Postherpetic neuralgia – current facts and therapeutic possibilities

Neuropathic pain in postherpetic neuralgia has an impact on important aspects of the patient’s day to day life, lowering it’s quality. Understanding the complex pathophysiological mechanisms of postherpetic neuralgia and assesing the patient’s pain profile helps optimize the individualized, multimodal analgesic therapy that acts at different levels along the pain pathway. This paper is a review of the latest data in the literature regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to the emerging and evolution of postherpetic neuralgia and the up to date therapeutic possibilities.