What Exactly Is Neuropathy and Can It Be Treated?

Neuropathy, also referred to as peripheral neuropathy, affects over 20 million individuals in the U.S. Researchers have identified more than 100 different types of neuropathy, and Modern Concepts offers a personalized neuropathy treatment plan to help you find relief from your specific form of neuropathy.
Peripheral neuropathy explainedPeripheral neuropathy is a group of conditions involving peripheral nervous system damage. Your peripheral nervous system is an extensive communication network sending signals between your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), and all your other body parts.
Peripheral nerves send various forms of sensory information to your central nervous system (CNS) like a message your feet are cold. Peripheral nerves also carry signals to different areas of your body from your CNS. A good example is signals to your muscles telling them to contract, which is what makes you move.
You’ll find various types of signals helping to control everything like your:

• Blood vessels and heart
• Urination
• Digestion
• Immune system
• Sexual function
• Bones

Your peripheral nerves can be equated to cables connecting different computer parts or connecting to the Internet. If they malfunction, then the computer's complex functions can stop working properly.
Causes of neuropathyThere are a number of causes of neuropathy, including chemo-induced neuropathy, diabetes, inflammatory infections, hereditary disorders, and protein abnormalities.
You can also develop neuropathy from certain medications, toxic chemical exposure, kidney failure, poor nutrition, and chronic alcoholism. In some cases, even with a comprehensive evaluation, the cause of neuropathy remains unknown (referred to as idiopathic neuropathy).
Symptoms of neuropathyThere are a few peripheral nerve types: motor, sensory, and autonomic. If you have damage mostly to your motor nerves, you could feel off-balance and weak. Damage to sensory nerves can cause tingling and numbness, and damage to autonomic nerves can cause dizziness or constipation. You may even experience pain from your neuropathy and sometimes lose feeling or a sense of touch in your affected body part.
Diagnosing neuropathyAt Modern Concepts, we diagnose neuropathy through neurological and physical exams as well as specialized tests like:

• Nerve conduction tests
• Blood tests
• MRI and CT imaging
• Electromyography

There are other tests as well that could be conducted by our providers, Dr. Luke Mackinnon, DC, Dr. Miles Dowswell, DC, Dr. Michael Peters, MD, or Whitney Kersey, FNP, here at Modern Concepts.
We will also check your muscle strength, flexibility, and sensations on your hands, feet, legs, and arms. We’ll gently prick your skin to check sensations or run a medical pinwheel over your skin to check if you can't feel sensation due to numbness or are experiencing pain.
After your testing and exam, you'll hopefully learn what's causing your neuropathy, and we will recommend various treatment options.
Treating neuropathyIf you have a mild case of neuropathy, we'll recommend nutritional counseling (includes adding anti-inflammatory food into your diet) and physical rehab to improve your muscle balance and strength while decreasing inflammation.
For more progressive or complex cases of neuropathy, we may incorporate regenerative medicine (like an amniotic allograft) or interventional pain therapy into your treatment plan to help encourage healing and relieve pain.
To receive your individualized treatment plan for your neuropathy, book an appointment online or over the phone with Modern Concepts.