Michael Namaka
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Neurol Neurophysiol
Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain syndrome caused by drug-, disease-, or injury-induced damage or destruction of sensory neurons within the dorsal root ganglia of the peripheral nervous system. Characteristic clinical symptoms include the feeling of pins and needles; burning, shooting or stabbing pain with or without throbbing; and numbness. Neuronal hyperexcitability of dorsal horn neurons represents the hallmark cellular mechanism involved in the underlying pathophysiology of neuropathic pain. Although the primary goal is to alleviate pain, clinicians recognize that even the most appropriate treatment strategy may be, at best, only able to reduce pain to a more tolerable level. The diagnostic tools used for confirmatory diagnosis will be addressed. A newly developed treatment algorithm for neuropathic pain that encompasses agents from several drug classes, including antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs, topical antineuralgic agents, narcotics, and topical antineuralgics will be discussed. Clinicians will be provided with realistic treatment outcomes to expect in patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain.
Dr. Namaka is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine at the University of Manitoba. In this capacity Dr. Namaka functions as clinician specialized in multiple sclerosis & pain as well as a neuroscientist. This dual capacity has allowed Michael to bridge his neuroscience research to clinical practice. Dr. Namaka also has a clinic practice which is affiliated with the chronic pain clinic through the Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine. Dr Namaka has published 28 manuscripts, 2 book chapters, 1 editorial letter, 42 abstracts and 12 non-peer-reviewed papers and has performed an excess of 100 invited presentations world-wide.
