<p>The main focus of this article, part of a series on pain, is to describe the abnormal patterns that occur in persistent and neuropathic pain states. It provides an overview of the adjuvant medications available to treat this type of pain when it does not respond to conventional methods. Treatments described require the input of pain specialists; however, the purpose of this article is to encourage nurses to assess pain accurately and to identify symptoms of neuropathic pain, thereby improving patient outcomes.</p>