Consider the symptoms and treatment of neuralgia at home. What is this pathology?
Neuralgia is a variety of pathological conditions that progress due to damage to some sections of the peripheral nerves. For these diseases, the development of acute and intense pain throughout the nerve fiber and in the zone of its innervation is characteristic. Neuralgia can occur in people of different ages, but women after 40 are more prone to it.
In the peripheral nerves there are certain receptors that take on information about the state of systems and organs and transmit it afterwards to the brain and spinal cord. In cases of compression or irritation of any part of the nerve, this information is distorted, which leads to the development of severe pain. As a rule, this pathology occurs against the background of an existing pathological process.
Muscle neuralgia most often manifests itself in those places of the body where nerve fibers pass through narrow channels. It is in these areas that there is a high probability of squeezing or infringing them. It should be noted that this disease can affect absolutely any nerve, but cases of neuralgia of the back, sciatic nerve, glossopharyngeal, and trigeminal are most often observed. Symptoms of occipital neuralgia are presented below. Identification, as well as the treatment of this ailment, is carried out by a specialist neurologist.
Neuralgia and neuritis should not be confused, since these are two completely different diseases. With neuritis, there is a direct inflammation of the nerve fiber , manifested not only by severe pain, but also by a decrease in sensitivity in a specific area of the skin that is innervated by the affected nerve. When developing signs of cardiac neuralgia, trigeminal nerve, as well as the back and other tissues and organs, it is very important to consult a doctor immediately.
Symptoms of neuralgia are important to recognize in a timely manner.
Varieties
This pathology can affect any nerve, but most often doctors diagnose the following types of neuralgia:
- facial or trigeminal nerve;
- backs;
- sciatic nerve;
- glossopharyngeal nerve;
- occipital nerve.
The localization areas of the pain syndrome depend on the variety of the disease. The symptoms and treatment of neuralgia on the left and right side of the face are also considered.
Causes of pathology
The reasons for the progression of the pathology may differ among themselves depending on which nerve fiber was damaged.
The causes of damage to the occipital nerve are:
- Tumor processes of a benign or malignant nature that are localized in the region of the cervical vertebrae.
- Osteochondrosis.
- Injuries of the cervical spine of varying severity.
- Gout.
- Subcooling of the nape.
Causes of facial neuralgia:
- Aneurysm of the arteries that feed the brain.
- Tumors of a malignant or benign nature that are in the brain.
- Hypothermia of the face.
- Chronic infectious processes in the face area (for example, sinusitis, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, etc.).
- Atherosclerosis.
The causes of sciatic nerve pathology can be considered:
- Osteochondrosis.
- Intervertebral hernia.
- Various lumbar injuries.
- Fracture of the pelvic or femur.
- Whether malignant benign tumors localized in areas of the passage of the nerve.
- Hypothermia of the lower back, buttocks and hips.
- Excessive physical activity on the lower back.
- Lack of exercise.
- Obesity.
- Period of pregnancy.
- The presence of any diseases of the pelvic organs of an infectious or inflammatory nature.
The reasons for the development of pathologies of the glossopharyngeal nerve:
- The presence of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, influenza, parainfluenza, etc.
- Allergic reactions.
- Metabolic disorder.
- Strong intoxication in the body.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Diabetes.
Symptoms of Neuralgia
The main manifestations of neuralgia, as well as the causes of its occurrence, are directly dependent on the nerve fiber that has been affected. Next, we consider in detail the symptoms of the disease.
Facial Neuralgia
Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia are quite common.
The reason for this is that the nerve leaves the brain through a very narrow opening, as a result of which the tissues located nearby can compress it. This nerve is responsible for the innervation of the facial area. Usually, the pathology begins to develop very sharply - an intense pain syndrome appears in this area. The pain is usually paroxysmal in nature. At the same time, patients note that this phenomenon is similar to the passage of an electric current through the skin, therefore, during such an attack, a person can freeze and try not to make unnecessary movements.
Symptoms of neuralgia on the right and left are equally unpleasant.
The duration of the pain syndrome is different for each person - for some it lasts a few seconds, while for others it takes much longer. It should be noted that such attacks can occur up to 300 times a day. The pain is most often localized on the right side of the face. Bilateral in this case, neuralgia is very rare. A trigeminal attack can begin with a physical effect on certain points on the face. This is also observed when chewing food, applying makeup, brushing your teeth or shaving.
Since all patients who suffer from trigeminal neuralgia use only a healthy half of their mouth to chew, muscle seals appear on the opposite side. If the course of the disease is long, the development of dystrophic changes in the masticatory muscles is not excluded, as well as a decrease in sensitivity on the affected side of the face.
What other symptoms of neuralgia are there? Let's consider further.
Sciatic Neuralgia
This pathology can manifest itself with the following symptoms:
- Shooting pain along the length of a nerve.
- A strong burning sensation in the lower back, as well as in the buttocks.
- This affects mainly the only branch of the nerve.
- Feeling of creeps in the area of the pathological process.
Symptoms of back neuralgia are very unpleasant.
Pain sensations develop, as a rule, in the sacral and lumbar spine, then go along the length of the nerve fiber to the thigh, as well as to the knee, foot. The pain in this case can be tugging, pulling, shooting, often boring and burning, which does not give a person peace, especially at night. Pain can be aggravated by movement of the limbs, with an uncomfortable position of the body, with sneezing and pressure on pain points. Patients often take a specific pose when the body is bent, as they rest when standing on a healthy leg.
Consider also the symptoms of occipital neuralgia.
Occipital Neuralgia
In this case, the pain syndrome overtakes a person very suddenly. In some cases, this may be preceded by a slight irritation of the nerves, for example, a person can simply scratch his head or turn it spontaneously. Severe pain syndromes in the form of peculiar lumbago occur, as a rule, in the nape of the neck on the back of the neck or behind the ears. The pain is localized only on one side of the head or neck, however, cases of bilateral neuralgia of the occipital nerve are not excluded. Symptoms do not end there.
Intercostal neuralgia
With this pathology, a sharp girdle pain occurs, and pain attacks develop spontaneously. Nevertheless, most often it is preceded by a change in body position, a strong cough or a deep breath. The duration of such pain can be different - from hours to days. In the area of localization of the pinched nerve fiber, a decrease in skin sensitivity is often noted.
The main symptom of thoracic neuralgia is pain in the intercostal space. The intensity of this pain can be different: from sharp, pronounced, shooting to constant, characterized by medium intensity. It intensifies with movements, coughing and in the process of swallowing. The patient can take a specific position of the body, leaning toward the nerve in order to minimize the range of motion in it. Some people, when coughing, sneezing, press their palm against the intercostal space for the same purpose.
Often pain syndromes with intercostal neuralgia are exacerbated under the fingers of a doctor who performs palpation: he palpates the direction of such pain along the length of the nerve fiber. It is worth noting that patients can characterize their feelings not only as pain, but also as tingling, burning, and in the later stages of the disease - numbness in the intercostal space.
Symptoms of breast neuralgia are also common.
Lesion of the glossopharyngeal nerve
Eating, yawning or coughing can cause the development of symptoms of pathology of the glossopharyngeal nerve . As a result, the patient may experience severe pain in the root of the tongue, as well as at the location of the pharynx and tonsils. During such an attack, dry mucous membranes in the mouth are noted, and after it there is increased salivation. An interesting fact is that the food that a person takes during this period seems bitter to him.
There is a similar neuralgia with alternating periods of exacerbation and remission, and the duration of these periods in some cases is up to a year or more. Over time, seizures can occur more often, remissions are shortened, and the pain syndrome becomes more intense. In some cases, the pain is so severe that a person moans or screams, opens his mouth and rubs his neck under his lower jaw.
Patients with experience often complain of pain of a constant nature, which intensifies, as a rule, when chewing, during swallowing, and also when talking. In such people, a decrease in sensitivity can be determined in areas innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve fiber: in the posterior third of the tongue, tonsils, in the throat, in the soft palate and ear. They also noted a violation of taste in the area of the root of the tongue, a decrease in the amount of saliva. All this happens due to nerve damage. Symptoms of neuralgia, namely sensitivity disorders, only progress with time.
Diagnosis of neuralgia
If the above symptoms occur for each specific type of neuralgia, you must contact a medical institution to carry out a comprehensive diagnosis and select the correct treatment regimen. The doctor can determine the presence of such pathologies only after an initial examination and an adequate assessment of the patient's complaints.
In order to confirm the preliminary diagnosis, the patient is referred, as a rule, to additional techniques.
Diagnostic methods for all varieties of neuralgia:
- X-ray study.
- CT
- NMR
- General laboratory tests of blood and urine.
- Blood chemistry.
Therapeutic measures for neuralgia
Therapeutic procedures in the event of such pathological processes should begin immediately after diagnosis. Many believe that such conditions are not dangerous for the body, but this is not so, since neuralgia develops a second time, therefore, any serious pathological process has already progressed to its manifestation. It is he who poses a threat to health, and first of all he needs to be treated.
Neuralgia during pregnancy is especially dangerous, as they can significantly complicate its course and even provoke a miscarriage.
All methods of treatment of neuralgia are divided into conservative and operational. Specialists, as a rule, initially prescribe conservative methods of treatment, and only after the doctor is convinced of their inefficiency, he can resort to surgical methods of treatment.
Conservative methods of treating these pathologies are:
- The appointment of anti-inflammatory, as well as pain medication. It is necessary to treat all types of neuralgia with such drugs, as they will help stop pain syndromes and eliminate the inflammatory process in the affected nerve fiber.
- Acupuncture. This technique gives very good results in the treatment of these types of diseases.
- Physiotherapeutic methods of treatment. In this case, laser, ultraviolet, various magnetic fields, etc. are used.
An example of a comprehensive treatment is supplementation of NSAIDs with certain neurotropic vitamins. B vitamins help to urgently eliminate pain and inflammatory syndrome faster than when taking only NSAIDs. In addition, they have a beneficial effect on the natural physiological processes in nerve fibers, stimulate their nutrition and contribute to the restoration of the tissue structure of these fibers.
The best supplement to NSAIDs is the neuromultivit drug in the form of injections, which includes vitamins B1, B6 and B12 in certain therapeutic dosages. The use of neurotropic vitamins in high doses allows you to consolidate the effect of treatment, and also contributes to the recovery processes in the nerve fibers, so that you can achieve long periods of remission in pain.
Treatment with this medication should begin with daily injections that are given for 5 or 10 days. This field is usually transferred to maintenance treatment with this drug, which consists of 2-3 injections per week.
Therapy of symptoms of neuralgia on the left or on the right can also be supplemented with other drugs, depending on what type of pathology was diagnosed in each case. For example, with intercostal neuralgia, extension of the spinal column, wearing special corsets and swimming are recommended. In addition, sedative medications are included in the treatment plan.
When squeezing the trigeminal nerve, anticonvulsant drugs are usually prescribed. In some cases, doctors resort to surgical destruction of certain parts of the affected nerve.
With the development of pathologies of the sciatic nerve are shown:
- Bed rest.
- Taking medication anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Electrical stimulation.
- Nerve blockade.
With special care, various types of neuralgia should be treated during pregnancy, and this is done exclusively in stationary conditions so that specialists can constantly monitor the condition of the woman.
Treating neuralgia symptoms at home can be quite effective.
Home Therapy
- In the first 2-3 days, you need bed rest, as with excessive movements, swelling and pain increase.
- It is advisable to use a hard mattress.
- If you have a semi-rigid corset, you can wear it in the daytime. He will be able to protect against sudden movement and unload the muscles of the back.
- Dry and light heat is shown. This will reduce muscle spasm and pain. It is better to use a heating pad or a bag of heated sand or salt. Use heat no more than half an hour.
- Then apply an anti-inflammatory ointment to the affected surface and wrap it in a belt of dog and camel hair.