For those people living with diabetes, there’s always something to manage. Whether that be high blood sugars, low blood sugars, counting carbohydrates, working out, and minimizing additional health risks associated with diabetes and its effect on the body, there’s a lot to focus on. So if you do start to notice any issues with numbness or the inability to feel in your feet, legs, hands or arms, which could be peripheral diabetic neuropathy, it’s important to see a pain management specialist. The Texas Pain Care team in the Sugarland, Missouri City and Houston areas can help to manage the nerve pain with the goal to help maintain or increase your quality of life.
Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that is caused by high blood sugars. When the body experiences high blood sugar, the walls of the small blood vessels become weakened, which interrupts the nerves’ ability to both receive nutrients and oxygen, as well as transmit signals to the brain.
Healthy nerves are able to properly carry electrical signals from the brain to other parts of the body, which
Damaged nerves aren’t fully able to perform their normal processes, or send incorrect signals to the brain. In the case of diabetic neuropathy, this means a person will experience numbness or muscle weakness most commonly in the legs and feet, but also in the arms and hands.
Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy is one of four main types of diabetic neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy occurs when the nerves that are located outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves) are damaged. It is the most common type of diabetic neuropathy and affects a person’s ability to feel pain or temperature changes. Of those people who suffer from diabetes-related neuropathy, 50% of them have peripheral diabetic neuropathy.
The main cause of peripheral diabetic neuropathy is when a diabetic person has high blood sugar over a significant period of time, i.e. years of their life. Additional causes that could lead to the development of peripheral diabetic neuropathy include:
Diabetes that is not well managed can lead to high blood sugar, which is called hyperglycemia. Over time, this can cause damage to the nerves that deliver important messages throughout the body to the brain. General diabetes-related neuropathy most commonly affect the legs, feet, arms and hands, and symptoms include:
You can also send us a message
Unfortunately there is no cure for peripheral diabetic neuropathy. However, the goal of treatment is to manage the symptoms of nerve pain, restore function to the affected parts of the body, and reduce the occurrence of any additional complications. Pain management specialists do this by partnering with their patients to help them manage their blood sugar levels, as well as prescribe any needed pain medication to combat the symptoms.
Recommended lifestyle changes include eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking all prescribed diabetes-related medication. It is also important to regularly check for any foot, leg, hand or arm changes, including any wounds that aren’t healing, so that your provider can treat these issues right away.
The best way to prevent peripheral diabetic neuropathy, or to avoid the symptoms for as long as possible, is to manage your blood glucose level, blood pressure and cholesterol. Routinely seeing your provider for an annual checkup and foot exam will also help to treat any symptoms as soon as they are diagnosed.
It’s important to partner with a pain management specialist who is versed in peripheral diabetic neuropathy symptoms and treatments. Diagnosis begins with a foot exam where the provider will check for any sores, wounds or deformities, as well as use instruments to check for any signs of decreased sensitivity. They will also ask if you feel any signs or symptoms of peripheral diabetic neuropathy, including weakness, tingling in the feet or hands, or if you’re having any problems with balance.
If nerve damage is suspected, an electromyogram (EMG) will be used to measure electrical activity or nerve response. The provider will connect electrodes to your body, which shows nerve activity when you move certain muscles, i.e. wiggling your toes. The nerve activity is shown on an oscilloscope, which shows electrical signals as a wave. The provider will examine the size and shape of the waves, which provide insight into the extent of the nerve damage.
Once a diagnosis is rendered, the provider will recommend the best ways to manage the patient’s neuropathy, which generally include positive lifestyle changes and pain medication. In the event that the peripheral diabetic neuropathy is severe, the provider might also recommend ways to manage depression, which many patients could experience. This could include taking antidepressants, meditating, joining a support group, and starting therapy.
The goal is always to diagnose and treat peripheral diabetic neuropathy in the beginning stages so that the patient can still enjoy a high quality of life. In addition to making lifestyle changes, small efforts at home can help to prevent additional damage to feet and hands, and include:
If you believe you might have some of the signs and symptoms of peripheral diabetic neuropathy and would like more information, please schedule an appointment today with the Texas Pain Care team in the Sugar Land, Missouri City and Houston areas. We are committed to helping you manage your diabetes and reduce the symptoms related with peripheral diabetic neuropathy with the goal to help you remain as healthy and symptom-free for as long as possible.
Our knee joints, versatile in motion, are susceptible to injury. With frequent and stressed movements over the years, joint suffering and knee pain can arise. The good news is that there are minimally-invasive options for helping to relieve chronic knee pain, including Knee Pain Treatment Gel Injection.
Our knees endure a lot of use and abuse on a daily basis. If you are experiencing chronic pain in one or both knees, a Genicular Nerve Block for Knee Pain Treatment could help you get back on your feet.
If you suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and find that you can’t stand or walk for long periods of time without experiencing severe pain, there’s a new treatment option that has provided patients with relief.
Get out of pain
Get back to living
Treatments
Conditions
