Neuropathy

What is Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that occurs when your peripheral nervous system becomes damaged. Your peripheral nervous system is the largest nervous system in your body and includes all the nerves except your brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral neuropathy generally affects your hands and feet, causing numbness, tingling, and pain. Neuropathy may also cause you to have trouble walking or grasping things with your hands.

Traumatic injuries, infections, or heredity can all result in nerve damage. Diabetes, if left untreated, may also be a contributing cause of damage to your peripheral nerves.

What are the Symptoms of Neuropathy?

The painful symptoms of neuropathy vary from mild to severe and depend on which nerves are affected. Some common symptoms include:

• Numbness, prickling, or tingling in hands or feet
• Sharp, jabbing, stabbing pain
• Burning sensation in your fingers or toes
• Extreme sensitivity to touch
• Muscle weakness
• Trouble walking, lack of coordination

When your autonomic nerves are affected by neuropathy symptoms, you may experience trouble with automatic bodily functions such as bladder, bowel, or digestive issues, or have an intolerance to heat and experience uncontrollable sweating. In extreme situations, neuropathy can cause difficulty breathing, changes in blood pressure, and organ failure.

How is Neuropathy Treated?

The goal of treatment with neuropathy is to minimize any conditions that may be causing your symptoms, and to relieve painful symptoms as much as possible. Your doctor at Florida Pain Management treats both the underlying condition and symptoms with a combination of therapies and appropriate medications that may include:

• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Painkillers
• Topical treatments and creams
• Physical therapy
• Platelet-rich plasma therapy
• Surgeries to relieve nerve pressure

Since the doctors specialize in interventional pain procedures, they may also recommend peripheral nerve blocks, injections, epidurals, and other cutting-edge treatments meant to reduce nerve pain. With these techniques, they can effectively reduce the severity of your pain and the amount of time you’re affected by painful symptoms. These treatments may also help you sleep better and increase your ability to move with more ease, ultimately improving the overall quality of your life.

To learn more about the treatments for neuropathy, call the Florida Pain Management office location that’s most convenient for you or schedule a consultation online.