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  Back & Neck Pain
Myofascial Pain
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Spasticity and Dystonia
Cancer Pain
Diabetes-Related Pain
Shingles Pain
Compression Fractures (Spine)
Spinal Stenosis
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Shingles Pain
Shingles or Herpes Zoster is a viral infection of the nervous system. The targeted tissue of the virus are the dendrites at the end of the sensory nerves. Shingles affects about 300,000 people in the United States each year. The virus at fault here is the same virus responsible for chicken pox. Once a person has chicken pox the virus itself never is fully expelled from the body. Instead it lies dormant in the dorsal root ganglia (the meeting point for all the sensory neurons in a particular region of the body). Later in life, the virus may reactivate. Stress, old age, impaired immunity because of other diseases, severe trauma or drug reaction can all trigger the resurgence of the chicken pox virus later in life.
Pain is the most significant symptom of the disease due to the virus attacking the nerves as opposed to the virus attacking the skin in the case of simple chicken pox
Treatment can involve the following:
- Antiviral medications used for herpes simplex
- Soothing lotions
- Steroids for anti-inflammatory action
- Drug Therapy
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