A eficácia dos tratamentos para a dor neuropática

Abstract

The neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain that arises from an injury or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, central or peripheral origin. It is a heterogeneous range of pain syndromes, with different pathophysiological mechanisms and different degrees of intensity of signs and symptoms. As a result, there are several therapeutic resources, whether they are pharmacological, physical or cognitive, and obstacles to an adequate and effective treatment. From the advances in therapy alone, only a minority of patients achieve significant pain relief. To analyze available treatments for neuropathic pain and present the best pharmacological options. A literature review was carried out, using the descriptors "pain", "neuropathy", "treatment". The database used was PUBMED, with filters for full free text, systematic review and meta-analysis, from 2016 to 2021. This review found that there is evident efficacy when using gabapentin and pregabalin to relieve neuropathic pain. These drugs are neuromodulators of the antidepressant class, and both showed greater improvement than the placebo group. In addition, the use of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) and acupuncture was also shown to be effective, but on a smaller scale and with a longer treatment time. Studies on the treatment of neuropathic pain have increased over the years, which allows us to think about significant advances in the future. Currently, drugs such as Pregabalin and Gabapentin are used, or non-pharmacological methods such as acupuncture. Therefore, greater attention should be given to studies on treatments for this disease, aiming at the patient's well-being.