Peripheral Neuropathy Q & A

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It’s estimated that 20 million Americans have some type of peripheral neuropathy, a condition that involves nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system. The integrative health team at Life Over Pain Neuropathy Treatment Center in Midlothian take a unique and comprehensive approach to treating the underlying cause of peripheral neuropathy so you can get relief from the painful symptoms. If you choose Life Over Pain, call to schedule a consultation or use the online booking system (804) 658-3483.

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that develops as the result of nerve damage to your peripheral nerves, usually in your hands and feet. As a result of the nerve damage, your peripheral nervous system sends this information to your brain and spinal cord, and you feel pain and discomfort that can be intolerable at times.

At Life Over Pain Neuropathy Center, this is the most common question we hear from our neuropathy patients. Many believe that peripheral neuropathy is only caused by diabetes. The truth is, there are a whole lot of people who have neuropathy that are not diabetic. Read on to learn why…

The most common types of neuropathy are:

• Alcoholism. Poor dietary choices made by people with alcoholism can lead to vitamin deficiencies.
• Autoimmune diseases. These include Sjogren’s syndrome, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and necrotizing vasculitis.
• Diabetes. More than half the people with diabetes develop some type of neuropathy.
• Medications. Certain medications, especially those used to treat cancer (chemotherapy), can cause peripheral neuropathy.
• Infections. These include certain viral or bacterial infections, including Lyme disease, shingles, Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis C, leprosy, diphtheria and HIV.
• Trauma or pressure on the nerve. Traumas, such as from motor vehicle accidents, falls or sports injuries, can sever or damage peripheral nerves. Nerve pressure can result from having a cast or using crutches or repeating a motion such as typing.
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From the above list, chronic inflammation is the most common cause. When we develop this chronic inflammation, our bodies stop producing substances like NO2 and this is what vasodilates or ”expands” the blood vessels allowing proper nutrients to be carried to the capillaries that feed the nerves. This causes the capillaries to die and the nerve is left without a pathway to receive nutrients. Over time the nerve will begin to degenerate (break down) and that is when symptoms start to occur. In diabetes the mechanism is a little different, red blood cells become attached to glucose and these impact the cell’s integrity and other proteins. This is when we see a rise in A1C. Ultimately while the cause is different the big picture is that the blood vessels that supply the nerves can no longer send nutrients and the outcome is the same.

So, the main issue is getting nutrients to the nerve so it can function. There are several vitamins and other substances that the nerve needs to be able to function properly. When they do not receive proper nutrients the myelin sheath begins to break down and symptoms start to occur. It’s kind of like the covering of an extension cord, if unsheathed; electricity can flow freely and not conduct a proper current. While a very simplified example, this is what it’s like for nerves as they degenerate or are damaged by a trauma.

Peripheral neuropathy can affect your sensory nerves, motor nerves, and autonomic nerves. Sensory nerves receive sensations, like feeling the temperature or a vibration on your skin. Motor nerves control muscle movement, and autonomic nerves control heart rate, digestion, and blood pressure. Peripheral neuropathy can affect each of these systems, depending on the severity of your condition.

Symptoms may include:

• Numbness, tingling, or prickling feeling in your feet or hands
• Extreme sensitivity to touch
• Sharp, throbbing pains
• Freezing or burning sensations
• Heat intolerance
• Sudden changes in blood pressure that cause dizziness
• Muscle weakness or paralysis
• Difficulty walking, lack of coordination
• Digestive and bowel or bladder problems

In some cases, medication is the sole remedy for the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, but the integrative medical team at Life Over Pain offer a more holistic, comprehensive approach to treating both your symptoms and the underlying causes of your neuropathy. 

We use Sanexas machine with Combined Electro-chemical Treatment (CET). CET is a treatment that uses a technique called electric cell signaling, based on the physics of resonance. Resonance is the electrical signaling between cells. Resonance is similar to when a piano is tuned. The tuner strikes the piano string to adjust the energy that vibrates along it to create sound. Adjusting the string creates the ideal pitch or tone for the piano. The Sanexas is essentially talking to the nerves to help in regeneration of nerve fibers. 

To learn more about Combined Electro-chemical Treatment (CET) Click the below link.

If you read the above information and think you may have peripheral neuropathy and want to come in for a complimentary consultation then click to link below. Our health team looks forward to helping you!