Postherpetic Neuralgia – Shingles

Shingles

Roughly one in three people experiences shingles during their lifetime. Shingles is caused by the same virus as chickenpox: the varicella-zoster virus. Chickenpox is generally milder and affects children, while shingles in adults may cause a large, blistering rash and ongoing nerve pain.

If you’ve ever had chickenpox, the virus remains in your nerve cells forever. It can reactivate years later in the form of shingles. But having had chickenpox doesn’t guarantee you’ll get shingles. 

Shingles isn’t contagious or life-threatening, but it’s often very painful. It causes oozing blisters on your skin. The patches can develop anywhere on your body, and they may cause intense pain that makes daily life challenging.

At Total Pain Care, you can find relief from shingles pain and a complication known as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Our team offer a range of treatments to relieve lingering PHN pain and help you live more comfortably.

Characteristics of shingles pain

The varicella-zoster virus lies dormant in your nerve cells after you have chickenpox. If it reactivates, the virus travels through a nerve path in your body. Common descriptions of shingles symptoms include sensitivity to touch, itching, and nerve pain.

Cases of shingles often begin with a strange, tingling sensation in your skin. Then, oozing blisters develop. You can transmit the virus to people who haven’t had chickenpox at this stage if they come in contact with the blisters.

Once the blisters crust over, others can’t get the virus. People who have had chickenpox can’t catch the virus from others, because it’s already in their bodies.

The blistering patches characteristic of shingles usually appear on one side of your torso, wrapping around your waist. In rare cases, the rash may develop on one side of your face. Pain and blistering may last for several weeks.

Over-the-counter medications are generally ineffective for shingles. Depending on the severity of your condition, steroid or antidepressant medication can help manage symptoms until the blisters clear up. 

Treatment for lingering shingles pain

Most cases of shingles clear up within a month or so. After you have shingles, it’s unlikely that you’ll get it again. But as we mentioned above, some people develop PHN, a complication that follows shingles. Older people, women, and those who had more severe shingles symptoms seem to be at higher risk of developing PHN, but it’s not clear why others never develop it.

Nerve blocks are injections containing local anesthetic to numb nerves contributing to PHN pain. Other minimally invasive treatments include nerve ablation and steroid injections to treat inflammation related to shingles.

We offer several nonaddictive prescription medications for nerve pain. Oral antidepressants or membrane stabilizers can reduce symptoms of PHN. For some people, topical medication like capsaicin cream can temporarily relieve pain. 

The professionals at Total Pain Care will to find relief with a personalized treatment plan, whether it’s nerve-blocking injections or medication.

If you still have nerve pain after shingles, you don’t have to suffer in silence. Call Total Pain Care today.

Total Pain Care

  • Meridian Location - 1001 14th St., Meridian, MS 39301 Phone: 601-482-9224 Fax: 601-482-9224
  • Flowood Location - 120 Stone Creek Blvd., Suite 500, Flowood, MS 39232 Phone: 601-420-2040
  • Satellite Office at Medical Arts Clinic - 1003 Holland Ave., Suite 103, Philadelphia, MS 39350 Phone: 601-482-9224
  • Byram Location - 114 Byram Business Center Dr., Byram, MS 39272 Phone: 601-376-9960
  • Vicksburg Location - 2080 S. Frontage Road, Suite 112, Vicksburg, MS 39180 Phone: 601-883-6304
  • Kosciusko Location - 220 Hwy 12 W., Kosciusko, MS 39090 Phone: 601-420-2040
  • Yazoo City Location - 823 Grand Ave., Yazoo City, MS 39191 Phone: 601-420-2040

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