What is Neuropathy?

Neuropathy is simply a problem with your nerves. “Neuro” refers to nerve and “pathy” means dysfunction. In this article, I will be discussing peripheral neuropathy, referring to the nerves in the hands and feet. Unfortunately, the vast majority of cases are progressive. That means that if you are curious about getting treatment, you may have noticed that your symptoms are getting worse. The disease process does not stop and, unfortunately, 200,000 people require amputation each year because of this terrible condition.

What causes Peripheral Neuropathy?

There are around 46.5 million people in America who have neuropathy. Nearly a third of neuropathy cases are a complication of diabetes, which means there are 15.5 million Americans with diabetic neuropathy. Another third is caused by anything from military chemical exposure to chemotherapy drugs. The last third of peripheral neuropathy “idiopathic”, meaning that medical doctors do not know why it has developed. For most cases of neuropathy, it is actually a disorder of the circulatory system.

Whether neuropathy is caused by diabetes, agent orange exposure, or chemotherapy, the mechanism of how the disease develops is the same. The medications or chemical agents, even elevated blood sugar, travel through the bloodstream and pools most commonly in the feet. The chemicals in the blood damage the small blood vessels, or capillaries, in the skin.

When the blood vessels in the skin become damaged enough, the blood flow is reduced to the area. Nerves need a high amount of nourishment as they are much more active tissue than muscle, for example. When the blood flow to the skin is not sufficient to sustain the high requirements of the nerve tissue, the nerves begin to disfunction.

Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy

As described above, most cases of neuropathy are related to a lack of blood flow to the skin of the feet and sometimes the hands. The first and most common symptoms that patients notice is that their feet are usually cold. Blood carries heat and, and without adequate blood flow, they may notice that their feet are unusually cold. This is a sign that the disease process has started, and it may be just a matter of time before they start to experience neurological symptoms.

As the nerves begin to degenerate, a patient may start to feel pins and needles or tingling, maybe a burning sensation in their feet. These symptoms are typically worse at night and may be tolerable for years, starting to appear occasionally and not being much of a concern, more of an annoyance. As previously mentioned, the majority of cases of neuropathy are progressive, meaning that whatever symptoms you are experiencing will only continue to get worse over time. I have personally worked with patients who have experienced muscle cramping in their feet that brings them to tears. They have not been able to sleep for years because of the pain and their quality of life is significantly diminished due to mobility issues.