Combined drug therapies may provide better relief. However, there is a greater risk for increased medication side effects. Appropriate dosing is key in controlling neuropathic pain. Generally, people require high doses to achieve some benefit, and unfortunately, higher doses can result in more side effects. Pain reduction can also be achieved with therapies that don't involve medication.
Counselling can have additional benefit in providing coping strategies.
Most health care practitioners and people with MS would agree that neuropathic pain is the most difficult of pain syndromes to treat. The goal of therapy is to provide some control over the pain so the pain does not control one's life. Finding the therapy or therapies that work best can be a slow and difficult process. It is a matter of trial and error which is helped by an understanding that complete pain relief is unlikely. It generally affects the lower back and may radiate to hips and thighs.