A 19-year-old male has sustained a transection of C-7 in a motor vehicle crash rendering him a quadriplegic. He describes his pain as burning, sharp, and shooting. What type of pain is this patient describing?

Question

a. Neuropathic pain
b. Ghost pain
c. Mixed pain syndrome
d. Nociceptive pain

Answer 1

ANS: A
Neuropathic pain results from the abnormal processing of sensory input by the nervous system as a result of damage to the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves. Simply put, neuropathic pain is pathologic. Examples of neuropathic pain include postherpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy, phantom pain, and post stroke pain syndrome. Patients with neuropathic pain use very distinctive words to describe their pain, such as "burning," "sharp," and "shooting." Ghost pain is pain associated with loss of a limb or digit. Mixed pain syndrome is not easily recognized, is unique with multiple underlying and poorly understood mechanisms like fibromyalgia and low back pain. Nociceptive pain refers to the normal functioning of physiological systems that leads to the perception of noxious stimuli (tissue injury) as being painful. Patients describe this type of pain as aching, cramping, or throbbing. Neuropathic pain is pathologic and results from abnormal processing of sensory input by the nervous system as a result of damage to the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves. Patients describe this type of pain as burning, sharp, and shooting.