Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy  you are aware of the chronic pain associated with this disease. Some of the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include:

• Gradual onset of numbness and tingling in your feet or hands, which may spread upward into your legs and arms


• Sharp, jabbing or burning pain


• Extreme sensitivity to touch


• Lack of coordination and falling


• Muscle weakness or paralysis if motor nerves are affected


 

 

Peripheral neuropathy may affect one nerve (mononeuropathy), two or more nerves in different areas (multiple mononeuropathy) or many nerves (polyneuropathy). Some of the causes of PN include diabetes, vitamin deficiency in alcoholics, auto-immune diseases, infections, trauma, heavy metal exposure and tumors.

Current medications on the market that are prescribed for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy include Gabapentin (Neurontin), Pregabalin (Lyrica), Duloxetine (Cymbalta), pain medicines such as hydrocodone or oxycodone, Elavil and many others. All of these can offer mild relief of pain and all have potential side effects.



 

For my patients that have been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy one of the recommendations that I make for pain control is TENS unit therapy with specialized garments that can deliver the pain relief effect directly to the area that needs it and with no side effects. For more information visit Tens Unit Therapy

This can be used in conjunction with the traditional medications listed above or in some cases in place of the medications. There have been several studies on the efficacy of the TENS unit therapy for peripheral neuropathy and researches agree that it is an effective form of pain relief.

TENS units are covered by many insurance companies and our office can call to check for coverage for you. If you have any questions regarding  TENS unit therapy or want to schedule an appointment to see if you are a possible candidate call Alexandria Chiropractic Center (859-635-6666) and ask to speak with Dr. Kevin E. Crowley.