Chickenpox is a common childhood infection, and most people assume that once it clears up, it’s gone for good. But the chickenpox virus — called the varicella-zoster virus — can hide in your body, lying dormant for years or even decades. Once reactivated, it can trigger a painful viral condition called shingles.
Shingles, sometimes called herpes zoster, causes a painful red rash, and like chickenpox, it typically clears up within a few weeks. But as many as 18% of people who have shingles go on to develop persistent nerve pain, a serious complication called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
Fortunately, there are treatments that can help relieve this pain. As a leading provider of pain management solutions in Southeast Texas, Zaid Malik, MD, and the team at Superior Pain Relief offer real, long-term relief for patients suffering from PHN. If you’re among them, here’s how we can help.
For most patients, antiviral medications are the first option for managing not just PHN, but any other shingles symptoms, including the painful rash it causes. These medications target the virus that causes symptoms in the first place, reducing symptom severity and speeding healing.
They're most effective when used before painful PHN symptoms begin, or at least during their earliest stages. Once PHN develops, antivirals are far less effective, especially when the symptoms reach a more advanced stage. At that point, over-the-counter and prescription pain medicines may help.
These pain medicines are frequently used with prescription medicines, like antidepressants or anti-convulsants. Used at lower doses, both these medications can help relieve PHN symptoms by calming overactive nerves responsible for PHN pain. Topical anesthetics like lidocaine patches can also be used, either alone or in combination with oral medicines.
For some PHN patients, oral and topical medications simply can’t provide the level of consistent, meaningful pain relief that’s needed to improve overall comfort and maintain a better quality of life. That’s when more aggressive therapies, like nerve block injections, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and spinal cord stimulation can help.
Nerve blocks are injections of special solutions that prevent nerves from sending pain signals to the brain. Most injections use both anti-inflammatory medicines and anesthetics, and in addition to relieving current symptoms, they can be used prophylactically to prevent PHN pain.
Some patients benefit from epidural steroid injections. Administered near the spine, epidural injections deliver powerful anti-inflammatories to the root of the nerve responsible for PHN pain in your limbs.
RFA uses heat to target nerves responsible for PHN pain signals, temporarily damaging the nerve fibers and interrupting nerve communication. Our team uses COOLIEF*, a patented RFA delivery system that supports a broader treatment zone while protecting local nerves and tissues.
Spinal cord stimulation offers long-term relief through a tiny device that we implant near your spine. The device sends out tiny electrical impulses that disrupt pain signals that you can adjust, giving you control over the level of relief you need.
By offering an array of pain management options, our team helps PHN patients find just the right treatment for optimal symptom relief.
PHN can have a significant impact on your everyday activities, your sleep, your physical and emotional wellness, and your overall quality of life. To learn how we can help you find a solution that relieves your symptoms, request an appointment at Superior Pain Relief in Baytown, Willis, and The Woodlands, Texas, today.
