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Neuropathy can be mild or severe. It may come and go or linger. Diabetes, shingles, and CNS disorders can cause it. Medications, physical therapy, counseling, and surgery may all be used to treat neuropathic pain. Treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet often includes physical therapy, medications, lifestyle changes to relieve pain.

What is Neuropathic Pain?

Neuropathic pain results from nervous system malfunction or damage. Pain can come from your peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and brain. Your central nervous system is made up of your brain and spinal cord. Peripheral nerves supply organs, arms, legs, fingers, and toes. So finding a best neuropathy clinic near me can help dealing with ongoing discomfort such as tingling, sensations and numbness.

Neuropathy is nerve dysfunction. About 30% of neuropathy cases are caused by diabetes, but hundreds of other diseases, including shingles, HIV/AIDS, and alcoholism, can also cause it. The Neuropathy center in Hillsboro offers various treatments for different types of pain.

Types of Neuropathy

Additionally, neuropathies include:

• Chronic pain sufferers most often have peripheral neuropathy. It damages nerves that send signals from the brain and spinal cord to the body.

• Autonomic neuropathy: It affects the nerves that control your heart, blood pressure, sweating, and digestion.

• Focal neuropathy: A single or group of nerves is affected. Most common is optic neuropathy, which can cause vision loss.

Common Leg & Foot Neuropathy Symptoms 

The most common neuropathy symptom is pain. This can cause mild to severe pain. Other neuropathic pain symptoms:

• Burning: Foot neuropathy can cause burning.

• Neuropathy can cause sharp, shooting pain in your feet or legs.

• Constriction: Your feet or legs may feel squeezed.

• You may feel pressure in your feet or legs.

• Pins & Needles: These neuropathic pain symptoms cause foot and leg tingling or prickling. It often feels like pins and needles when you tingle.

• Numbness: Your feet or legs may feel numb.

• Restless Leg Syndrome: You may be compelled to move. This can disrupt sleep. You may have trouble walking or balancing.

Causes of Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is often unexplained. But common neuropathic pain causes include:

• Alcoholism

• Amputation

• Chemotherapy, diabetes, facial nerve issues

• AIDS or HIV

• Multiple myeloma

• Multiple sclerosis

• Pressure on nerves or the spinal cord from bulging discs or arthritis in the spine

• Shingles

• Spine surgery

• Syphilis

• Thyroid issues

Neuropathy Pain Treatment

Antidepressants and anticonvulsants are usually first-line neuropathy treatments in Ennis. Aleve or Motrin may relieve neuropathic pain, according to some studies. Someone may need a stronger painkiller. Discuss the pros and cons of your medication with a nerve pain specialist near me. Better diabetes management may reduce pain. Effective neuropathic pain treatment can also prevent nerve damage. To treat tough cases, a pain specialist might use an invasive or implantable device. Electrical stimulation of neuropathic pain nerves can reduce pain.

Initial Treatments

Treatment and medication are often needed to manage neuropathic pain.

For most patients, treating neuropathic pain involves one of these:

• Duloxetine or Elavil (amitriptyline) antidepressants

• Anti-seizure drugs like Neurontin or Lyrica

Unique Therapies

Certain types of neuropathic pain require special treatment.

Postherpetic neuralgia often causes localized neuropathic pain, which can be treated with a lidocaine patch. Surgery may be needed to release a compressed nerve, as in carpal tunnel syndrome. So this option can be suggested by neuropathy doctors in Dallas. Herniated discs cause pain due to an inflamed spinal nerve, so an epidural steroid injection is sometimes given. Some medications treat specific neuropathic pain conditions. For instance, trigeminal neuralgia causes severe, stabbing neck and facial pain. Anti-seizure medications Tegretol or Trileptal treat this disorder. 

Medical Treatments

Neuropathy may require medical treatment to treat its cause. This includes:

• TENS relieves neuropathy pain by sending electrical signals to the nerves.

• Using ergonomic casts or splints can protect your feet and legs from injury if you need foot neuropathic pain treatment.

Complementary Medicine

Several complementary therapies can relieve neuropathic pain. The following therapies are often used with medications:

• Physical/occupational therapy

• Electrical stimulation

• Relaxation therapy

• Acupuncture

• Therapeutic massage

Natural Leg & Foot Neuropathy Treatments

Natural treatments for neuropathy pain exist in addition to medical ones. This includes:

• Many vitamins and supplements can treat neuropathy. These include vitamin B6, omega-3s, and alpha-lipoic acid.

• Capsaicin in cayenne pepper provides nerve pain relief.

• Quitting smoking can improve neuropathy symptoms.

• Essential oils like lavender and chamomile may relieve nerve pain.

• Exercise improves blood flow and reduces inflammation.

• Relax and manage pain with meditation.

• Thin needles are inserted into the skin for acupuncture. It may relieve pain by stimulating the nervous system.

How to Prevent Neuropathic Pain?

You can't always avoid nerve pain. You can lower your risk, though:

• Stop smoking.

• Find an exercise routine you like.

• Get plenty of fresh produce, whole grains, and lean proteins.

• Alcohol consumption should be limited.

• Diabetes requires close blood sugar monitoring and foot care.

When Does Neuropathy Pain Require Surgery?

If lifestyle changes, physical therapy, and medications don't work, the nerve pain doctor in Dallas may suggest a surgical implant for neuropathic pain. Neuromodulation devices such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS), dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRG) and peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) use electrical stimulation of the nervous system to interrupt pain signals.

This changes the way you feel the pain. These are surgically implanted under the skin. They're only used for severe pain that doesn't respond to conservative treatments. Most of these devices have a trial period before proceeding to surgery. You go home with skin-inserted electrical leads. Before implanting it under the skin, the device will be tested for pain relief. The best neuropathy doctors in Dallas use effective approaches with a combination of treatments and therapies.

Note From Primer Pain Centers