Combination Therapy for Neuropathic Pain — Which Drugs, Which Combination, Which Patients?

Abstract

Neuropathic pain is a complex, costly condition resulting from a primary lesion or dysfunction in any part of the nervous system, from the peripheral receptor to the brain. Degenerative spine disease, diabetes, herpes zoster, compression and entrapment syndromes, AIDS, surgeries such as thoracotomies and mastectomies, amputation, spinal cord injury, and stroke are common causes of neuropathic pain. The aging of the population and the rising prevalence of many of these conditions forecast a probable increase in the number of patients who will have neuropathic pain. Persistent neuropathic pain usually alters a patient's quality of life by interfering with sleep, work, . . .