Pain Syndromes in Neurology

Deals with the diagnosis and treatment of painful conditions associated with dysfunction of the peripheral or central nervous system. It discusses advances in three areas: first, the normal anatomy and physiology of pain; second, the pathophysiology of damaged sensory neurons; and third, the diagnosis and treatment of patients with neuropathic pain.

The book begins with a discussion of neural mechanisms relevant to pain perception along with a brief review of neuropathic pain. This is followed by separate chapters on hyperalgesia following cutaneous injury; the importance of peripheral processes in the etiology of neuropathic and radiculopathic pain; and mechanisms by which sympathetic efferent fibers contribute to the occurrence of pain.

Subsequent chapters cover the diagnosis and treatment of reflex sympathetic dystrophy; pain in generalized neuropathies; surgical treatment of pain; clinical features and management of postherpetic neuralgia; diagnosis of cancer pain syndromes; and drugs in the management of chronic pain.