The virus that causes chickenpox also causes shingles. This virus, known as varicella zoster, can lie quietly in your nerves for decades after causing chickenpox. However, it can wake up and become active suddenly. The main symptom of this disease is lower back pain with rash that comes up on one side of your face or body. If you think you are suffering from this condition, then take it as your cue to see your doctor. In this blog, we will cover some important information regarding shingles and back pain. So, read on!

Why Does Shingles Cause Back Pain?

Herpes zoster, also known as Shingles, arises from the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (Varicella zoster). The virus possesses the ability to stay dormant in the nervous system for decades. It can reactivate and result in a viral infection in nerves, causing the skin surface to act up. A lot of people still suffer from severe back pain from shingles, even after their rash is healed. This pain is known as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Let us discuss in detail the location and types of this pain, along with some necessary information.

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What Does Shingles Nerve Pain Feel Like?

Shingles pain can be very intense or even mild. Prior to the onset of pain, you might feel tingling, burning, or itching in the area where you have the rash. It usually appears in a strip on one side of the torso. If you are thinking, “Can shingles cause back pain?” Then, yes, people usually suffer from pain even after the slightest movement. Some people shudder from even touching clothes or a breeze, while many merely feel itching. This can happen along with the systemic symptoms of a viral infection, such as:

1. Fatigue
2. Headache  
3. Fever   

Where Are You Likely To Feel Pain?

Shingles pain most commonly starts with lower back pain and rash. Inflamed nerves underneath the skin result in pain. Right after the rash clears up, many people feel pain along the track of the rash. The most commonly people feel: 

Back Pain With Shingles

Back pain due to shingles can range from intense to mild. It can be burning, sharp stabbing, or even dull pain. Moreover, it can also be intermittent or constant, and your skin might become tender.

Shingles And Chest Pain

According to a study, inflammation of nerve cells under the skin is the primary cause of pain in shingles rashes. Typically, shingles produce symptoms on one side of the chest, such as tingling, burning, itching, or shingles neck pain.

Also Read: What is Interventional Pain Management

How To Ease Severe Back Pain From Shingles

Can lower back shingles be painful? Yes, it does. Do you have to keep suffering from it? No, you don’t! Managing your pain is a multi-treatment strategy for shingles. This strategy includes pain relievers, antiviral medications, and at-home remedies.

Antiviral Medications

The three most commonly taken antiviral medications for shingles lower back pain help to relieve the risks of developing PHN. They can work greatly if you start taking them within the first few days of the appearance of the symptoms. They are:

1. Acyclovir
2. Famciclovir
3. Valacyclovir

These medications are focused on assisting you in clearing up the outbreak faster. Even though people taking antiviral drugs do not typically experience side effects, they might cause nausea, diarrhea, stomach aches, headaches, or even vomiting in a minority of cases.

Pain Relief Remedies

Drugs known as tricyclic antidepressants and gabapentinoids are some of the most commonly prescribed pain relievers. They work wonders for people who experience pain both during and after their shingles infection has healed on the skin.

Thanks to the clinical trials, a delivery method of the drug gabapentin was recently approved by the FDA. It permits for the timed release of this medicine. This treatment is known as “gastroretentive gabapentin,” and it has been shown to offer significant relief from pain to people suffering from PHN. It also has been reported to help with sleep interruptions due to PHN (i.e., shingles back pain at night), which is vital as proper rest can help with pain management.

In order to help numb back pain shingles, some healthcare experts also prescribe topical lidocaine patches as well as creams. Moreover, a natural ingredient in chili peppers known as “capsaicin” has been shown to alleviate pain when administered in high amounts. As a matter of fact, about 8% of patches have been shown to be effective in reducing PHN after only an hour. They are available by prescription, and some can even be over the counter shingles pain relief medications. 

At-Home Care

Some natural ways to help ease your pain from shingles. Such as:

1. Applying cold packs wrapped in a cloth or towel to your back
2. Getting extra rest
3. Engaging in stress-relieving activities, i.e., mindfulness meditation and nature walks, which has been shown to help with PHN
4. Practicing proper dietary habits for pain, including consuming foods known to reduce inflammation to help better control nerve pain
5. Looking for over-the-counter topical creams that have capsaicin in them to help reduce pain symptoms

Takeaway

Herpes zoster, or shingles, is an infection that can develop after a person has chickenpox. The varicella-zoster virus, which results in chickenpox, can stay dormant in the nerve cells until years later, when it reactivates and leads to shingles. It is a blistering and painful rash that impacts one side of the body.

Inflamed nerve endings cause pain from shingles under the skin. Typically, the rash spreads across the back or chest in a stripe, even though it can also impact the head or face. The pain of shingles on lower back worsens with minor things like the light touch of clothing and the breezes. It generally subsides in a few weeks, even though long-lasting nerve pain might arise. You can contact experts from Jersey Joint, Spine, & Regen to get help relieving your shingles pain.