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Primary Care Provider Resource for Spinal Cord Injury Heersink School of Medicine

Pain - Neuropathic

Neuropathic pain can be exacerbated by visceral diseases or disturbances, movement, smoking or alcohol, emotional factors, fatigue, and even weather changes. Pressure sores or fractures, may result in an increase in burning type pain.

Considerations
  • Pregabalin is the first and only FDA-approved therapy indicated for the management of neuropathic pain associated with SCI.
  • Gabapentin, Tramadol, Anticonvulsants and Antidepressants (such as Amitriptyline) are commonly used.
  • Baclofen and intrathecal baclofen can be helpful for pain related to spasticity or musculoskeletal causes.
Other Notes
  • Topical capsaicin has been used to treat radicular post-SCI pain for 1-2 weeks
  • There is little evidence to support the use of opioids for neuropathic pain.

 

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The University of Alabama at Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Model System provides this website as an auxiliary resource for the primary care of patients with spinal cord injury.The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90SIMS0020). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

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