Peripheral Neuropathy

Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is often caused by a variety of health conditions. These health conditions include:

Type 2 Diabetes: Unmanaged type 2 diabetes can result in high blood sugar, which damages the peripheral nerves. This is the most prevalent cause of peripheral neuropathy.

Alcohol Use Disorder: Excessive consumption of alcohol over long periods of time can cause peripheral neuropathy.

Vitamin and Nutrient Deficiencies: There are various vitamin deficiencies that can cause peripheral neuropathy. Lack of Vitamin B1, B6, B9, B12, and E can result in a loss of myelination of the axons which can subsequently result in the development of peripheral neuropathy.
Autoimmune Conditions: Guillain Barre Syndrome, Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions.
Tumors: Malignant and benign tumors can cause damage to the peripheral nerves.
Medications and Toxins: Chemotherapy and specific antibiotics and medications to treat arrhythmia and gout can damage the peripheral nervous system

Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy:

There are three main symptom types of peripheral neuropathy:

Motor nerve damage
Sensory nerve damage
Autonomic nerve damage

Hand pain and numbness

Diagnosis of Peripheral Neuropathy:

Diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy can happen through three main methods:

A complete medical history: Medical history can provide insight into existing symptoms along with confounding factors such as lifestyle, exposure to toxins, drinking habits, and other factors that could contribute to peripheral neuropathy development.

Physical and Neurulogical Exams: Specific tests that check reflexes, muscle strength and tone, ability to feel sensations, and balance and coordination can help with identification of the type of peripheral neuropathy.

Labs and Diagnostic Testing: Blood tests, imaging tests, nerve function tests, along with skin and nerve biopsies can help identify common causes and signs of peripheral neuropathy.

Treatment of peripheral neuropathy:

Medications: Medications can be both used to treat the underlying causes of peripheral neuropathy along with the symptoms of the condition.

- Pain medications: Non-prescription pain medications can help address mild symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.
- Anti-seizure medications: Gabapentin and Pregabalin help address more severe pain associated with peripheral neuropathy.
- Topical treatments: Application of lidocaine on the skin can help address pain.
- Antidepressants: There are a variety of antidepressants that can be used to improve peripheral neuropathy caused by diabetes and the feeling of pain.

Therapies and procedures:

- Scrambler therapy: Harnesses electrical impulses to send nonpain messages to the brain with the ultimate goal of replacing the pain messages the nerves send to the brain.
- Surgery: Neuropathies that are caused by tumors compressing nerves may require surgical intervention.
- Physical therapy: This can be used to address any issues with balance or muscle weakness associated with the neuropathy.
- Steroids, Intravenous immune globulin, and plasma exchange: These treatments are primarily used if inflammatory or autoimmune conditions have caused the development of neuropathy. These cannot be used to treat pain on their own
- Spinal cord stimulation: This invulves the placement of neurostimulators into the body that can send electrical impulses which block pain signals from going to the brain.