Treating Neuropathic Pain: What You Need to Know

If you live with burning, tingling, or shooting nerve pain, you know how exhausting it can be. This type of discomfort — known as neuropathy — can make simple daily tasks feel impossible. 

At Interventional Pain Center in Worthington and Newark, Ohio, we understand how much this affects your life. Sachida Manocha, MD provides personalized care to help you find relief from your symptoms.

Read on to learn how we treat neuropathic pain and why it requires a different approach than other pain conditions.

Why does treating neuropathic pain require a different approach?

Many patients try to treat nerve pain with standard over-the-counter painkillers, assuming ibuprofen or naproxen will help. But nerve pain is fundamentally different from muscle or joint pain. Standard painkillers target tissue inflammation, which is not the cause of nerve discomfort.

In fact, the US Department of Health and Human Services notes that these drugs provide no significant benefit for nerve-specific conditions like diabetic neuropathy. Using them unnecessarily can also expose you to stomach and liver risks. 

True nerve pain comes from damaged or misfiring nerves. To treat it, we must use therapies that target the nervous system itself. Our practice focuses on these specialized treatments to help calm your overactive nerves.

What are the common medical options for nerve pain?

Doctors often prescribe oral medications called gabapentinoids to calm misfiring nerves. They work by dampening overactive nerve signals in your brain and spinal cord. 

However, these medications do not provide immediate relief. They require a slow, careful increase in dosage over several weeks to work safely, and may also cause noticeable side effects, such as dizziness or sleepiness.

If your pain is in one specific area, targeted treatments may be a better option. A study in Pain Medicine found strong evidence that prescription capsaicin 8% and lidocaine 5% patches can effectively treat localized nerve pain. These patches numb the nerves directly through the skin, avoiding the brain-fog of oral pills.

These however are not without drawbacks. Qutenza (capsaicin 8% topical system) runs about 900–955 per patch, so a full session of up to 4 patches costs roughly 3,600–3,800, not counting the application fee. 

How does Interventional Pain Center treat neuropathic pain?

We believe in offering advanced, non-surgical options that go beyond daily pills. If medications do not help, we provide high-level interventional therapies. These treatments target the pain at its source. 

For severe or lasting nerve pain, we may recommend spinal cord stimulation. A spinal cord stimulator is an advanced, implanted device that intercepts pain signals before they reach your brain. We also offer intrathecal pain pump therapy, which delivers targeted medication directly to the spinal cord. 

If you suffer from chronic back, neck, or joint nerve pain, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is another option. This minimally invasive procedure uses heat to quiet the specific nerves sending pain signals. Dr. Manocha works closely with you to find the right combination of therapies for your lifestyle.

Ready to live your life free from constant nerve discomfort? Schedule a visit with our team in Worthington or Newark, Ohio, today to take the next step.