Neuropathy: Why Customized Treatment is Important
If you were in a waiting room full of people with neuropathy, each one would have a different story. The cause of their neuropathy, the type of symptoms they experience, the severity of their symptoms, and the treatments they’ve tried would vary for each person.
Neuropathy, or more specifically, peripheral neuropathy, is far too complex to pigeon-hole into a one-size-fits-all approach.
At Florida Pain Medicine, we specialize in treating all aspects of neuropathy, including alleviating the pain. We know that the only way we can help you overcome the challenge of neuropathy is when we learn the details of your story and create the treatment that truly meets your health care needs.
Let’s talk about the top reasons why customized neuropathy treatment is essential.
Neuropathy has many possible causes
The first step toward healing any health problem is identifying and treating its underlying cause. The challenge with neuropathy is that it has a multitude of causes, including:
- Toxins
- Diabetes
- Alcoholism
- Cancer
- Kidney disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Certain medications
- Peripheral artery disease
- Viral and bacterial infections
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Autoimmune diseases
Based on the diverse health conditions in this list, it’s clear that each person with neuropathy needs customized treatment that targets their underlying cause.
In some cases, the nerves start to heal, and your symptoms improve by treating the cause. However, if you have an incurable chronic condition such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or an autoimmune disease, we focus on managing your condition to maintain optimal health.
Neuropathy causes a wide range of symptoms
Peripheral neuropathy affects three types of nerves that carry signals throughout your body: sensory, motor, and autonomic nerves. The symptoms you develop depend on which type of nerve is affected, how many nerves are damaged, and where the damage occurs in your body.
Sensory nerves pick up information about pain, temperature, and other senses. Then they carry the messages to your brain. When sensory nerves are damaged, the top symptom is pain. You may also experience tingling and electric-shock sensations, or you may develop numbness and lose sensation.
Motor nerves deliver information from your brain to your muscles. If neuropathy affects these nerves, you develop problems such as weak muscles and muscle cramps. Your muscles can also waste away.
Autonomic nerves are associated with body functions that your body automatically controls, including breathing, digestion, and your heart rate. Damage to autonomic nerves causes a wide range of symptoms, from nausea and excessive sweating, to a fast heartbeat and changes in your body temperature.
The bottom line is this: Every person with neuropathy has a different group of symptoms that demands a personalized treatment plan.
Neuropathic pain changes
Neuropathic pain varies in frequency, intensity, and quality. Each person has a slightly different experience from one another, but the challenge doesn’t stop there. Your own pain experience may differ from time-to-time and without warning.
Your pain can be mild or excruciating, constant or intermittent, and unpredictable. Just when you think you have a certain type or intensity of pain; its quality can change. You may also experience sudden attacks of pain that are harder to control than your usual daily pain.
Though every aspect of your neuropathy needs personalized care, the customized approach is especially important when it comes to easing your pain. That’s when you need the expertise of our interventional specialists.
We can help you find relief when other treatments have failed because our interventional treatments precisely target the nerves causing your pain. For example, your treatment may reduce nerve inflammation or stop the nerves from sending pain signals to your brain.
If you need compassionate and experienced care for neuropathy, don’t wait to seek help from the team at Florida Pain Medicine. Call the nearest office, or book an appointment online today.