Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain: Effective Management

摘要

The cause of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) is unknown, and the pain can be severe and affect functioning. Although there is no cure for DPNP, a variety of effective treatments, such as topical agents, oral medications and nondrug approaches, are available to patients to control the pain to a degree sufficient to improve their quality of life. Diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) affects an estimated 10% to 20% of the more than 20 million people in the United States who have diabetes mellitus (DM). The pain can be severe and can markedly interfere with functioning. Although there is no cure for DPNP, for many patients the pain can be controlled to a degree sufficient to improve their quality of life. In this article, I outline a variety of effective management strategies, including topical agents, oral medications and non-pharmacological therapies, such as acupuncture and transcutaneous nerve stimulation.