Neuralgia is a sharp, shocking pain that follows the path of a nerve and is due to irritation or damage to the nerve.

Dr. Maxime Debrosee treats neuralgia at Relieve Pain and Spine Center located in Mount Dora, and just outside of Orlando and nearby Groveland, Oviedo, Tavares, Apopka, Winter Park, Winter Garden, Ococee, Leesburg, and Horizon West.

Common Neuralgias

Common neuralgias include:

• Postherpetic neuralgia (pain that continues after a bout of shingles)
• Trigeminal neuralgia (stabbing or electric-shock-like pain in parts of the face)
• Alcoholic neuropathy
• Peripheral neuropathy 

Causes of Neuralgia

Causes of neuralgia include:
 

• Chemical irritation
• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Infections, such as herpes zoster (shingles), HIV/AIDS, Lyme disease, and syphilis
• Medicines such as cisplatin, paclitaxel, or vincristine
• Porphyria (blood disorder) Pressure on nerves by nearby bones, ligaments, blood vessels, or tumors  
• Trauma (including surgery)         

In many cases, the cause is unknown. Postherpetic neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia are the two most common forms of neuralgia. A related but less common neuralgia affects the glossopharyngeal nerve, which provides feeling to the throat. 

Neuralgia is more common in older people, but it may occur at any age.
 

Additional Resources

• MedlinePlus
• National Institutes of Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• U.S. National Library of Medicine
• WebMD