87 ISSN 1758-1869 10.2217/PMT.10.5 © 2011 Future Medicine Ltd Pain Manage. (2011) 1(1), 87–96 SUMMARY Epidemiology is an essential clinical tool in designing and evaluating manage- ment and prevention strategies, and is particularly relevant to neuropathic pain. Despite its rel- evance to neuropathic pain however, there is a paucity of accurate information on its prevalence, distribution and determinants, for several reasons. In many ways, it is appropriate to study neuro- pathic pain merely as a symptom or a pain mechanism rather than a specifc disease. However, the diferent causes display sufcient similarities in their clinical and personal impact, and in their response to treatment, to make it worthwhile to consider neuropathic pain as a distinct condi- tion. There are, however, important specifc disease-based factors that need to be considered separately. Older estimates of the prevalence of neuropathic pain (based on specifc diagnoses) tend to be lower (1–2%) than newer estimates that are based on questionnaires examining classic symptoms (6–8%). Further methodological research is needed to clarify these. Associated poor general health is a feature of all neuropathic pain, similar to other severe chronic diseases. 1 Aberdeen Pain Research Collaboration, Centre of Academic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill Health Centre, Westburn Road, Aberdeen AB25 2AY, Scotland, UK † Author for correspondence: Tel.: +44 122 455 3990; Fax: +44 122 455 0683; blairsmith@abdn.ac.uk  Lack of agreed defnitions and diagnostic criteria for neuropathic pain hamper epidemiological studies.  Neuropathic pain is probably more common than previously thought, with 6–8% of adults in the general population reporting chronic pain with neuropathic characteristics, around 20% of patients with long-standing diabetes and around 8% of those who have had shingles.  Neuropathic pain is likely to become more common in future because of aging populations and improved recognition.  Compared with other forms of chronic pain, neuropathic pain leads to greater detrimental impact on activities of daily living and lower health-related quality of life. Practice Points Epidemiology of neuropathic pain REVIEW Blair H Smith †1 & Nicola Torrance 1 Epidemiology of neuropathic pain Despite rapid advances in our understanding of the mechanisms and assessment of neuro- pathic pain, we lack accurate information on its prevalence and risk factors at a population level. There are good reasons for this, and these will be explored in this article, along with the steps being taken to address the knowledge gap. It is important to strive for a good epidemiological understanding of neuro- pathic pain, to allow improved prevention and management. For reprint orders, please contact: reprints@futuremedicine.com