PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY

Are you struggling with neuropathy or peripheral neuropathy? We can help! Neuropathy is defined as a group of disorders that begins due to damage to the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is a part of the nervous system excluding the brain and spinal cord. This means that this is the collection of nerves that connects your limbs and organs to the central nervous system. This condition is also known as peripheral neuropathy and generally occurs because damage to the nerve axons has occurred. The nerve axon is what conducts the electrical impulses to different places. For example, if damage occurs within the axon of a sensory neuron, then a person's sense of touch and warmth will be impaired. Generally, neuropathy creates pain, numbness and tingling in the extremities (hands and feet). There are several different causes of this condition, including:

• The most common: diabetes
• Traumatic injury
• Infection
• Metabolic Disorders
• Toxins

Peripheral neuropathy often creates painful sensations described as tingling, burning, and prickling. It is common to see the condition correlating with several life factors, such as poor nutrition, various diseases, trauma, or pressure on the nerves. In some cases, there is an unknown cause. This is referred to as idiopathic neuropathy.

According to the Neuropathy Association, more than 20 million Americans are suffering from a form of neuropathy. That means that more people suffer from this one condition than Alzheimer's, Epilepsy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, HIV, Parkinson's Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis combined. Of those 20 million Americans suffering from neuropathy, an estimated 15-18 million of those people have this condition due to a form of diabetes.

Causes of Neuropathy

There is not a single underlying cause for neuropathy. In fact, there may be no known cause that is referred to as idiopathic and makes up nearly 40% of all neuropathies. Also, nearly 35% of the remaining Americans suffering from neuropathy have diabetes. In fact, almost 70% of Americans with diabetes have developed a form of neuropathy due to the disease.

Who can Develop Neuropathy?

Neuropathy can affect all people of all ages. It is more commonly found in men and Caucasians as well as those who have jobs consisting of a lot of repetitive movements. There are several risk factors ranging from lifestyle choices, behaviors, and conditions. As previously stated, those who have poor nutrition are likely to develop Type II Diabetes which will cause neuropathy. If a person suffers from an autoimmune disease, they have a predisposition for the development of various types of neuropathy. If a person has a compromised immune system (organ transplant recipient, HIV/AIDS patients, or due to medication), they are at an increased risk for developing a type of neuropathy. If a person suffers from alcoholism or has a vitamin deficiency, they are likely to develop a form of neuropathy. Also, if a person has kidney disease, liver disease or a thyroid disorder they are more susceptible to developing neuropathy.

Diagnosis of Neuropathy

This condition is generally not a simple diagnosis to make. It is difficult because it is not often that it is a disease present alone but rather a symptom of an underlying disease. There is a process that occurs before the diagnosis is made. The process may consist of:

• Full medical history
• Physical exam
• Neurological exam
• Tendon reflexes
• Muscular strength
• Muscular tone
• Sensory tests
• Postural analysis
• Coordination analysis
• Blood tests (check vitamin B-12)
• Urinalysis
• Thyroid function tests
• Nerve conduction test

In some cases, a nerve biopsy may be requested by a physician.

Neuropathy Treatment Options

Our neuropathy clinic has developed several effective treatment options for neuropathy. All of these treatments are designed to assist in improving your body's function and well-being! Once we perform a thorough consultation and examination we will discuss our all-natural treatment options and plan with you. We understand some of our patients may need an "at-home" program for a variety of reasons.

We are the first and only provider in the Lehigh Valley to offer such a program.

Call us today and feel better tomorrow!