CIDP Insights: Navigating Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy

Pain

Pain is an uncommon symptom only seen in a portion of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy patients. An affected individual's immune system attacks the protective myelin sheaths around the nerves outside of their spinal cord and brain, leaving them exposed to oxidative stress and other damaging processes. These processes cause the exposed and unprotected nerves to become inflamed and irritated. When the nerve fibers in an individual's body experience damage, the immune system rushes to the site and induces inflammatory processes. The irritation of the nerve fibers causes nerve impulses to be sent to the individual's brain that are interpreted as pain. Inflammation in the nerve tissues involves the dilation of the blood vessels, which produces swelling. The mechanism of swelling alone can cause the nerve fibers to become irritated from mechanical compression and transmit pain signals to the brain.