Pain is a body's defensive response, but it can also work wrongly or exaggeratedly by characterizing a disease: chronic pain. When the brain interprets that pain is not being "resolved", it becomes even more "sensitive" to pain stimuli, picking them up more intensely. The recruitment of another nervous system called autonomic makes the pain even more "rooted" and difficult to resolve. The pain system can also get sick, leading to chronic pain. In short, chronic pain is a pain that persists for months and even years.
Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain that occurs when the sensory nerves of the central and / or peripheral nervous system are injured or damaged. This type of problem is present in up to 10% of the population and can be disabling, causing different sensations of pain.
A patient who has a long history of diabetes mellitus and has developed diabetic neuropathy for more than 25 years and is without advanced pain at this time is likely to have both types of pain.
The patient should undergo an electromyography given that this kind of exam is going to be accurate regarding the kind and amount of electrical activity that is occuring in the muscles. This exam can show what is the specific deterioration level that the muscles are going through.
