Minimally invasive procedures for neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain is "pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system". The prevalence of neuropathic pain ranges from 7 to 11% of the population and minimally invasive procedures have been used to both diagnose and treat neuropathic pain. Diagnostic procedures consist of nerve blocks aimed to isolate the peripheral nerve implicated, whereas therapeutic interventions either modify or destroy nerve function. Procedures that modify how nerves function include epidural steroid injections, peripheral nerve blocks and sympathetic nerve blocks. Neuroablative procedures include radiofrequency ablation, cryoanalgesia and neurectomies. Currently, neuromodulation with peripheral nerve stimulators and spinal cord stimulators are the most evidence-based treatments of neuropathic pain.