Neuropathy

What are the symptoms of neuropathy?

While several types of neuropathy exist, peripheral neuropathy and diabetic neuropathy most commonly affect your lower extremities. When you have neuropathy, you can experience a wide variety of symptoms, including:

• Muscle weakness
• Burning or stabbing
• Numbness or prickling
• Extreme sensitivity to touch
  
  

You may find that your neuropathy symptoms are so severe, you start experiencing issues with lack of coordination.

Why does neuropathy occur?

Even though neuropathy affects men and women of all ages, it’s more common among older adults. Your risk of suffering from neuropathy increases due to:

• Trauma, like sports injuries
• Blood sugar surges due to diabetes
• Repetitive stress, as with distance running
• Certain medications, including chemotherapy
• Autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis

Neuropathy can also stem from cancerous and noncancerous tumor growths. As these tumors develop, they put pressure on nerves, which causes lingering nerve damage.

At Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Center, Dr. Durfey or Dr. Hiapo performs a comprehensive examination to get to the root of why you have neuropathy. They may check your reflexes and muscle strength, run some blood tests, or conduct nerve function tests to diagnose your neuropathy. Once Dr. Durfey or Dr. Hiapo better understand your specific condition, they talk with you about your treatment options.

How is neuropathy treated?

Your neuropathy treatment plan from Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Center is tailored to you and the underlying cause of your nerve damage. It’s common for neuropathy treatment plans to involve several of the following therapies:

• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Topical numbing creams or patches
• Anti-seizure medications
• Antidepressants
  
  

Dr. Durfey and Dr. Hiapo are highly skilled in finding just the right neuropathy relief for minor to complex cases. They even provide minimally invasive procedures to relieve pressure on the affected nerve (decompression), or interrupt nerve signaling through temporary degeneration (neurolysis). Rest assured, at Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Center, you can expect relief from ongoing neuropathy discomfort.

Schedule your neuropathy evaluation at Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Center to get the pain relief you need. Book your neuropathy exam either online or over the phone.