Peripheral neuropathy affects between 15 and 20 million people over the age of 40 in the United States. This condition tends to impact both the hands and feet. The majority of people, however, experience more severe symptoms in their feet. It can be a debilitating condition that causes pain and numbness, making daily life difficult.
If you experience neuropathy in your feet, achieving nerve pain relief can improve your quality of life. But what are your treatment options? Learn more about this health issue, what might cause it, and what the most effective treatment for neuropathy in feet can be.
What Is Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy happens when the nerves outside of the spinal cord or brain suffer damage. It’s an umbrella term for nerve diseases that impact any nerves outside of your central nervous system.
Your peripheral nervous system sends information from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body using motor nerves. It then uses sensory nerves to send information back to the central nervous system.
If any damage occurs to peripheral nerves, the communication between them and the central nervous system fails. This leads to numerous symptoms.
Symptoms of Neuropathy in Feet
Peripheral neuropathy that affects your feet can cause a variety of symptoms. They fit into three main categories — motor, sensory, and autonomic.
Motor Symptoms
Motor signals are commands your brain sends to your muscles. They allow you to move. If you have peripheral neuropathy, you may experience muscle weakness from nerve deterioration. You may notice that you have trouble lifting the front part of your foot or can’t move your toes.
If nerve connections suffer damage, your foot muscles can start shrinking and weakening. Your feet can start losing their natural shape because of this.
You can also develop uncontrolled muscle movements. The damaged nerves can become hyperactive, which results in cramps.
Sensory Symptoms
Peripheral nerves gather information from the outside world and send it to the brain. This allows you to make sense of what’s going on around you.
With peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage interrupts this communication, leading to tingling and numbness. You may not realize when you touch something very hot or cold and might not notice if you hurt your feet.
Nerve signals help your brain keep track of where your feet and hands are. If it doesn’t receive this information clearly or at all, you may have balance problems. These can be worse in the dark.
Nerve damage also causes improper pain signals. You can have very intense pain signals, or anything can trigger them. It’s also possible to suffer spontaneous pain from misfiring nerves. This is called neuropathic pain. It’s the most common symptom people experience and often the most disruptive.
Autonomic Symptoms
Your body performs autonomic processes without you being aware of them. If you have neuropathy in your feet, you can experience issues with sweating too much or not enough. This could potentially cause scaling and dryness. You may also experience skin color changes and swelling.
What Causes Neuropathy in Feet?
The most common cause of neuropathy in the feet is type 2 diabetes. Having your blood sugar levels too high for a long time can lead to peripheral nerve damage.
Vitamin and nutrient deficiencies can also cause this condition. Neuropathy can occur if you’re deficient in vitamin E, B1, B6, B9, and B12, or copper. Too much vitamin B6, however, can also lead to neuropathy.
If you have an alcohol use disorder, you may be more at risk of developing neuropathy in your feet. Excessive intake of alcohol can cause damage to your nerves, too. Additionally, it can contribute to vitamin deficiencies.
Another potential cause of peripheral neuropathy is autoimmune diseases such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and lupus. If you’re getting certain treatments, like chemotherapy, you can also experience neuropathy.
In some cases, even infections can cause neuropathy in your feet. HIV and other viruses can do this.
Treatment for Neuropathy in Feet
When searching for the right treatment for neuropathy in feet, it’s important to know your options. The most appropriate neuropathy treatment will depend on the exact cause of the condition. The following are the most common options.
Medications
Peripheral neuropathy treatment often begins with medications. These can treat the underlying condition or address the symptoms of neuropathy.
Over-the-counter pain relievers might improve mild symptoms. In severe cases, you may need prescription options such as anti-seizure medications. These can sometimes help with nerve pain. Your doctor may also recommend topical treatments, like lidocaine, to get relief from discomfort.
Some antidepressants can be helpful, especially if diabetes is the cause of the neuropathy. Options like Cymbalta could offer some relief.
Physical Therapy
Foot neuropathy treatments can also involve physical therapy sessions. They can help you if you have balance issues because of nerve damage.
To offer better results, some healthcare providers recommend scrambler therapy, too. It uses electrical impulses that send messages to the brain. These replace the pain messages sent by the damaged nerves. The process can help train the brain not to register pain from those nerves.
Surgery
In the most severe cases, a cure for peripheral neuropathy might include surgery. This procedure can help address issues that occur because of compressed nerves. If the nerves have extensive damage, it’s possible to sever the impacted nerves so that they don’t cause pain.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture for neuropathy involves inserting thin needles into specific points to alleviate pain. You will typically need a few sessions before noticing any improvement.
Natural Remedies
Natural remedies for neuropathy can include lifestyle modifications. If you smoke or drink excessively, stopping can make a difference. Adopting a healthy diet and reducing your sugar intake can also help. Some people benefit from taking alpha-lipoic acid, which is an antioxidant that could relieve neuropathic pain.
Typically, natural remedies work well with other treatments. They might not offer strong enough results on their own.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic adjustments help realign the spine to improve nerve function throughout your body. It assists in boosting circulation, too, which helps with healing. If you have inflammation in the area, chiropractic services also assist in reducing it. This makes it easier to address pain.
A variety of chiropractic services can help, including soft tissue work and spinal decompression. Targeted joint mobilizations can also provide relief.
Why Chiropractic Adjustments Could Be the Best Treatment for Neuropathy
More people are opting for chiropractic adjustments to treat neuropathic pain. There are many reasons for this.
No Negative Side Effects
Medications for neuropathy may be effective, but they can often cause adverse side effects. Options like antidepressants could impact your libido, cause you to gain weight, and lead to other issues. Anti-seizure medications lead to drowsiness, so they may not be the right options at all times. Chiropractic services don’t cause these problems.
Non-Invasive
Chiropractic services are not invasive, so you don’t have to worry about a long recovery process or lengthy preparation.
Affordable
Chiropractic care isn’t as costly as surgery or purchasing certain medications. You will have an easier time sticking to your treatment schedule if you don’t have to worry about your bottom line.
Personalized
When you turn to a chiropractor for assistance, they will create a treatment plan that addresses your exact needs. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all option. Your chiropractor can also combine other holistic services to assist you as part of your treatment.
Your chiropractor may offer help with nutritional support, too. They can provide guidance on what vitamins and nutrients could help you boost the healing process. This holistic approach offers the best chance of addressing all symptoms.
Treats Underlying Causes
The pain, numbness, and tingling you may feel because of neuropathy occur because of damaged nerves. By attempting to heal these, you can get relief. One of the ways chiropractic services can do this is by improving your circulation. Getting more blood to the damaged areas provides the nutrients your body needs to heal.
Chiropractic services can also include electrical stimulation. It’s a particularly helpful option for neuropathy, since it stimulates nerve activity. It could help improve sensation while relieving pain.
Improving Neuropathy in Feet With Chiropractic Services
If you struggle with neuropathic pain in your feet because of underlying conditions like diabetes, what treatments can you rely on? Chiropractic care is one of the most popular since it doesn’t require going through surgery or taking medications that cause side effects. It can work well with other treatments, too.
At Algonquin Chiropractic Center, our team provides the services you deserve. We understand how difficult it is to live with pain and loss of sensation in your feet. To address this problem, we perform thorough assessments and offer personalized care.
From electrical muscle stimulation to Cox chiropractic techniques, we can help. Don’t go another day without helping yourself heal. Contact us at Algonquin Chiropractic Center to begin your treatment.
