Nerve pain (neuropathic pain) Archive

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.

Pain that starts at the base of the skull and radiates to one side of the forehead may be a cervicogenic headache. These headaches are sometimes mistaken for tension headaches or migraines. Cervicogenic headaches originate from a problem around the top of the spine. Possible causes include a herniated disk, arthritis, or an injury, such as whiplash. Treatments include pain relievers, physical therapy, and injections of steroids or anesthetics.

In a 2025 study, people with knee osteoarthritis reported less pain and had less knee cartilage damage after changing their walking gait to reduce pressure on the inner part of the knee.

A 2025 analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials involving 6,500 people found that tramadol, a widely prescribed opioid drug, was only mildly effective at reducing chronic pain. It increased the risks for both mild and serious side effects, including heart problems.

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.

Costochondritis, which is inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs and the breastbone, is one of the most common causes of chest pain and is frequently mistaken for a heart attack.