What you might be thinking when you hear nerve pain is Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive, fatal neurological disease, that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling muscles. Just because you have nerve pain it does not mean you have ALS, but it’s certainly the most well-known type of nerve pain.

Neuropathic or nerve pain is a type of chronic pain that occurs when nerves in the central nervous system, such as your brain and/or spinal cord become injured or damaged. This type of pain can also occur due to damage to peripheral nerves in your hands and feet such as in the setting of diabetes. You have three types of nerves:

• Autonomic nerves – These control the involuntary and partially voluntary activities of your body. What does that mean? It means parts of your body like your heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and temperature regulation are all controlled by autonomic nerves.

• Motor nerves – They control movements and actions by passing information from your brain and spinal cord to your muscles.

• Sensory nerves – These nerves relay information from your skin and muscles back to your spinal cord and brain. The information is then processed to let you feel pain and other sensations.

Quality of life may quickly erode for people with nerve pain.  We have many options available to help with pain and want to help you get your life back with these treatments so nerve pain doesn’t have to limit your function in life.  Our goal is make this pain much more tolerable and possibly eliminate it so you can more fully enjoy hobbies and time with friends and family members in the future!