title: Introduction to neuropathic pain syndromes.
abstract: Chronic pain impairs the quality of life for millions of individuals and therefore presents a serious ongoing challenge to clinicians and researchers. Debilitating chronic pain syndromes cost the US economy more than $600 billion per year. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and treatment outcomes for craniofacial, spinal, and peripheral neurologic pain syndromes. Although the authors recognize that the diagnosis and treatment of the chronic forms of neuropathic pain syndromes represent a clinical challenge, there is an urgent need for standardized classification systems, improved epidemiologic data, and reliable treatment outcomes data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Emory University, 101 Woodruff Circle, Lab 6339, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Electronic address: juanmarco.gutierrez@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Juanmarco
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Emory University, 101 Woodruff Circle, Lab 6339, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Electronic address: sraju8@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Sukreet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raju
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Emory University, 101 Woodruff Circle, Lab 6339, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Emory University, 101 Woodruff Circle, Lab 6339, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Boulis
mesh_terms: D001416:Back Pain / Q000150:complications; D005156:Facial Neuralgia / Q000150:complications; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Chronic; Epidemiology; Neuropathic; Nociceptive; Pain; Treatment outcomes