Characteristics of Neuropathic Pain in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury

Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine, 2014 · DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5535/arm.2014.38.3.327 · Published: June 1, 2014

Simple Explanation

This study aimed to understand the nature of neuropathic pain in patients who have suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain that occurs due to damage or disease affecting the somatosensory nervous system. The researchers used a specific classification system developed by Baron et al. to categorize the neuropathic pain experienced by SCI patients. This classification helps in understanding the underlying mechanisms of pain. By comparing the pain patterns in SCI patients with those of patients with other conditions like diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, the study aimed to identify similarities and differences in the characteristics of neuropathic pain across different conditions.

Study Duration

9 Months

Participants

61 SCI patients with neuropathic pain

Evidence Level

Cross-sectional study

Key Findings

1
Pricking pain was the most common pain characteristic among SCI patients with neuropathic pain, followed by electrical pain and numbness.
2
There was no significant difference in the prevalence of at-level neuropathic pain and below-level neuropathic pain.
3
All patients experienced rest pain, while approximately half experienced evoked pain.

Research Summary

This study characterized neuropathic pain in SCI patients using the Baron classification. The most common pain characteristic was pricking pain, followed by electrical pain and numbness. The study found no significant difference in pain characteristics between at-level and below-level neuropathic pain. All patients suffered from rest pain, and about half also experienced evoked pain. The pain characteristics in SCI patients were found to be more similar to those in diabetic neuropathy than to post-herpetic neuralgia, suggesting that sensory nerve deafferentation may be a common mechanism.

Practical Implications

Treatment Strategies

The findings suggest that treatments targeting sensory nerve deafferentation may be most suitable for neuropathic pain after SCI.

Further Research

The results highlight the need for further studies to perform cluster analysis and explore symptom- and sign-based treatments.

Evaluation and Treatment

The inclusion of short and discrete symptoms and signs based on diverse mechanisms could be helpful for determining further evaluation and treatment.

Study Limitations

1
The study included a relatively small sample size of 61 SCI patients.
2
The limited sample size prevented the researchers from performing a cluster analysis.
3
The study lacks analysis on how drugs affect the specific symptoms and signs of pain

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