Nerve pain (neuropathic pain) Archive

Carpal tunnel syndrome, caused by compression of the median nerve in the wrist, is felt as numbness, tingling, and burning in the fingers, often at night. Early treatment with a wrist splint, ergonomic changes to keep the wrist in a straight position, and exercises can alleviate symptoms.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a nerve disease most often caused by compression, inflammation, or irritation of the tibial nerve inside the ankle. Symptoms include burning, tingling, and numbness in the foot. It may result from flat feet, injury, or swelling. Standard treatment involves physical therapy and shoes or orthotics with arch support.

Tendonitis, bursitis, frozen shoulder, and Charcot joint can all strike people with diabetes. They mimic arthritis but have different causes.

Vasovagal syncope, a common cause of fainting, occurs when the vagus nerve becomes overstimulated in response to triggers such as stress or dehydration. Certain strategies, such as lying down and elevating the legs, help people avoid passing out.

A pinched nerve occurs when something compresses or irritates a nerve. This can cause pain, tingling, or weakness in areas like the neck, back, or wrist. Rest and home remedies can help, but physical therapy and medication are sometimes needed.

Shingles occurs when the dormant chickenpox virus reactivates, causing tingling, burning, and a painful, blistering rash. Shingles can affect anyone who has had chickenpox, with higher risk after age 50 and in people with weakened immunity. Diagnosis and treatment within three days of the rash appearing can shorten the illness and reduce severity. Most people recover completely from shingles, but there may be complications, such as post-herpetic neuralgia, which is pain that can be severe and long-lasting. Vaccination is the best way to prevent shingles and its complications.

A 2025 analysis found that tricyclic antidepressants, the anticonvulsants gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica), and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, such as duloxetine (Cymbalta) were the most effective drug treatments for neuropathic pain.

Burning mouth syndrome affects about 2% of people, with women up to seven times more likely than men to be diagnosed. Symptoms include burning sensations in the lips, mouth, or throat as well as stabbing pain, tingling, a sour or metallic taste, or the sense that something is crawling inside the mouth. Women's hormone dips during perimenopause and beyond may play a role in the condition, and stress and anxiety are also considered risk factors. To confirm the diagnosis, doctors must first rule out other potential causes of symptoms.

In its 2025 guidelines for treating restless legs syndrome (RLS), the American Academy of Sleep Medicine stopped recommending the long-term use of dopamine agonist drugs, since they can eventually make RLS symptoms worse. Instead, the guidelines strongly recommend another class of medications as the first-line treatment: alpha-2-delta ligands, such as gabapentin (Neurontin), gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant), and pregabalin (Lyrica). Alpha-2-delta ligands do not make RLS symptoms worse.