====== Neuropathic pain ======

//Neuropathic pain// is caused by damage or disease in the nervous system. It's estimated that more than 5% of the global population is affected, often severely.

>Central neuropathic pain is found in spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and some strokes. Peripheral neuropathies are commonly caused by diabetes, metabolic disorders, herpes zoster infection, HIV-related neuropathies, nutritional deficiencies, toxins, remote manifestations of malignancies, immune mediated disorders and physical trauma to a nerve trunk.<sup> </sup>Neuropathic pain is common in cancer as a direct result of cancer on peripheral nerves (e.g., compression by a tumor), or as a side effect of chemotherapy (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy),<sup> </sup>radiation injury or surgery."\\ \\ Source [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropathic_pain#Cause|Wikipedia]]

Although it's known that the pain results from nerve damage - either central or peripheral - the precise mechanisms which lead to the sensation of pain are unclear. One dominant hypothesis is that 'pain inhibitory neurons' - which are thought to moderate pain sensations - are themselves damaged. To date, no experiment has been able to confirm this.

Other theories, also experimentally unconfirmed, suggest involvement of// Glia cells// -  non-firing neural cells which provide support and protection to firing neurons.

The subject is the focus of intense research in order to find safe, benign ways to control pain - especially in cancer patients.

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