neurogenic pain
Pain arising directly from a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, commonly documented in rehabilitation as a complication of neurological injury.
Full Definition
Neurogenic pain, a subset of neuropathic pain, is initiated or caused by a primary dysfunction of the peripheral or central nervous system rather than by tissue damage at the pain site. In rehabilitation settings it is frequently encountered following spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and peripheral nerve injury. It is characterised in clinical documentation by descriptors such as burning, stabbing, or electric-shock sensations. Editors should distinguish 'neurogenic pain' from 'nociceptive pain' (arising from actual or threatened tissue damage) and from 'nociplastic pain', a newer clinical category. The term should not be hyphenated and is written in lowercase unless beginning a sentence.
Usage
Usage note: Do not hyphenate. Note that 'neuropathic pain' is the preferred IASP term in research contexts, while 'neurogenic pain' may appear in older clinical literature; flag discrepancies to authors.
In Context
- "The patient reported persistent neurogenic pain described as burning in both lower extremities, consistent with central sensitisation following spinal cord injury." — Inpatient rehabilitation clinical note
- "The author used 'neurogenic pain' and 'neuropathic pain' interchangeably; the editor queried whether this distinction was intentional." — Academic manuscript review