Health condition
Nerve pain: treatment options
Neuropathic pain - burning, shooting or electric pain from damaged nerves - does not respond to ordinary painkillers, but a structured ladder of specific medications and interventions controls it in most people.
Why trust this guide
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Editorial team
Written by our editorial team from the UK sources listed on each page.
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Sourced from guidance
Checked against current NHS and UK specialist society guidance at the time of review.
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Current for 2026
Reviewed on 2026-09-27 with the next review scheduled for 2027-09-27.
Key facts
The essentials at a glance.
The symptoms to recognise, when to seek help, which specialist to see, and what treatment usually involves.
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First-line options are amitriptyline, duloxetine, gabapentin or pregabalin
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Ordinary painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen rarely help nerve pain
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Topical treatments, capsaicin patches and pain-clinic procedures help selected cases
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Specialist: a consultant neurologist or pain medicine consultant
Understanding the condition
What it is and what happens next.
What causes it, how it is diagnosed, and the treatment routes available in the UK.
What it is and how it feels
Nerve pain has a distinctive vocabulary - burning, stabbing, electric shocks, crawling, and pain from stimuli that should not hurt, such as bedsheets brushing the skin. It arises when nerves themselves are injured or diseased, as in diabetic neuropathy, shingles, sciatica, trigeminal neuralgia or after surgery, and its treatment differs fundamentally from that of ordinary tissue pain.
Diagnosis and treatment routes
UK guidance recommends starting with one of four agents - amitriptyline, duloxetine, gabapentin or pregabalin - titrated patiently to an effective dose, switching rather than stacking if the first fails. Add-ons include lidocaine plasters and capsaicin cream or patches for localised pain, tramadol for short-term rescue, and pain-clinic options such as nerve blocks and neuromodulation, alongside psychological approaches that reduce the pain system's amplification. In many parts of the UK, routine NHS referrals for this kind of problem currently take 20-45+ weeks, whereas an initial appointment with a private consultant is typically available within around two weeks.
Seeing a specialist
Who to see, and how quickly you can be seen.
The specialist for this condition is usually a consultant neurologist. Your GP can refer you on the NHS, or you can arrange a private consultation directly.
A quiet reminder
This guide is for information, not medical advice.
Your GP knows your history and can tell you which parts apply to you. If in doubt, see them - and seek urgent care for any of the emergency symptoms described above.
Frequently asked
Common questions about Nerve pain: treatment options.
Quick, plain-English answers to what people ask us most.
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What treatment options are available for nerve pain?
Treatment for neuropathic pain includes specific medications such as certain antidepressants and anticonvulsants, topical treatments, physical therapies like TENS, and for persistent cases, interventional procedures such as nerve blocks.
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Why does nerve pain need different treatment from other pain?
Nerve pain arises from damage or dysfunction within the nervous system itself, rather than tissue injury, so it typically responds poorly to standard painkillers like paracetamol or NSAIDs, requiring medications that specifically target nerve signalling.
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How effective are medications for nerve pain?
Response varies between individuals, with some people achieving significant relief and others only partial improvement; medications are often started at low doses and gradually increased to balance benefit against side effects.
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Are there non-medication treatments for nerve pain?
Yes, options include physiotherapy, TENS machines, psychological approaches such as CBT for chronic pain, and for some conditions, more invasive treatments such as nerve blocks or spinal cord stimulation for severe, treatment-resistant pain.
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How long does it take for nerve pain treatments to work?
Most nerve pain medications take several weeks at an adequate dose to show their full effect, so treatment is often trialled for a reasonable period before deciding whether it's effective, rather than judged after just a few days.
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Can nerve pain be cured, or only managed?
This depends on the underlying cause; nerve pain from a reversible cause may improve substantially once addressed, while pain from permanent nerve damage is generally managed rather than cured, though good symptom control is often achievable.
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When should I see a specialist about nerve pain, and how quickly can I be seen privately?
See a doctor if nerve pain is persistent or not responding to initial treatment. A private pain specialist or neurologist can typically arrange assessment within about two weeks.