What Is Nerve Pain and How to Manage It?

February 2, 2025

What Is Nerve Pain and How to Manage It?

Verified By
KIMS-SUNSHINE
Specialist,
02 February, 2025

What Is Nerve Pain and How to Manage It?

Neuralgia is a condition where a person begins to have symptoms that replicate numbness, pain or other sensations, due to nerve damage or neuropathy that may be caused by other medical conditions. Though most of the symptoms are acute and go away in a while, for some other people- it can be a chronic occurrence, adversely affecting the quality of their life on a daily basis. Neuralgia or nerve pain is a pretty common condition in the world and in India, almost 10% of the population is said to suffer from it. The numbers may be higher now, as no pan-India study has been done yet.

What Causes Nerve Pain?

Nerve pain can be caused due to a variety of reasons, some of which have been listed below-

If your nerves don’t get enough blood
If you have a severe deficiency of Vitamin B12
It may be caused due to some medications you may be on
If you drink too much
If you have had any infection like shingles or have HIV
If you are diabetic
If you have neurodegenerative disorders like Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or stroke
If you are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer
If you have some chronic pain like sciatica

Difference Between Nerve Pain And Muscle Pain-

Muscle pain can be characterised as normal body aches or cramps which get better once you rest and hydrate enough. But, nerve pain does not get better even if you rest and instead you may have sensations like tingling, burning or shooting pain in the limbs and extremities.

How Exercise Can Help Relieve Nerve Pain-

Most of the time, nerve pain may not be due to damage but you may have symptoms due to poor blood flow. Blood circulates all over the body and provides every cell with growth factors, nutrition, oxygen, hormones and other signals which are necessary for maintenance and growth. When you exercise regularly, you help increase blood flow to different areas of the body, resulting in lesser pain and better flexibility too, in the long term. You should ideally walk, swim or lift weights and stretch everyday for at least 30-45 minutes every day. This in turn will help with the neuropathy symptoms where you may not be able to feel something at all, or it is felt only as different kinds of pain.

Can Stress And Anxiety Worsen Nerve Pain?

Yes, high levels of stress can mean greater levels of cortisol, which can significantly alter how you feel pain. You may notice that you have greater shooting pain or tingling when you are very stressed, compared to when you have a relatively normal day.

Conclusion

The best medications for nerve pain management are those which help you manage your symptoms, without impacting your quality of life. Some good examples include anti-seizure drugs, tricyclic antidepressants or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). They work by not allowing nerves to send pain signals by reducing sensitivity or alter norepinephrine and serotonin levels in the brain and spinal cord. The doses are pretty low, so you won’t feel any major shift in your mood.But, you should talk to your doctor when you notice side effects. Neuralgia can be hard to deal with, but if you are consistent with exercise, your diet and take your sleep schedule seriously, you should be able to feel better soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the common causes of nerve pain?

Nerve pain or neuralgia is normally caused due to a variety of factors- if you have chronic conditions like diabetes, arthritis, nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune disorders, HIV, MS, shingles, if you are exposed to toxic substances regularly or if you have issues like carpal tunnel syndrome which is caused due to compression of nerves and chemotherapy for cancer.

What are the best natural remedies for nerve pain relief?

Your doctor may give you medication to deal with the pain if it gets too bad, but otherwise, a healthy diet and getting enough exercise are the number one recommendations. Sleeping well also gives your body a chance to recover. You can also go for physical therapy to help you feel better.

What are the most effective medications for nerve pain?

Neuralgia is normally treated with antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs or you may have to get injections of botox, lidocaine or capsaicin, depending on the severity of your symptoms. Surgery may also be recommended, but only in extreme cases.

What are the early signs of nerve damage?

If you have shooting pain, tingling or numbness, if you are not as coordinated as before, if you keep getting muscle cramps, sweat a lot etc. and you notice these signs when doing seemingly routine stuff, then you may be dealing with nerve damage.

Is nerve pain curable, or do I have to manage it for life?

The cause of the nerve pain is important- and even then it mostly needs to be managed. Some management techniques include physical therapy, supplementing with vitamins and minerals, eating well, sleeping well and by making changes to your daily routine slowly, but sustainably. There is no perfect cure for this condition.