title: [Guidelines for the clinical management of neuropathic pain (II)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Up to 5% of the population suffers from neuropathic pain (NP). A bibliographical search in several databases revealed that, to date, there are no protocols to guide physicians who are not specialists in pain that enable them to treat NP and thus improve patients' quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to provide Spanish-speaking physicians who are not specialists in pain with a set of guidelines for the treatment of NP. A bibliographical search was performed in order to base the results and conclusions on the evidence-based medicine methodology.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, we review the most effective clinical and paraclinical methods for diagnosing NP, and the LANSS pain scale is reported as the most appropriate method of clinically evaluating NP. The anatomical paths and the physiology of pain are then described and we review the molecular variables involved. Finally, we point out the current therapeutic options and propose an algorithm for the treatment of NP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no specific set of guidelines for the treatment of NP. At the present time, the keystone of NP treatment consists in the use of antidepressant and anticonvulsive drugs. There is a need for further clinical trials to prove the effectiveness of using combined medication.
authors.affiliation: Associación Colombiana para el Estudio del Dolor, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aguilera-Muñoz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arizaga-Cuesta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carpio-Rodas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crump
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Díaz-Heredia
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Griego
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hincapié
authors.forename: M X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moyano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarro-Chávez
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Rangel-Galvis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salazar-Bolaños
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarmiento
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Terán Saá-Jaramillo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tettamanti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Vargas-Gómez
mesh_terms: D003663:Decision Trees; D006801:Humans; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic