Neuropathic Pain
Pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, characterised by burning, shooting, or electric-shock-like sensations.
Full Definition
Neuropathic pain arises from abnormal signalling within damaged or dysfunctional peripheral or central nervous system pathways rather than from tissue injury per se. In physical medicine and rehabilitation, it is a frequent complication of spinal cord injury, peripheral neuropathy, stroke, and limb amputation (including phantom limb pain). Precise editorial use requires distinguishing neuropathic pain from nociceptive pain (arising from tissue damage) and from pain attributed to central sensitisation. The term appears in clinical notes, insurance authorization letters, and outcome documentation, and must not be reduced to 'nerve pain' in formal clinical or medico-legal writing.
Usage
Usage note: Do not abbreviate or substitute with 'nerve pain' in formal documents. Always specify the aetiology when known (e.g., post-stroke neuropathic pain).
In Context
- "The patient reported severe neuropathic pain described as burning and electric-shock-like, consistent with his incomplete cervical spinal cord injury." — Physiatric progress note
- "Editors should ensure that neuropathic pain is not conflated with nociceptive pain in pain management sections of rehabilitation research articles." — Journal manuscript review