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Pain Control in Dermatologic Conditions

  • Other Pain (AD. Kaye and N Vadivelu, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Pain and Headache Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Pain management in dermatologic conditions can be complicated by the primary disease burden and associated decreased quality of life, disability, and psychosocial issues. This review focuses on pain management strategies in some of the more painful dermatologic conditions.

Recent Findings

Pain management in painful dermatologic conditions such as pyoderma gangrenosum, postherpetic neuralgia, lower limb ulcers, and hidradenitis suppurativa revolves around treatment of the underlying disease process. Topical agents such as topical steroids and systemic immunosuppressants with over-the-counter analgesics usually suffice in mild to moderate pain. Severe pain may need neuropathic agents and referral to interventional pain physicians for consideration of advanced techniques such as epidural steroid injections and sympathetic nerve blocks.

Summary

Part of the treatment process is for dermatologists to establish patient expectations and to treat pain within their scope of practice. More research is needed towards pain control in painful dermatologic conditions with elucidation of treatment algorithms unique to each condition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT, 06030, USA

    Vijay Kodumudi

  2. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street TMP3, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    David Lam & Kanishka Rajput

Authors
  1. Vijay Kodumudi
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  2. David Lam
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  3. Kanishka Rajput
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kanishka Rajput.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Vijay Kodumudi, David Lam, and Kanishka Rajput declare no conflict of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Other Pain

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Kodumudi, V., Lam, D. & Rajput, K. Pain Control in Dermatologic Conditions. Curr Pain Headache Rep 25, 38 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-021-00955-2

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