Neurologic clinics
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Postherpetic pain persisting 1 month or longer occurs in only a small percentage of all patients with herpes zoster. In most patients, PHN tends to diminish with time. The incidence is, however, directly related to age. ⋯ One uncontrolled study reported benefit from epidural steroids. DREZ lesions are a possibility in failed medical cases, but other surgical procedures appear to be of little or no use. Although the measures described here will benefit a number of patients, PHN remains an intractable problem in some cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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Pain is a common feature of well-established multiple sclerosis. Acute, subacute, and chronic pain syndromes have been defined. ⋯ The major chronic pain syndromes are dysesthetic extremity pain, back pain, and painful leg spasms. Treatment involves a variety of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches, but therapy must be individualized for each specific pain syndrome according to its own pathophysiology.