.

• Traditional painkillers
• Temperature therapy
• Drug-free pain patches
• Acupuncture
• Topical analgesics
• TENS
• Meditation

Nerve pain can be different for everyone, and some treatment methods work better than others on an individual basis. If you have long-standing nerve pain, you might want to try more than one form of pain management. But keep in mind to always consult with your healthcare professional, before trying a new pain management method, because some of them might interfere with others.