What can I do to reduce the amount of pain caused by shingles?

What can I do to reduce the amount of pain caused by shingles?

Rebecca Fitzgerald (Dermatologist) gives expert video advice on: What are the most common symptoms of shingles?; Who are most at risk for contracting shingles?; What can I do to reduce the amount of pain caused by shingles? and more...

Shingles is a viral inflammation of an entire nerve. That nerve, the sort of a core of that nerve is at the dorsal root ganglion by the spinal cord. But the entire distribution of that nerve is inflamed by this viral infection. Nerves whole job and life is to feel, is to pick up sensory information. So, inflammation of a nerve can be exquisitely painful. So an acute case of shingles can be so painful that narcotic medication is needed to control the pain until some of that inflammation goes away.