VNA: May is National Neuropathy Awareness Month

By Karen Rettich

Neuropathy is a collection of disorders that occurs when nerves of the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is made of up nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. It most often causes pain in hands and feet.     

It is a disorder most often misdiagnosed as a side effect to other diseases such as diabetes. Diabetics can have the nerve damage that causes neuropathy but in 30 percent of cases it is idiopathic, meaning no known cause.  In 30 percent of cases studied the underlying cause is diabetes and the remainder of cases can have other causes like heredity, nutritional imbalance or an infection.   

Neuropathy can be seen in a person of any age but is more often seen in older adults.  Symptoms can be pain in the feet, numbness or tingling in hands or feet, difficulty walking and loss of balance. A person's feet will feel extremely heavy making it difficult to walk and numbness can make it difficult for someone affected to feel their feet.  

This becomes a an issue for diabetics as this can lead to damage to feet that goes undetected leading to skin breakdown and further problems with wound healing.   Neuropathy can affect motor nerves that affect motor movement and can cause muscle weakness and spasms. Sensory nerves, which help us in detecting, heat and cold and pain is usually severe and at times after extended period loss of sensation can occur.  

Autonomic, which affects internal organs and can cause diarrhea, constipation, abnormal heart rates or blood pressure. Neuropathy is not easy to diagnose.  Blood tests are done to determine Vitamin B levels and a full history along with a physical exam focusing on neurologic functions such as posture, coordination, the ability to feel sensations and muscle strength.   

Treatments range from antidepressant medications like Cymbalta to topical creams.  Alternative therapies like yoga, massage and chiropractic care also have benefits for relieving pain. Sometimes a combination of traditional and alternative medicines can work together to give a patient the best relief from neuropathy and the pain associated.     

For further information please visit the following websites: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/147963.php 
http://www.neuropathy.org/site/PageServer