Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chronic neuropathic pain in veterinary patients.
- Journal:
- Topics in companion animal medicine
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Grubb, Tamara
- Affiliation:
- College of Veterinary Medicine · United States
Plain-English summary
Neuropathic pain is a specific type of chronic pain that happens when there is damage or disease affecting the nervous system. This kind of pain can significantly lower a pet's quality of life, often more than other types of pain. However, diagnosing neuropathic pain in pets can be challenging, and finding effective treatments is even tougher. The article discusses what neuropathic pain is and how it can be managed in veterinary patients. Overall, it highlights the complexities of dealing with this type of pain in animals.
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is pathophysiologically distinct from other types of chronic pain and is defined by the Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain as "pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system." At least in humans, and perhaps in animals, neuropathic pain causes a much greater impairment in the patient's quality of life than is caused by other pain syndromes. And, unfortunately, this type of pain is generally quite difficult to accurately diagnose and even harder to effectively treat. A brief review of neuropathic pain and its treatment in veterinary patients is presented here.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20188338/