What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy refers to the conditions that result when nerves that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord from and to the rest of the body are damaged or diseased. The peripheral nerves make up an intricate network that connects the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, skin, and internal organs. This is a progressive disorder that only gets worse over time. Neuropathy causes tingling or numbness, especially in the hands and feet. It affects more than 20 million Americans and is caused by damage to single or multiple nerves.

There are many different causes and types of peripheral neuropathy, including those caused by spinal disc injury or arthritic stenosis, but most commonly it is caused by diabetes. Peripheral neuropathy may develop at any phase of the diabetes journey, even sometimes as a pre-diabetic or while taking medications. Knowing what some of the causes are and being able to describe your symptoms to your health care team can help you manage neuropathy. Symptoms are often ignored by both patients and health care professionals. If you have symptoms of neuropathy, it is important to discuss this with our health care team as soon as possible.

Peripheral neuropathy can affect the nerves that tell you the position of your hands or feet, let your sense hot or cold, or that senses pain. You can experience a tingling, burning, or numbness in certain areas of the body, commonly the hands or feet. These sensations can range from mild to painful and are almost always greatest at night. Patients with temperature sensitivity should avoid extreme temperatures and use protective clothing as needed. If there is numbness or an inability to feel pain, it is important to pay careful attention to the skin on the hands and feet because there could be an undetected wound or a break in the skin.

Get Relief from Neuropathy and Nerve Pain

Are you tired of managing your neuropathy with medication? Learn how our clinic treats the cause of the problem to get incredible results for our patients. Dealing with peripheral neuropathy can sometimes feel hopeless. Many of our patients are experiencing pain or numbness all the time and are worried about what will happen if their neuropathy gets worse. Loss of balance is often a significant problem as neuropathy becomes severe, leading to loss of mobility and the danger of falling. There is good news! When we determine the cause of your neuropathy, and treat the source of the problem with a custom designed treatment program just for you, most patients experience significant improvement.

Regenerative Neuropathy Treatment in San Diego

Many patients we evaluate have been told that their neuropathy cannot be improved, or that it has advanced too significantly for notable relief. The reality is that it is rarely too late to reach substantial improvement from your current symptoms. Our innovative neuropathy restoration program has a very high success rate, even in instances of advanced nerve-related pain and symptoms.

If you are reviewing neuropathy treatment options online you have likely already been diagnosed by another doctor, or you are concerned that the symptoms you are experiencing are the result of peripheral neuropathy. Many new patients we see have been taking Gabapentin or Lyrica for years, masking the symptoms while their condition continues to worsen. Don't wait any longer to address this condition. Our caring doctor Joe Szafranski, DC would love to meet with you, review the details of your symptoms, and get you moving toward improvement and reduced pain.

San Diego Pain Relief for Neuropathy

Sometimes our patients have experienced the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy for years before getting a diagnosis and treatment once the condition became severe. Many times this starts with some occasional numbness but progresses into frequent pain, burning, and the feeling of pins and needles. Many doctors have difficulty identifying and offering effective treatment for neuropathy. Dr. Szafranski has years of experience in successfully diagnosing and treating patients with neuropathy.

Call us today to schedule a consultation, or attend a free seminar at our El Cajon clinic. Call (619) 720-4000.

Common signs and symptoms include:

• Numbness or tingling, especially of the hands or feet.
• Pain or cramping, especially of the hands, feet, or calf muscles.
• Sensitivity to touch or temperature.
• Inability to feel the gas or brake pedals and unable to drive.
• Weakness or Muscle wasting in the hands and feet.
• Difficulty standing for long periods of time without a cane or walker
• Loss of balance, particularly in the dark.
• Dizziness, especially when getting up from a bed or a chair.
• Loss of pain sensation in the feet or hands.

It’s not easy to deal with neuropathy since there are no medications that can cure or stop the progression of this disorder. If you have noticed some of these symptoms, talk to our health care team immediately.

Life factors that may increase the chances of developing neuropathy:

• Having a preexisting medical condition such as diabetes or thyroid dysfunction.
• A family history of neuropathy.
• Spinal disc injury, Spinal arthritis or stenosis, Sciatica or Radiculapathy.
• Excessive use of alcohol.
• Chemotherapy medications
• Some medications (including Statins for cholesterol) also increase risk.

Treatments for Neuropathy

The peripheral nerves have a great ability to heal. Even though it may take months, recovery can occur. However, in some situations, symptoms of nerve pain may lessen, but not completely go away. A thorough neuropathy examination by our trained doctor will determine the severity of your neuropathy, a prognosis for your improvement, and which treatment approaches are the best for you personally.

Pain from neuropathy can greatly affect your daily activities and quality of life. Many new patients we meet have been forced to stop activities they love because of these symptoms. Don't let this happen to you, with appropriate treatment, the effects of neuropathy can be greatly reduced or eliminated.

Call us today to schedule a consultation or attend a free seminar at our El Cajon clinic, call (619) 720-4000.