Pain Due to Nerve Injury

Some of the chronic pains that follow disc rupture, myelography, and discectomy may be due to injury to peripheral nerves or nerve roots. The neural mechanisms underlying these pain syndromes are discussed and possible etiologies examined. The roles of peripheral and central changes in neuronal activity and connectivity are explored: plasticity in the nervous system may either be the cause of pain in the 5% of people who develop chronic pain after nerve injury or what prevents pain in the 95% who do not become painful after nerve injury. More research on the behavior of damaged nerves and their central connections is essential.