21 Nov 2024
The virus that causes chickenpox also causes shingles. This virus, known as varicella zoster, can lie quietly in your nerves for decades after causing chickenpox. However, it can wake up and become active suddenly. The main symptom of this disease is a painful rash that comes up on one side of your face or body. If you think you are suffering from this condition, then take it as your cue to see your doctor. In this blog, we will cover some important information regarding shingles and back pain. So, read on!
Herpes zoster, also known as Shingles, arises from the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (Varicella zoster). The virus possesses the ability to stay dormant in the nervous system for decades. It can reactivate and result in a viral infection in nerves, causing the skin surface to act up. A lot of people still suffer from severe back pain from shingles, even after their rash is healed. This pain is known as post-herpetic neuralgia. Let us discuss in detail the location and types of this pain, as well as a lot more.
Shingles pain can be very intense or even mild. Prior to the onset of pain, you might feel tingling, burning, or itching in the area where you have the rash. It usually appears in a strip on one side of the torso. If you are thinking, “Can shingles cause back pain?” Then, yes, people usually suffer from pain even after the slightest movement. Some people shudder from even touching clothes or a breeze, while many merely feel itching. This can happen along with the systemic symptoms of a viral infection, such as:
Shingles pain most commonly arises along the path of the rash. Inflamed nerves underneath the skin result in pain. Right after the rash clears up, many people feel pain along the track of the rash. An individual can feel pain wherever the rash is present. The most common areas where such a rash might appear are:
Back pain due to shingles can range from intense to mild. It can be burning, sharp stabbing, or even dull pain. Moreover, it can also be intermittent or constant, and your skin might become tender.
According to a study, inflammation of nerve cells under the skin is the primary cause of pain in shingles rashes. Typically, shingles produce symptoms on one side of the chest with a feeling of tingling, burning, or itching.
Also Read: What is Interventional Pain Management
When the shingles rash is gone, but the pain lingers behind, it is known as post-herpetic neuralgia. It can stay 3 months after the diagnosis of the condition. This pain can either be mild or intense.
Can shingles cause lower back pain? Yes, it does. Do you have to keep suffering from it? No, you don’t! Managing your pain is a multi-treatment strategy for shingles. This strategy includes pain relievers, antiviral medications, and at-home remedies.
The three most commonly taken antiviral medications for shingles lower back pain help to relieve the risks of developing PHN. They can work greatly if you start taking them within the first few days of the appearance of the symptoms. They are:
These medications are focused on assisting you in clearing up the outbreak faster. Even though people taking antiviral drugs do not typically experience side effects, they might cause nausea, diarrhea, stomach aches, headaches, or even vomiting in a minority of cases.
Drugs known as tricyclic antidepressants and gabapentinoids are some of the most commonly prescribed pain relievers. They work wonders for people who experience pain both during and after their shingles infection has healed on the skin.
Thanks to the clinical trials, a delivery method of the drug gabapentin was recently approved by the FDA. It permits for the timed release of this medicine. This treatment is known as “gastroretentive gabapentin,” and it has been shown to offer significant relief from pain to people suffering from PHN. It also has been reported to help with sleep interruptions due to PHN (i.e., shingles back pain at night), which is vital as proper rest can help with pain management.
In order to help numb back pain, some healthcare experts also prescribe topical lidocaine patches as well as creams. Moreover, a natural ingredient in chili peppers known as “capsaicin” has been shown to alleviate pain when administered in high amounts. As a matter of fact, about 8% of patches have been shown to be effective in reducing PHN after only an hour. They are available by prescription, and some can even be bought over the counter.
Some natural ways to help ease your pain from shingles. Such as:
Herpes zoster, or shingles, is an infection that can develop after a person has chickenpox. The varicella-zoster virus, which results in chickenpox, can stay dormant in the nerve cells until years later, when it reactivates and leads to shingles. It is a blistering and painful rash that impacts one side of the body.
Inflamed nerve endings cause pain from shingles under the skin. Typically, the rash spreads across the back or chest in a stripe, even though it can also impact the head or face. Shingles lower back pain worsens with minor things like the light touch of clothing and the breezes. It generally subsides in a few weeks, even though long-lasting nerve pain might arise. You can contact experts from Jersey Joint, Spine, & Regen to get help relieving your shingles pain.