Neuropathy

What is neuropathy?

Neuropathy is a blanket term that refers to conditions that affect the functioning of your nerves. We limit our discussion here to neuropathy that affects your peripheral nerves.

Damage to nerve cells that results in neuropathy is caused by:

• Genetics
• Injuries
• Long-term, repetitive movements
• Alcohol
• Certain diseases
• Medicines or poisons
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Diabetes

What are the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and what can I do about it?   

If your sensory and/or motor nerves are damaged, you may experience:

• A tingling, prickly, sensation
• Sharpshooting, electrical like pains
• Numbness
• A burning sensation
• Inability to know where your feet are positioned in space, leading to imbalances/falls
• A loss of coordination or reflexes
• Weakness
• Spasms and cramps
• Difficulty moving
• Loss of dexterity
• Difficulty sleeping due to increased pain at night
• Loss of sensitivity to heat and cold

The most important thing you can do is partner with a physician to discern the underlying cause of your symptoms so that this cause may be addressed. Neuropathic pain can be reduced through addressing the cause, and in some cases eliminated. There is no cure for peripheral neuropathy, but when unaddressed, this kind of pain can become a factor which severely limits one’s quality of life.

For diabetics, reducing your blood sugar so that it is in the normal range is the best thing you can do for yourself. We understand this is not easy. Our FreshWeigh program is designed to help you win this battle. Please explore this further to be able to adopt a new lifestyle that reduces your pain and risk for further damage. Peripheral neuropathy places people at risk for damage to their limbs that can lead to severe falls and amputations.

If you experience unexplained symptoms that seem related to your nerves, we encourage you to make an appointment with our team at The Center for Primary Healthcare to get tested for neuropathy.