Peripheral Neuropathy Treatments
in Charlotte, NC
“At Select Health in Charlotte, our team understands the day-to-day effects that peripheral neuropathy can have on the lives of our patients,” says Dr. Eric Shapiro, board-certified in peripheral neuropathy. “Based on the patient’s overall health history and neuropathy exam, we will design a treatment plan, which may include advanced technology-based treatment, rehabilitation therapies, and/or additional diagnostic testing, to provide the most complete care possible.”
Our office utilizes several advanced therapies to aid in the relief of the neuropathy symptoms. Our treatment processes are FDA-cleared, safe, effective, and non-invasive, and are also non-pharmaceutical treatments for pain, circulation, and neuromuscular rehabilitation. We do our best to help each patient, it is important to note, even with our best efforts, each patient is unique and patient results may vary.
What is Peripheral Neuropathy?
Symptoms, Causes, and Stages
Overview: Peripheral neuropathy is a condition occurring when there is deterioration or damage to the peripheral nervous system (the network of nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord). This nerve condition can cause symptoms of numbness, tingling, burning pain, muscle weakness, or balance issues and most frequently occur in the feet and/or hands. While neuropathy does progress (gets worse over time), early diagnosis and focused treatment can improve symptoms and significantly better your quality of life.
How does Peripheral Neuropathy affect the Body?
The main function of peripheral nerves is to be the message communicator between your brain, spinal cord, muscles, skin, and organs. When these nerves have experienced deterioration or damage, this communication is disturbed. The result of this signal breakdown varies, the body may fails to send signals at all; send them at the wrong time; or completely distort the messages. Depending on the nerves which are damaged, peripheral neuropathy can affect the body’s capacity to:
- Distinguish changes in temperature, pain, or touch
- Command precise muscle actions or movements
- Preserve balance and coordination
- Complete daily tasks utilizing your hands or feet
What are the Common Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy symptoms change slowly over time and can progress (get worse over time). Because this type of nerve condition usually starts in the longest nerves, symptoms are often noticed in the feet and lower legs first, then progressing to the hands and arms.
- Numbness or reduced sensation in the feet or hands
- Tingling or an on-going “pins and needles” feeling
- Sharp nerve pains, often described as shock-like, stabbing, or shooting
- Burning or cold feelings in the hands or feet
- Muscle weakness, hard to stand or often dropping objects
- Loss of balance, lack of coordination, or frequent falls
- Extreme sensitivity to touch (even a light bedsheet causes pain)
What are the Causes & Risk Factors for Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral nerve damage can be caused by vast number of health conditions, lifestyle factors, or physical trauma. Finding out the root cause can be beneficial, but not necessary, when developing an effective treatment plan. Peripheral neuropathy treatment at Select Health of the Carolinas in Charlotte, NC, takes these several risk factors into account as well as other causes when treating neuropathy. Well-known causes of peripheral neuropathy include:
- Diabetes (diabetic neuropathy)
- Alcoholism
- Chemotherapy (chemo-induced neuropathy or CIPN)
- Exposure to toxins in the environment, like lead
- Traumatic injuries and nerve damage
- High cholesterol and statin drugs (cholesterol-lowering drugs)
- Infections, like Hepatitis C
- Autoimmune diseases (i.e., Lyme disease, HIV/AIDS, lupus)
What are the Stages of Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy affects each individual differently; however, many providers would agree that neuropathy progresses in a similar order:
- Stage 1 – Faint Numbness, Tingling and/or Pain: The most common and earliest symptom of Neuropathy is numbness that develops in the feet, toes, arms, or fingers. These symptoms are not always present. The worsening of symptoms, whether fast or slow, can not be predicted and varies from person to person.
- Stage 2 – Consistent Numbness: Tingling and/or Pain At some point, and over time, the symptoms will most likely become constant. The symptoms may be at the same intensity, however, they are being felt all time time. While pain might not necessarily worsen during this stage, symptoms will likely be more noticeable as they will be present more often. Many people begin seeking out solutions for their symptoms during this stage.
- Stage 3 – Increasing Symptoms: Quite often after the symptoms become more constant, the pain will increase and often become unbearable. This particular stage is when the symptoms are most severe and overwhelming. The quality of life becomes greatly diminished and day-to-day activities, like walking, working, exercising, become challenging or impossible. It is vital that treatment begin before or during this stage in order to combat irreversible nerve damage. Irreversible nerve damage can bring about major medical events, which could possibly be avoided.
- Stage 4 – Total Numbness: The final neuropathy stage is when total numbness sets in and all sensation is lost in the affected areas. When this stage has been reached, there is most likely irreversible damage to the nerves. Serious interventions may be necessary, such as amputations, at this stage of Neuropathy.
What are the Treatments for Peripheral Neuropathy & Is there a Cure for Neuropathy?
What are treatment options for Peripheral Neuropathy at Select Health in Charlotte, NC?
Our doctor, board certified in peripheral neuropathy, provides some of the best peripheral neuropathy treatments in Charlotte, NC. Why? In our office, we treat peripheral neuropathy by focusing on the health of the peripheral nerves themselves, and not just symptom management.
Many patients ask if neuropathy will get better on its own, the answer to that question, is in all likelihood, no it will not. Our treatment protocol is designed to increase blood flow and nutrients to the areas of the affected nerves, which may help rejuvenate nerves and has returned patients’ feet and hands to how they felt prior to their symptoms. Our goal is to have the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy lessen and go away over time.
The treatment protocol utilizes FDA-cleared, highly advanced medical technology to increase blood flow to the nerves in the feet or hands. Our treatments are based on advanced non-surgical technologies. The treatment includes the exclusive MediNox Pro, which is based on Nobel Prize–winning research. Other possible treatments include:
- Class IV Laser Therapy
- Balance Therapy
- LED-IR Laser Therapy
- Recuperative Therapies
- Vibration Therapy
- Electro-Medicine
- MediNox Pro
Is there a Cure for Peripheral Neuropathy ?
Peripheral neuropathy is a progressively worsening condition, meaning that over time the damage to the nerves increases and can cause an increase in the severity of symptoms. Nerves do have the ability to heal. However, they heal at a very slow rate.
Similar to most diseases, there is currently no known cure for neuropathy. Fortunately, there are many safe treatments and therapies specifically designed to reduce symptoms and slow the progressive rate of nerve degeneration, by improving nerve health.
We welcome the opportunity to see if we can help you with your symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Give us a call today, 704-541-5555.
