Neuropathy

What is neuropathy?

Neuropathy encompasses a large group of conditions that cause nerve damage. Peripheral neuropathy, the form of neuropathy that affects the feet, is a frustrating and sometimes debilitating condition for many adults. 

What are the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy often causes troubling symptoms in your feet, such as:

• Sharp or electric-like pain 
• Pins-and-needles or tingling sensation
• Numbness
• Feeling of wearing socks when you're barefoot 
• Decreased coordination and increased stumbling or falls

Because peripheral neuropathy so often deadens feeling in your feet, you might hurt your feet and be unaware. So, unexpected foot wounds can be another symptom.

Peripheral neuropathy and narrowed arteries often go hand-in-hand, especially in diabetes sufferers. If you have a foot wound and you don’t get enough blood to the wound for healing, an infection can develop. 

Infected wounds can spread, killing healthy tissue as they do so. That’s why peripheral neuropathy and circulatory problems can ultimately cause foot amputations if you don’t get expert foot care. 

What causes peripheral neuropathy?

There are many causes, including: 

Diabetes

The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes, specifically high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar damages your nerves, which is often most obvious in your feet. Around 60-70% of diabetes sufferers have peripheral diabetic neuropathy.

Alcohol

Heavy alcohol consumption can damage nerves, especially when combined with nutritional deficiencies common in alcoholics. This type of neuropathy is alcoholic neuropathy.

HIV

HIV sufferers make up another group that is prone to peripheral neuropathy. HIV can damage the nerves, and certain forms of HIV medications can also cause neuropathy. This form of neuropathy is HIV neuropathy. 

Some of the many other health problems that may cause neuropathy include physical nerve trauma, tumors, and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. 

How do you treat peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy treatment usually includes a few different lifestyle changes and therapies, such as:

• Custom orthotics
• Prescription shoes
• Topical pain relief creams
• Oral medication 

Controlling your underlying disease to the maximum extent possible is also very important. For diabetics, this means tracking your blood sugar every day, eating healthy, and taking medication (if you have it) consistently. 

Dr. Mahmood may prescribe other evidence-based treatments for your neuropathic foot pain. His goal is to end your pain and prevent peripheral neuropathy from holding you back.