Exploration of Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Patterns in Painful Neuropathy among Indian Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Painful neuropathy is a chronic condition caused by peripheral nerve damage, characterized by burning, tingling, shooting pain, numbness, and weakness that significantly affects quality of life. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common form worldwide, and with over 77 million people living with diabetes in India, there is a critical need for localized clinical and epidemiological data to guide targeted management.

Methods: In this multicenter, cross-sectional study anonymized electronic medical records of adults (≥18 years) with confirmed painful neuropathy (including DPN and postherpetic neuralgia) were retrospectively analyzed over a 12-month period. Data on demographics, medical history, pain severity, and treatment patterns (drug, dose, adherence) were captured via secure eCRFs. Institutional Ethics Committee approval was obtained before starting of study. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed.

Results: The study evaluated 4,418 Indian patients with neuropathy, demonstrating a predominance of peripheral neuropathy (98.46%; n=4,350). The cohort showed a marked male preponderance (73.83%; n=3,262) with a relatively young mean age of 49.31 ± 11.26 years. Diabetes was present in 15.07% (n=666) of patients. Sensory symptoms were common, particularly numbness (49.39%) and paresthesia (42.08%), while motor involvement was also substantial, with weakness reported in 60.10% and muscle atrophy in 27.00% of cases. The most frequently prescribed regimen was pregabalin combined with methylcobalamin (48.53%; n=2,144). Pain severity analysis indicated a predominance of moderate (42.67%) and mild (41.10%) pain, with severe pain observed in 16.23% of patients.

Conclusion: Study showed peripheral neuropathy predominates in Indian practice, commonly associated with diabetes, with most patients experiencing sensorimotor symptoms and mild-to-moderate pain and receiving primarily pregabalin-based therapy, underscoring the need for early and guideline-aligned management