The problem is, many doctors ate not diligent enough in finding the actual cause of neuropathy. They're are plenty of causes, some are fixable. Typical one is nerve entrapment or injury. (Like yours.) Others are viral, some are autoimmune. (Both imflammatory.) A few are genetic.
Surgery being expensive? Compare with disability adjusted years. Insurance not covering is a really bad bet on the dive of the insurer. It is not as much a gamble as some think. Quick check says over 84% patients experience good to excellent results. Further, less than 20% have recurrent issue that requires more surgery. (I'd say usually genetic related.) And even then there are further good surgical options, spinal fusion and artificial disc replacement.
Treatment in each of the cases is different and any of the above can be chronic.
As to this specific attempt, they problem is that blocking pain completely and globally is dangerous and is why even opiates don't really do it. Useful discovery nonetheless, but I'd expect serious side effects.
I'm confused about your statement about opiates. You make it sound as if they are designed to not block pain completely, when really it just works out that way. Are you referring to the neurotransmitters that opiates mimic, and their role in pain blocking?
I can't afford decent health insurance right now. I know that in the long-term, surgery is always the better option than allowing further deterioration of my condition, but it simply isn't a possibility for a lot of people. I don't collect disability because I enjoy my field but lately the idea has been tugging at me more and more. I just fear, if nothing else, health coverage denial in my later years because of it.
Surgery being expensive? Compare with disability adjusted years. Insurance not covering is a really bad bet on the dive of the insurer. It is not as much a gamble as some think. Quick check says over 84% patients experience good to excellent results. Further, less than 20% have recurrent issue that requires more surgery. (I'd say usually genetic related.) And even then there are further good surgical options, spinal fusion and artificial disc replacement.
Treatment in each of the cases is different and any of the above can be chronic.
As to this specific attempt, they problem is that blocking pain completely and globally is dangerous and is why even opiates don't really do it. Useful discovery nonetheless, but I'd expect serious side effects.