Someone who has not had chicken pox cannot get shingles. The pain of post-herpetic neuralgia is the result of damage to the nerve fibers during the shingles infection. The rash of shingles consists of blisters that dry out and crust after a few weeks. The rash usually is on one side of the forehead, chest, abdomen, or back. The rash occasionally occurs on the neck or on an arm or leg.
Pain always accompanies the rash.
Many people describe this pain as being very intense. It may be mild, but in many people the pain is extremely severe and is usually described as burning, aching, or stabbing. People with PHN often have severe skin sensitivity, and the slightest touch of the PHN skin results in unbearable pain. Some affected patients feel their pain worsen from heat or cold. The unbearable pain of PHN can make some patients prone to depression and insomnia.