Neuropathic pain in the community: prevalence, impact, and risk factors

Abstract

Neuropathic pain is common (7-10%), and has a high impact on individuals and society. Healthrelated quality of life was rated as “worse than death” by 17% of people reporting neuropathic pain. In this review we describe challenges associated with assessing neuropathic pain, particularly in primary care and population-based research. We provide an updated review of clinical, sociodemographic, psychological and genetic factors associated with its presence, severity and response to treatment, based on recent epidemiological and related research. This information adds to our understanding of the biological mechanisms of neuropathic pain clinical practice, as well as approaches to treatment and prevention. We consider some of the ways in which this will also inform clinical practice and future research directions.