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Suggest Treatment For Severe Whole Body Nerve Pain
Question: My son has had numerous concussions throughout his life and the latest one occured around the first of December 2015. He is being treated for his concussions and has been inproving; however, he is having nerve pain throughout his body. He has another appointment with his pcp Wednesday. Since I am on this site I throught I would ask you your opinion(s). This has become quite painful for him. He has been staying with us for several weeks but decided to go home in Grand Junction, CO.
Thank you. XXXXXXX Welch
Thank you. XXXXXXX Welch
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Concussions generally are not associated with pain. Depending on the involved areas they might manifest cognitive decline, if there is focal damage in the brain with decreased motor strength or sensation, but not pain. Rarely when a certain region called thalamus is damaged it may manifest with pain, but it is in only one half of the body not throughout. So unlikely for the pain to be a direct result of the concussions, other causes must be sought.
One possibility is polyneuropathy, damage to peripheral nerves. It can be due to many causes such as diabetes, alcohol abuse, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal issues, exposure to toxins, metabolic alterations, connective tissue disorders etc. So a good neurological exam is needed to determine first if there are signs of polyneuropathy (lowered or absent reflexes, changes in sensation and motor strength in characteristic distribution etc) and if yes nerve conduction studies and several blood tests to look for the cause.
Of course that is providing it is really nerve related pain. Often when history is taken regarding the onset, distribution, character of pain and its evolution, it turns out symptoms may be more related to fibromyalgia or other rheumatological issues rather than nerve problems. So more information is needed for assessment of diagnostic possibilities.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Concussions generally are not associated with pain. Depending on the involved areas they might manifest cognitive decline, if there is focal damage in the brain with decreased motor strength or sensation, but not pain. Rarely when a certain region called thalamus is damaged it may manifest with pain, but it is in only one half of the body not throughout. So unlikely for the pain to be a direct result of the concussions, other causes must be sought.
One possibility is polyneuropathy, damage to peripheral nerves. It can be due to many causes such as diabetes, alcohol abuse, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal issues, exposure to toxins, metabolic alterations, connective tissue disorders etc. So a good neurological exam is needed to determine first if there are signs of polyneuropathy (lowered or absent reflexes, changes in sensation and motor strength in characteristic distribution etc) and if yes nerve conduction studies and several blood tests to look for the cause.
Of course that is providing it is really nerve related pain. Often when history is taken regarding the onset, distribution, character of pain and its evolution, it turns out symptoms may be more related to fibromyalgia or other rheumatological issues rather than nerve problems. So more information is needed for assessment of diagnostic possibilities.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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