Comprehending Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral Neuropathy is the terminology used to describe maladies of the peripheral nerves. Even though over 20 million people in the US suffer with peripheral neuropathy, information is hard to come by. About 50% of diabetics will acquire the disorder. Lots of individuals using statin medications will be affected by this under-recognized malady.

What Is Neuropathy

Neuropathy means “disorder or abnormality of the nervous system” which is not a really helpful definition. We need to think about neuropathy as any INJURY to the nervous system. Carpal Tunnel syndrome, herniated spinal discs and strokes are all injuries to various areas of the nervous system, all with different signs and symptoms. Diabetes is a systemic disease that has an effect on all nerves of the body from the brain, eyes and nerves of the heart to the nerves in the hands, feet, and legs.

Peripheral Nerve Cells

The peripheral nervous system is composed of the nerves that fork of the spinal cord to all areas of the body.

Peripheral nerve cells have 3 main parts: Cell body, axons, and dendrites (nerve/muscle junction ). Any section of the nerve could be affected, but damage to axons is most common. The axon broadcasts signals from nerve cell to muscles and other parts of the body. Most axons are surrounded by a chemical call myelin, which facilitates signal transmission.

Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms

There are two types of symptoms with peripheral neuropathy: negative and positive. Negative symptoms, which come first, are when damage to the nervous system, , brings about a LOSS of a particular function. For example; loss of reflexes, loss of strength, loss of sensitivity like numbness. But these are almost never perceptible to the patient, because the brain makes up the difference in the losses. Only after some time do the damaged nerves produce the positive symptoms of neuropathy; tingling, burning, biting, pricking, shooting pains. This too is a response of the brain and the nervous system, unfortunately this over reaction tears apart the fiber of the individuals lives.

Each patient will explain their pain in their own particular language of ‘pain’. This can very easily confuse a doctor not educated in the recognition and treatment of these individuals. So the individual usually continues to suffer, going from doctor to doctor, to stronger doses of pills till they are either thoroughly drugged up and ‘out of it’, or lost in their own world of pain.

Some neuropathies show up suddenly, others over many years. Some patients are affected merely by a weakness in the arms and legs which leads to problems standing, walking, or getting out of a chair. The loss of sensation from the feet, ankles and toes triggers patients not having a good sense of where there feet are in space and this causes them to fall very easily. These under-recognized sensory losses can only be identified with a proper medical exam. Our center has the needed tools to uncover the underlying reason for this ‘silent’ nerve damage.

Some individuals will ultimately become unable to walk at all. Others start off with a tingling, pin pricking feeling that becomes deep sharp stabbing pains and burning electric shocks. These debilitating problems can also be at their worst at night while trying to get to sleep, because the PAIN never ever disappears. In reality, once started IT ONLY WORSENS!!

At the moment, ordinary medicine has no cure for peripheral neuropathy. The exceptionally powerful drugs given to patients do NOT DEAL WITH the NERVE DAMAGE! They numb the brain to numb the pain. Most patients can not put up with a drugged life but feel they have NO OTHER OPTION against this terrible pain.

Tired Of Playing Games With Doctors?

Are you fed up of running from doctor to doctor only to play “Russian Roulette” with various prescription medications for your condition? “Here try this drug, that didn’t work? Try this one!”

Are you fed up of taking medications that don’t solve the problem? Do you continue to struggle with burning, tingling, numbness, and pain in your feet and arms?

I am here to tell you that there is HOPE!

Contact Hudson NEURODoc Today at 518-828-8716 to Schedule your Complimentary Consultation!