Abstract
Patients with neuropathic pain (NP) have proved challenging to manage prior to the establishment of guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of NP. Recent guidelines including those for the pharmacologic management of NP issued by Japan Society of Pain Clinicians provide evidence-based medication recommendations concerning first-line treatments for NP including tricyclic antidepressants and calcium channel α2-δ ligands. Other medications would be employed as second-or third-line treatments. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is also an accepted method of control for chronic NP which has been used for many years and is supported by a substantial evidence base. SCS guidelines for the management of pain were recently published by the British Pain Society. The recommendations refer to the current body of evidence relating to SCS. The present review serves to provide an overview of the key principles for the treatment of NP including pharmacological therapies and SCS.
