Overview
Nerve pain is usually caused by chronic, progressive nerve diseases, although it can also occur due to an injury or infection.
If you have chronic nerve pain, it can flare up at any time without any obvious pain-inducing event or factor. You can also experience acute nerve pain.
Typically, non-neuropathic pain (nociceptive pain) is a result of an injury or illness. For example, if you drop a heavy substance on your foot, your nervous system sends pain signals immediately after the substance hits.
When it comes to nerve pain, the pain isn’t usually triggered by an event or injury. Instead, the body just sends pain signals to your brain unprompted. Nerve pain tends to worsen over time.
Nerve pain is a common condition. About 1 in 3 Americans experience chronic pain. Of those, one in five experience nerve pain. According to a 2014 study, about 10% of Americans experience some form of nerve pain.
Understanding the possible causes of nerve pain can help find the best treatment and ways to prevent the pain from getting worse. This article will provide a list of 10 common causes of nerve pain.