Allodynia

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Original Editors - Abbi Davis, Jessica Bradshaw, & Parker Hall

Overview

Allodynia is defined pain resulting from a stimulus, such as a light touch of the skin, that would not normally provoke pain (2). Allodynia is a type of neuropathic (nerve) pain and is categorized into three types: dynamic (or mechanical) when pain results from an object moving across the skin, thermal which results from mild changes in temperature, and tactile (or static) which results from gentle touch or pressure .

Etiology

Differential Diagnoses

Another sensory condition that is often a differential diagnosis to allodynia is hyperalgesia. Hyperalgesia is the condition of having a heightened perception to pain. Patients do not necessarily perceive high pressure as pain, but stimulus that would normally be perceived as low pain is sensed at a higher pain level. Patients respond to pain stimulus in the same way that they would if they did not have the condition, but it is an exaggerated response (1). The cause of both allodynia and hyperalgesia is unknown.

Treatment

References

He, Y., & Kim, P. Y. (2021, September 9). Allodynia. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537129/

Definition of ALLODYNIA. (2017). Merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allodynia

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