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Anticonvulsant Medications for Treatment of Neuropathic and “Functional” Pain

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Comprehensive Treatment of Chronic Pain by Medical, Interventional, and Integrative Approaches

Abstract

The broad definition of neuropathic pain as articulated by the International Association of Pain, “pain initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction of the nervous system,” unfortunately has done little to guide the clinician when attempting to develop an effective treatment plan that may include an anticonvulsant medication. Current guidelines and indications for use of anticonvulsant therapy primarily utilize a lesion-based approach when recommending treatment for patients suffering from neuropathic pain. However, recent work would suggest that selection of patients based on sensory symptoms and signs rather than strictly by disease etiology has potential benefits in identifying successful therapeutic outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Lehigh Valley Health Network, 1240 South Cedar Crest BLVD, Suite 307, Allentown, PA, 18103, USA

    Bruce D. Nicholson M.D.

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  1. Bruce D. Nicholson M.D.
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Correspondence to Bruce D. Nicholson M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for Pain Relief, Inc., West Virginia University, 400 Court Street, Suite 100, Charleston, 25301, West Virginia, USA

    Timothy R. Deer

  2. Stanford Pain Management Center, Redwood City, CA, Clinic Chief, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, 94065, California, USA

    Michael S. Leong

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, Rush Medical College, Professor, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, 60612, Illinois, USA

    Asokumar Buvanendran

  4. Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, 17033-0850, Pennsylvania, USA

    Vitaly Gordin

  5. Center for Interventional Pain and Spine, Newark, DE USA, Medical Director, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr, 19010, Pennsylvania, USA

    Philip S. Kim

  6. President, National Institute of Pain, Tampa, 33558, Florida, USA

    Sunil J. Panchal

  7. The LITE Center, Clinical Associate Professor, Medical Director, School of Medicine, Miami, 33143, Florida, USA

    Albert L. Ray

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© 2013 American Academy of Pain Medicine

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Nicholson, B.D. (2013). Anticonvulsant Medications for Treatment of Neuropathic and “Functional” Pain. In: Deer, T., et al. Comprehensive Treatment of Chronic Pain by Medical, Interventional, and Integrative Approaches. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1560-2_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1560-2_5

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-1560-2

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