A correct and early diagnosis is the basis of a successful treatment of neuropathic pain, as explained by the specialists who took part in the table ‘Interdisciplinarity in the approach to neuropathic pain’held within the framework of the first congress of the Spanish Multidisciplinary Pain Society (SEMDOR), with the collaboration of Grünenthal.
During his speech at this forum, Dr. Rafael Gálvez, Head of the Pain Unit Service at the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital in Granada, remarked that the early diagnosisif not make it disappear, at least greatly relieves the pain of neuropathic pain patients. In addition, he highlighted the importance of Primary Care within this multidisciplinary approach, pointing out that “The diagnosis must be made in the first link in the chain of health professionals, which is Primary Care. Therefore, the interdisciplinary work between professionals and adequate training of them is key to detect and make a correct diagnosis, subsequent treatment and follow-up of these patients”.
Early diagnosis, if not making it go away, at least greatly relieves the pain of patients with neuropathic pain.
Dr. Gálvez indicated that the neuropathic pain has “a high emotional component, which distorts the pain, makes it very subjective and makes its evaluation difficult”noting that the wide variety of neurophysiological disorders that are produced, that affect the neurotransmitters and receptors of the nervous system, . However, “There are more and more tools in the form of brief and simple scales, as well as more sophisticated devices that help in the assessment of neuropathic pain”pointed out the specialist from the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital.
Therapeutic alternatives for the approach of neuropathic pain
Beyond the need to collaborate in a coordinated manner with all the specialties involved in the approach to patients with pain, at this table of the first congress of the The therapeutic alternatives available to these patients were also addressed.
“Current treatments continue to take as references the international with clinical evidence and where the non-pharmacological measures –such as dietary modification and adequate exercise– are essential. equally true antidepressants and antiepileptics become relevant as the first analgesic step”, explained Dr. Rafael Gálvez. “The opioids they will be reserved for the most rebellious pain and of greater intensity, according to the clinical criteria and individual situation of the patient. In cases of peripheral and localized neuropathic pain, the topical dressings, due to its efficacy and good tolerability. In the most complex patients and selective cases, some invasive techniques such as radiofrequency or analgesic blockscan be very useful”, pointed out Dr. Gálvez.
In addition to these specialists, at the table ‘Interdisciplinarity in the approach to neuropathic pain’ also participated the Dr. Clara Penas, professor at the Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona; he Dr. Antonio Alcantara, Primary Care physician at the Manuel Encinas de Cáceres Health Center; and the Dr. Gerardo Pastorof the Rehabilitation Service of the General University Hospital of Alicante.