The cause of postherpetic neuralgia is the varicella zoster virus that remained after the initial chickenpox infection and revived again with the shingles infection. The damaged nerve fibers of the skin continue to send pain signals to the brain, long after the blisters have healed.
Postherpetic neuralgia has the following symptoms:
Other complications that often arise from postherpetic neuralgia include:
A review of your symptoms and history of shingles is usually all your general practitioner needs to accurately diagnose postherpetic neuralgia.
Neurological Surgery, P.C. (NSPC) has an experienced multidisciplinary team of leading doctors who specialize in pain management and conditions relating to the nervous system.
The first line of treatments for postherpetic neuralgia are non-surgical:
If the more conservative approaches do not relieve the symptoms, other more advanced treatment techniques may provide long-term pain curative results:
Rhizotomy— is a surgical procedure to damage the nerve or nerve root that is causing abnormal signals to be sent to the brain.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)involves electrodes placed on the skin (cutaneous) near the nerve pathways to disrupt the abnormal pain signals.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulationinvolves surgically implanting the electrodes near the nerves, similar to TENS. The electrical current sends messages that are non-pain-inducing to the brain, bringing pain relief.
Spinal Cord Stimulationalso employs a small electrical current to modulate the nerve signals. The electrodes are implanted near the spinal column.
In our New York metro region locations, we have knowledgeable specialists in pain management as well as the specialities of neurophysiology and neuropsychology. Our premier medical teams can help you find the best treatment option for your postherpetic neuralgia.
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