The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may lessen or go away over time, but in some cases they never go away. These are some ways to learn to live with it: Use pain medicines as your doctor prescribes them. Most pain medicines work best if they are taken before the pain gets bad.
Correcting underlying causes can result in the neuropathy resolving on its own as the nerves recover or regenerate. Nerve health and resistance can be improved by healthy lifestyle habits such as maintaining optimal weight, avoiding toxic exposures, eating a balanced diet, and correcting vitamin deficiencies.
It can make it hard to carry out fine motor tasks with your hands, like buttoning a shirt, picking up small objects, and can cause problems with balance or walking. For people whose symptoms continue after treatment is complete, these often improve or resolve within 6-12 months.
The outlook for peripheral neuropathy varies, depending on the underlying cause and which nerves have been damaged. Some cases may improve with time if the underlying cause is treated, whereas in some people the damage may be permanent or may get gradually worse with time.
Peripheral neuropathy can result from traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic problems, inherited causes and exposure to toxins. One of the most common causes is diabetes. People with peripheral neuropathy generally describe the pain as stabbing, burning or tingling.
Peripheral neuropathy can also be mimicked by myelopathy, syringomyelia or dorsal column disorders, such as tabes dorsalis. Hysterical symptoms can sometimes mimic a neuropathy.
Regular exercise, such as walking three times a week, can reduce neuropathy pain, improve muscle strength and help control blood sugar levels. Gentle routines such as yoga and tai chi might also help.
The main medicines recommended for neuropathic pain include: amitriptyline – also used for treatment of headaches and depression. duloxetine – also used for treatment of bladder problems and depression. pregabalin and gabapentin – also used to treat epilepsy, headaches or anxiety.
Some people experience acute peripheral neuropathy, in which symptoms appear suddenly and progress rapidly. Others may have a chronic form, meaning symptoms continue for long periods. Some people with chronic neuropathies have periods of remission followed by relapse.
There are many different ways that peripheral neuropathy can happen, so this condition is common. For some people, peripheral neuropathy is temporary, treatable or both. For others, it's permanent and incurable.
Roughly 20 million Americans are living with neuropathy. Living with daily pain and discomfort can be challenging. People with neuropathy are at a higher risk for depression and anxiety than those without a neurological disorder. The good news is treatable, and a pain management specialist can help.
Recognizing the stages of neuropathy and acting quickly to seek treatment can mean the difference between returning to health and losing a limb.
Untreated neuropathy leads to complications
Numbness may seem like a reprieve after you've been dealing with pain, but constant numbness can lead to serious complications, such as a foot ulcer. You might scratch your foot, and without properly functioning sensory nerves, you may not realize the extent of your injury.
Although the condition may be lifelong, neuropathic pain can often be reduced and even controlled, when managed by specialists who combine treatments that might include medications, injections and even nerve stimulation (neuromodulation).
Numerous clinical studies have found that magnesium has beneficial effects in patients suffering from neuropathic pain, dysmenorrhea, tension headache, acute migraine attack, and others.
The following foods have the potential to increase pain in neuropathy: dairy products, wheat, citrus fruits, corn, caffeine, meat of all kinds, nuts and eggs.
Vitamins B-1, B-6, and B-12 have been found to be especially beneficial for treating neuropathy. Vitamin B-1, also known as thiamine, helps to reduce pain and inflammation and vitamin B-6 preserves the covering on nerve endings.
If you are in a lot of pain from the burning and tingling in your feet, maybe you'll feel uncomfortable to go on a walk. If the pain is mild, you can still go for a walk, but maybe just not as far as you could before. So if your symptoms are not that painful, that's even more of a reason to consider walking.
The pain from the damage to the nerves in your feet and lower legs can, however, actually be reduced by exercising. This isn't a permanent solution or a type of neuropathy treatment that addresses the cause of the nerve damage, but it can help you strengthen your legs and improve your balance.
There is no cure for peripheral neuropathy but proper treatment will slow progression and address your symptoms.
Confirming if you have a neuropathy
a nerve conduction test (NCS), where small metal wires called electrodes are placed on your skin that release tiny electric shocks to stimulate your nerves; the speed and strength of the nerve signal is measured.
The most common type of neuropathy is peripheral neuropathy. It affects the nerves in the hands, feet, legs, and arms. It generally starts in the feet, and it tends to start in both feet at once.
Both US and MRI enable localization of the site of the pathology, identify the cause and extent of nerve involvement and visualize changes in the innervated muscles. Together, US and MRI are instrumental in facilitating diagnosis and management of patients with peripheral neuropathies.