What is neuropathy?
Neuropathy is an umbrella term for general diseases and abnormalities that affect your nerve function. Your nerves are your body’s communication system, and they transmit messages from your brain to other parts of your body and back.
Nerves play a part in nearly every body function from movement to the minute muscle contractions that play a part in digestion or heart function. This is why when your nerves malfunction, they cause a wide range of issues and can affect complex body functions.
What causes neuropathy?
There are a number of different causes that result in neuropathy, like:
Injury
Trauma or injury to your nerves, including prolonged pressure, and decreased blood flow can result in neuropathy.
Diabetes
Neuropathy is a common symptom of diabetes in patients who’ve had the disease for many years and may be more severe in patients who have difficulty controlling their diabetes.
Nutrient deficiencies
A lack of nutrients like vitamin B12 and folate can result in nerve damage.
Autoimmune diseases
Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus that affect your immune system can result in neuropathy in some patients.
Alcoholism
Neuropathy is a common symptom in alcoholics probably due to excessive alcohol combined with poor nutrition.
Neuropathy can sometimes develop with no known cause, in which case it’s known as idiopathic neuropathy.
How do you treat neuropathy?
At Piedmont Interventional Spine & Pain Center, your provider begins every treatment with a physical exam during which he checks your reflexes, muscle strength, and your ability to feel certain sensations. He also asks questions about your lifestyle, family, and medical history, including when you started to notice symptoms. Your provider may also order additional blood, imaging, or nerve tests to confirm a suspected diagnosis or to assess the extent of your nerve damage.
Once your provider determines the type and location of your neuropathic condition, he may suggest over-the-counter medication to treat mild symptoms. For more severe cases, your provider can prescribe painkillers or other types of medication like antidepressants that work to reduce your pain by blocking certain chemical processes in your brain that cause you to feel pain.
If your condition doesn’t respond to medication, your provider offers spinal cord stimulation devices that are surgically implanted under your skin. This device sends tiny electrical impulses to areas where you experience pain and modifies the pain signals that reach your brain, so you feel it to a lesser degree.
To learn more about the various treatments for your neuropathic condition, call the office, or use the online scheduling tool to book your appointment today.
