Neuropathic pain: talk to your doctor ...

Poorly known, neuropathic pain is almost never diagnosed and frequently develop into chronic pain, with a strong impact on everyday life in partnership with patient organizations, a pharmaceutical company has decided to launch an awareness campaign in medical practices to better inform patients and encourage them to read. Presentation of this initiative at a press conference in Paris.
Neuropathic pain can be original:

- Peripheral (damage due to diabetes, shingles, sciatica, an HIV infection, trauma, surgery for a herniated disc or a limb amputation);

- Central (multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, stroke, brain tumors and spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease ...).

Those who suffer do not describe it as pain itself but rather as a burning sensation or vise tightens, an electric shock, a dazzling access as a stabbing, tingling, tingling, or still numb ...

Sometimes the slightest touch can cause severe pain in an area free of any damage yet.

These sensations are felt on a daily basis, often for years and do not respond to simple analgesics or anti-inflammatory.

They may be responsible for insomnia, anxiety or depression.

To better inform the general public often does not dare look for such symptoms and, consequently, to motivate a consultation with the doctor, a pharmaceutical company (Pfizer) has launched an awareness campaign in partnership with several organizations patients (French Association for Overcoming Pain-AFVD-; Association against Spondylarthropathies-ACS-, French Association of Anti-Rheumatic-AFLAR-).

This campaign is the provision in medical offices, an explanatory booklet on pain of neuropathic origin, the means of getting help, support by the physician and the choice of treatment (drugs usually dedicated other conditions but have proven their efficacy in this indication at low doses, acupuncture, relaxation techniques, physiotherapy ...), as well as a website www.douleurnonidentifiee.com. This practical and educational website provides all the information to the general public, the book offers stories and complete a self-screening questionnaire online.

Finally, pharmacists participate in testing before being trained.