Neuropathy

What is neuropathy?

Neuropathy is a condition that describes nerve damage in your peripheral nervous system. These nerves are responsible for providing sensations throughout your body outside of your brain and spinal cord.

The most common cause of neuropathy is diabetes. When you have uncontrolled diabetes, high blood sugar levels can cause damage to your peripheral nerves. You can also develop neuropathy due to:

• Trauma
• Obesity
• High cholesterol
• Vitamin deficiencies
• High blood pressure
• Autoimmune disorders

When your nerves are damaged, they can no longer communicate properly with your brain, and you can develop a wide range of symptoms that affect your quality of life.

What are the symptoms of neuropathy?

Symptoms of neuropathy depend on which of your peripheral nerves become damaged. You have three different types of nerves in your peripheral nervous system, and each type has a different response to damage.

Sensory nerves

Your sensory nerves contribute to your five senses — sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. If you have damage to your sensory nerves, you might experience persistent pain, increased sensitivity to touch, and changes in your body temperature.

Motor nerves

Your motor nerves control your muscle movements. Damage to these nerves can cause loss of coordination and muscle weakness.

Autonomic nerves

Your autonomic nerves control unconscious functions of your body, such as your heart rate, digestion, and blood pressure. Any damage to these nerves can cause heat intolerance, bowel and bladder issues, and dizziness.

How is neuropathy diagnosed?

To determine if your symptoms relate to neuropathy, the team at Advanced Pain Management performs a comprehensive review of your medical history, your existing health, and the severity of your symptoms.

You can also expect a neurological exam to check your balance and reflexes. Bloodwork might be necessary to evaluate underlying conditions like diabetes or to identify an infection.

The pain management specialists customize a treatment plan that focuses on reducing your pain and preventing a worsening of your nerve damage.

How is neuropathy treated?

Many people are able to manage mild neuropathy pain with medications and physical therapy.

If your pain is moderate to severe and you can’t engage in physical therapy because of it, you might benefit from topical treatments that offer pain relief. Antidepressants can also address neuropathy pain by changing the chemical processes in your brain that contribute to pain.

In some cases, surgery is an option for relieving chronic pressure on your nerves to prevent permanent nerve damage. The team at Advanced Pain Management might also recommend alternative therapies like acupuncture and massage to keep you physically active and pain-free.

It’s also important that you make changes to your diet and lifestyle to support a healthy weight and ensure conditions like diabetes are always well-controlled.

Find out more about options for treating the symptoms of neuropathy by calling the Advanced Pain Management office nearest you or by booking a consultation online today.