Treatment For Neuropathy In Legs and Feet

Home » neuropathy

For most people seeking treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet, they describe their symptoms as prickling or tingling, numbness, burning pain, a sharp throbbing, and difficulty sleeping. Additionally, you also may lose muscle strength, experience a loss of balance, or have difficulty walking. These are the words that my patients often use to describe the pain they are experiencing that is caused by peripheral neuropathy.

The majority of people needing treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet have a metabolic, mechanical, and/or hereditary condition. The common cause for people requiring treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet are metabolic or chemical factors. These most commonly include medications, chemo/radiation, diabetes, toxic chemicals, and excessive alcohol.

foot pins and needles

What Causes My Neuropathy?

Diabetes is by far the most common type of metabolic condition creating peripheral nerve damage. Prolonged elevated blood glucose can cause damage to the small blood vessels which provide nourishment to the nerves. Approximately 70% of people with diabetic conditions will need treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet.

As a patient exploring treatment for neuropathy in the legs and feet, you may have a mechanical cause of nerve damage. A more prevalent cause of peripheral neuropathy results from mechanical conditions of the spine and extremities. These mechanical conditions may result in compression or entrapment of the peripheral nerve. This can result from a spinal disc herniation, protrusion, bulge, degenerative disc disease, stenosis, and/or nerve compression or entrapment. Physical compressions or entrapments decrease the oxygen and nutrition to the nerves. Some neuropathy sufferers commonly develop sensory loss symptoms-sharp, burning pain, numb, tingling, pins & needles and/or loss of motor function-as the nerves are compromised.

Some of those affected may seek neuropathy treatment for feet due to hereditary conditions. While it is less common, some may have genetic predisposition for developing nerve damage. Most of these conditions are uncommon and affect an estimated 1-3% of the population. Charcot Marie Tooth is typically the most common forms of hereditary conditions in patients seeking treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet.

Want to learn more about this topic? We think you’ll find these resources useful.

Diseases Causing Tingling in One Foot

Tingling in one foot may be due to a specific, underlying disease or disorder that causes nerve damage including:

  • Diabetic Neuropathy
  • Alcoholic Neuropathy
  • Guillain-Barre syndrome (autoimmune nerve disorder)
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD, also called peripheral vascular disease, or PVD, which is a narrowing or blockage of arteries due to a buildup of fat and cholesterol on the artery walls, which limits blood flow to the extremities)
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Shingles
  • Vitamin deficiency, especially thiamine, vitamin B12 and folate
  • Hypothyroidism

Learn more about neuropathy that affects other parts of the body and how to treat it.

5 Treatments for Foot Neuropathy

  1. Eating Healthy Foods—Eating fruits and vegetables and other foods rich in B vitamins will help nerves to talk to each other better. If you have diabetes, managing blood glucose levels with medication and by eating a proper diet is essential.
  2. Supplements For Neuropathy—Your nerves require minerals like magnesium and calcium for proper functioning. I like to think of supplements as an insurance policy. If you do not get enough from your diet, the extra vitamins and minerals are there as a back up.
  3. Medications For Neuropathy—There are common prescription medications for neuropathy. These neuropathy medications may alleviate some of your symptoms.
  4. Medical Laser Therapy—This non-invasive therapy is cutting-edge technology in neuropathy pain treatment. Deep tissue laser therapy helps repair the damaged cell by increasing stimulation and decreasing inflammation. The nerve now has the ability to repair and regrow
  5. Neuropathy Surgery—In more severe situations, surgery may be necessary to release swollen and compressed nerves.

If you’ve experienced symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, you know just how challenging living a healthy lifestyle can be. You may have experienced physicians telling you that prescriptions, injections, and surgery are the only options to manage your symptoms of neuropathy. I’m here to tell you that’s simply not true. Here’s what I believe… Natural healing beats quick fixes; Finding solutions beat masking symptoms. If you are looking for neuropathy relief, taking your life back starts at our clinic.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Is Neuropathy Curable?

Home » neuropathy

“Is neuropathy curable?” That’s the leading question from my neuropathy patients. You’re not alone. At least 20 million Americans have this often crippling condition, and scientists believe many more cases go undiagnosed. It’s important to see specialists who are experts at the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral neuropathy. Let me explain more about this condition and whether there’s a cure.

What are Neuropathy Causes?

Although many conditions or injuries can cause peripheral neuropathy, diabetes is the most common since chronically elevated blood sugar levels damage your nerves. Other causes include:

  • Trauma or Intense Injury (e.g., car accident, sports injury)
  • Repetitive Stress Injury
  • Alcoholism
  • Some medications (chemotherapy)
  • Some autoimmune diseases (e.g., Sjogren’s syndrome, Guillain-Barre syndrome)
  • Infections (e.g., HIV, Epstein-Barr, Lyme disease, shingles)
  • Nerve compression or entrapment due to excessive growth (e.g., tumors, cysts)
  • Kidney or liver disease
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Vitamin deficiencies

Sometimes it can be challenging to identify your exact cause of peripheral neuropathy. This is why it is important to have a neuropathy professional do a thorough examination.

What Are Your Symptoms?

The term peripheral neuropathy describes many types of disorders rather than a single neuropathic disorder due to its varied location and extent of the damage. Everyone experiences the disease in different ways.

For example, depending on which nerves are damaged, you may experience symptoms related to the function of the affected nerves. Some people notice symptoms related to temperature or touch while others have symptoms related to movement or even blood pressure. Symptoms may be felt at hands, feet, or both. The term peripheral neuropathy describes many types of disorders rather than a single neuropathic disorder due to its varied location and extent of the damage. Everyone experiences the disease in different ways. Neuropathy treatment for feet and hand symptoms may be similar.

The most common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include:

  • tingling, numbness, or prickling sensations in the feet or hands. This could feeling could spread up the arms or legs
  • pain that may be sharp, throbbing, or burning
  • high sensitivity to temperature or touch (e.g., pain when the bedding rests on your feet)
  • possibility of failing coordination and muscle weakness
  • feeling like you’re always wearing socks or gloves
  • trouble moving and in severe cases paralysis

Less often neuropathy affects your autonomic nerves and may cause symptoms such as changes in blood pressure or heart rate which may make you dizzy, digestive or urinary problems, heat intolerance or issues with sweating, and weight loss.

Is Neuropathy Curable?

The answer to this question depends on the nature and extent of your nerve damage. That’s why seeing a specialist soon after you exhibit symptoms of neuropathy is essential. Some cases of peripheral neuropathy can be reversed or cured with treatment.

For many people, however, the focus is on preventing further nerve damage from taking place and managing the associated symptoms. At Truspine, our experts evaluate your unique case to customize a treatment plan for optimal results.

In all cases, treatment usually begins by identifying and managing the underlying medical cause when possible. This helps your provider best understand what therapeutic modalities will help control and alleviate your symptoms.

Your primary care provider may prescribe medication to help manage your pain, including topical medications, which contain numbing agents, and oral medications. Your physical therapist may help improve mobility and balance. A neuropathy specialist will be treating the underlying cause through a proven approach.

Lifestyle changes also play a significant role in managing and treating peripheral neuropathy. Eliminating (or limiting) alcohol, making sure your blood sugar stays controlled through a healthy diet and staying physically active to help maintain a healthy body weight are important steps in reversing or managing neuropathy.

Ready to learn more about neuropathy and the treatments that may work for you? To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment. No one should live in pain.

Want to learn more? We think you’ll find these useful.

Neuropathy: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
Treatment For Neuropathy In Legs and Feet
Neuropathy