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Allodynia is a type of pain related to nerves. After all, about 10 % of people in the US have some neuropathic pain. At the same time, about 15% to 20% of people with neuropathic pain have allodynia.
People who are suffering from allodynia pain are extremely sensitive to touch. They even feel severe pain with the usual daily activities like combing their hair. There are many situations and injuries which can lead to allodynia. With the help of common allodynia treatments like therapy, medications, etc., one can get relief from the pain.
In this blog, we will discuss allodynia treatment. Read below to learn more.
What is allodynia?
Allodynia is a type of neuropathic pain. It causes excessive sensitivity to the touch. When you suffer from allodynia, you will be hurt and feel severe pain from things that don’t usually cause pain. They may include cold temperatures, brushing hair or wearing a cotton t-shirt.
Allodynia can be caused due to several conditions. The most common causes of allodynia include diabetes, shingles, fibromyalgia, and migraine headaches.
To get allodynia treatment, you need to visit a healthcare professional. They will provide you with a cure for the condition causing pain as there is no specific treatment to get rid of this particular condition.
They may also recommend a pain management plan for your betterment. The plan given by your healthcare professional for allodynia treatment may include medications to relieve pain and therapy to help you in responding to the pain differently.
Most common causes of allodynia
When your nervous system works properly, the nerves send messages between the brain, skin, muscles, and organs. Your body receives proper information about when to feel pain from the nerves.
When you suffer from allodynia, your neurological system stops functioning correctly. It does not provide accurate signals to your brain.
Still, the leading cause of allodynia is unknown. Due to unavoidable circumstances, it can increase the risk. Peripheral neuropathy is one of the leading causes, along with:
- Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a type of chronic condition that causes widespread muscle and joint pain across your body without any specific cause or injury. When you have fibromyalgia, you might experience allodynia, where you can feel the pain resulting from light touches.
- Migraine
Allodynia is a fairly common side effect of migraine. According to the researchers, people who have migraine attacks experience allodynia. About 40–70% of people experience allodynia.
- Postherpetic neuralgia
Postherpetic neuralgia is a common complication of chickenpox and shingles. Shingles can damage your nerve fibers, which leads to persistent nerve pain.
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, a treatment often used for cancer, leaves a toxic effect on your nerves, resulting in nerve damage. According to experts, chemotherapy-induced peripheral nerve damage often suffers from thermal or dynamic allodynia.
- Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition that causes a high level of blood sugar in the body. Around 10% of people with diabetes will develop neuropathic pain, which can be harmful to your life.
- Trauma
Trauma such as spraining an ankle, can sometimes result in sensitization or an abnormal response from your central nervous system.
- Nutritional deficiencies and dieting
Lack of vitamin D or vitamin B in your body can lead to allodynia. Also, drinking too much alcohol can cause nerve damage.
Allodynia treatments provided by healthcare professionals
Most healthcare professionals will assist you in treating your allodynia condition. However, if no treatments are available or your doctor isn’t sure what’s causing it, they will focus on reducing the pain. As part of a comprehensive pain management plan, your medical provider may give you some allodynia treatment:
- Oral Medications
There are several types of drugs which can help you to recover from allodynia. They include medicine which helps treat seizures and some medications that help treat depression. Most of the time, they will prescribe you pregabalin, which helps you treat fibromyalgia pain.
- Topical medications
These medications come in creams or lotions that you have to apply to your skin. For your allodynia treatment, you can also wear a patch on your skin that delivers medication throughout the day.
- Counseling and therapy
We all know how challenging and emotionally exhausting it can be when living with chronic pain. Most of the time, when your physician sees the signs of depression, they will likely recommend some cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness training, and biofeedback, which can help you change how you respond to pain.
- Physical therapy
Physical therapy is one of the most effective and commonly used methods for allodynia treatment. In this treatment, your therapist will touch or apply gentle pressure to an area of your skin. After several sessions, your therapist will gradually increase the pressure until it’s no longer painful.
- Nerve blocks
To reduce the pain in your nerve or group of nerves, you can also go for a nerve block injection recommended by your physician,
- Surgery
When other treatments aren’t successful, surgery is one of the last options. In the case of surgery, you have to go through spinal cord stimulation. In this treatment, a device will be implanted that delivers electricity directly to the spinal cord with low electricity levels that help you to reduce your pain.
How can you prevent yourself from having allodynia?
Many times, you may not be able to prevent allodynia. But you can indeed lower your risk of some conditions that cause allodynia by:
- Getting plenty of exercise
Regular exercise can help you manage stress. It also helps in reducing your risk of migraine headaches. Exercise also plays a significant role in the management of fibromyalgia.
- Knowing your history
If you have a family history of fibromyalgia, MS, stroke, or diabetes, you should talk to your healthcare expert. You should also go for regular checkups so your doctor can monitor your health.
- Maintaining a healthy weight
People who carry excess weight or are obese & are at a higher risk for diabetes, it leads to allodynia. Excess weight is also a risk factor for the development of chronic migraines. So, you should always try to maintain your weight according to your age.
- Maintaining your diet
You should always eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables. This will help you avoid vitamin deficiencies and stay healthy.
Conclusion
Sometimes, allodynia can be tricky to diagnose. Allodynia treatment methods typically include medications and lifestyle changes. So, if you have any symptoms of allodynia, you should get regular checkups and try to reduce your risk of developing this condition.
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