Hi all,
It's been a while since I've visited this board and I wanted to share a new treatment I've been using for the neuro pain. I've been seeing a chiropractor for a while now for adjustment, massage, acupuncture, and other pain management techniques, which has helped as long as I visit regularly. Last visit he ordered me a new product to try called ProloGel, which is a topical nerve relaxing cream. It has a similar effect as a lidocaine patch, although probably not as strong - you put it on your back or "hot spots" that trigger the arm pain and it calms it down quite a bit (for me anyway). The nice thing about it is that you're not burning through a patch everyday - you just use some cream throughout the day and at night. I've used the lidocaine patches before and didn't like the feel of something stuck on my skin, whereas this is a cream that absorbs rather quickly.
Anyways, I've been using the gel for about a week and it has helped calm down some of the flare ups. The pain isn't gone but the gel can take some of the edge off so you can sleep. I can't say if it loses effectiveness over time or whatnot, but I thought I'd share the experience. You can buy it online, no rx needed.
Good luck,
MW