Intercostal Neuralgia, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

by Kenneth Kee

Overview

Intercostal Neuralgia is a medical symptom which is caused by the compression of nerve in thoracic or the abdominal area (i.e., the ribcage).
This neuralgia is not a common disease where there is pain along the intercostal nerves.
These nerves run between the ribs and any form of injury to one of the nerves or any impairment of the function of nerve causes intercostal neuralgia.
There may be many causes for compression of this nerve like:
1. A ruptured abdominal tissue,
2. Abdominal distention,
3. Scar tissue formation around nerve,
4. Abdominal muscle overuse,
5. Irregular curvature of vertebrae
6. Surgical wounds between the ribs in and around the chest region can also be one of the causes in which this nerve can be injured.
These nerves can get damaged or inflamed due to different diseases or conditions leading to intercostal neuralgia.
The most frequent causes for intercostal neuralgia are:
1. Pregnancy, where the abdominal cavity enlarges and presses upwards against the chest ribs and muscles
2. Tumor, on the rib, inside the chest cavity or muscles can affect the nerves in the chest
3. Chest or rib injury, the nerves are compressed as a result of the chest injury
4. Injury to chest or organs in the chest cavity, have the effect of injuring the nerves in the chest
5. Infections such as shingles usually a single nerve and its branches that run along the intercostal groove or the skin above the nerve
Intercostal neuralgia is typically preventable and can be treated easily
The main symptom of intercostal neuralgia is pain in the intercostal (between ribs) area.
This pain can be bilateral, stabbing, sharp, tearing, or aching in nature.
The pain is present in and around the chest area on either side and may spread from the back towards the front of chest in a band-like fashion.
Pain is felt evenly sometimes along the length of ribs.
There is pain sometimes with breathing, laughing, or sneezing.
Intercostal neuralgia can also resolve by itself but normally requires treatment.
1. In patients where intercostal pain is frequently recurring, the particular part of the nerve causing pain requires to be destroyed.
2. NSAIDs assist in calming down pain and reducing inflammation.
3. Medications like neuropathic pain medications and capsaicin cream assist in relief of pain.
4. A TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) pain relieving unit also assists to relieve pain.
5. Epidural injections and sleeve injection of nerve root are also given.
6. Pulse Radiofrequency treatment is also used sometimes.
7. Intercostal nerve blocks with corticosteroid or local anesthetic may be given around the involved intercostal nerve.
8. Antidepressant medications assist in calming down nerve pain.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Intercostal Neuralgia
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Trigeminal Neuralgia
Chapter 8 Shingles
Epilogue

Product Details

BN ID:	2940153792583
Publisher:	Kenneth Kee
Publication date:	10/20/2016
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	112 KB

About the Author

Medical doctor since 1972.

Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009.

Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993.

Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 74

However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in
the afternoon.

He first started writing free blogs on medical disorders seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com.

His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiography account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com

This autobiography account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com.

From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks.

He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books.

He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures.

Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.
For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.
The later books go into more details of medical disorders.

He has published 1000 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter.

The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health disorders and not meant as textbooks.

He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke.

His clinic is now relocated to the Buona Vista Community Centre.

The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall.

He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) starting
with the Apple computer and going to PC.

The entire PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core.

The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive.

He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance.

His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner.

The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned.

This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale.

Dr Kee is the author of:

"A Family Doctor's Tale"

"Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine"

"Case Notes From A Family Doctor"