Airing Pain 116: Neuropathic Pain 2 of 2: Latest research

Half a century worth of research exists on neuropathic pain but what are the latest developments? 

This edition of Airing Pain is facilitated by the neuropathic pain special interest group (NeuPSIG) of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP).

With the previous edition of Airing Pain focusing on the ‘psycho’ and ‘social’ of the bio-psycho-social model, this programme tackles the ‘bio’ component.

In this second instalment in a mini-series on neuropathic pain, Paul Evans delves into the latest scientific developments on the condition and the ways in which the gap between research and treatments could be bridged.

Following on from Airing Pain 115, which concentrated on targeted Pain Management Programmes, this edition discusses the ‘bio’ element on dealing with neuropathic pain. Speaking to Professor Srinivasa Raja, Paul discusses what exactly is going on in the brain with neuropathic pain. Professor Raja provides a valuable explanation of the science behind the condition.

Patrick M. Dougherty, Professor at the Department of Pain Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre then shares with Paul the latest advances in neuropathic pain research. He examines the link between cancer treatments and the condition as well as the potential for treatments such as immunotherapy to combat neuropathic pain in the future.

Issues covered in this programme include: Neuropathic pain, the bio-psychosocial model, allodynia, nerve injury, post-herpetic neuralgia, pain after shingles, pain after amputation, differences between men and women, chemotherapy-related pain, cancer, multidisciplinary pain teams, and personalised pain management therapies. 

Contributors:

• Patrick M. Dougherty, Professor at the Department of Pain Medicine, Division of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston.
• Professor Srinivasa Raja (John Hopkins School of Medicine, USA).

More information:

• Neuropathic pain fact sheets and support, IASP https://www.iasp-pain.org/GlobalYear/NeuropathicPain
• News, information and support at RELIEF, IASP Pain Research Forum https://relief.news/
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre https://www.mdanderson.org/?_ga=2.205594646.486343381.1563359882-181156349.1563359882
• Neuropathic Pain information, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), https://www.nice.org.uk/search?q=Neuropathic+pain
• Airing Pain 115: Neuropathic Pain 1 of 2: Targeted Pain Management Programmes.