Treatment for Neuropathy in Legs and Feet
Neuropathy, commonly known as peripheral neuropathy or neuropathy, refers to nerve damage that results after a person experiences a loss or malfunction of peripheral nerves.
Neuropathy is defined as “a disorder of the peripheral nervous system in which there is damage or disease of the peripheral nerves.” This nerve damage can be caused by disease, physical trauma, metabolic disorders, toxicities, or medications, among other origins. Peripheral neuropathies are typically associated with diabetes, thyroid disease, alcohol abuse, and cancer treatments.
Overall, nerve impulses travel down the length of a nerve, and upon arrival of the nerve ending, a signal is created. Therefor, an interruption in the nerve will interrupt that signal and cause pain or other symptoms like burning, numbness, and swelling.
Typically, the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy manifest themselves as an abnormal sensation, such as tingling, pain, burning, numbness, or prickliness of the skin, which can occur in any part of the body, particularly in the hands and feet.
The condition of peripheral neuropathy usually occurs in older adults, with approximately 6 million people living with it in the United States. While peripheral neuropathy is more common in people over the age of 60, however, it can also materialize in young people. It may be present at birth or develop later in life.
Chemotherapy is a common cause of the legs, feet, and hands neuropathy.
Unfortunately, no effective treatments are available to help relieve neuropathy pain, regardless of the cause. If you have been experiencing chronic neuropathic pain and numbness, and are unsure where to turn for help, consider reading the rest of the article below and getting in touch with us to learn about the most effective treatment options for your condition.
As a rule of thumb, the greater the severity of neuropathy pain in your legs and feet, the more aggressive the treatment regimen should be. Some people can take simple measures to help manage the pain, and others require more intensive treatment methods to bring relief.
First, what are the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition where the peripheral nerves, which carry messages from our brain to every part of the body, are damaged. Nerve damage can occur at any age, but it’s most commonly seen in people over the age of 50.
It can cause pain, numbness, weakness, and edema in different affected body areas.
There are several risk factors for neuropathy: diabetes, alcohol abuse, smoking, medication use, and obesity. All of these conditions increase the risk of developing neuropathy.
Symptoms can appear gradually or suddenly, and many people are unaware they suffer from neuropathy until its advanced stages. In its earliest stages, neuropathy often goes undiagnosed and untreated. People with neuropathy often experience pain or discomfort and tingling or burning sensations.
Some symptoms include:
- Pain in the feet or legs
- Difficulty walking, especially after extended periods
- Weakness or numbness in the arms or hands
- Loss of feeling in the fingers or toes
- Changes in skin color or texture
- Changes in sensation or balance
- Urinary urgency or frequency
- Frequent falls
- Edema of the hands, legs, and feet
What causes peripheral neuropathy?
These conditions can happen due to several factors but can be extremely painful and debilitating. They often manifest themselves in the form of tingling, burning, or numbness in the hands and feet and can affect the arms, legs, or the face.
We can break down the causes of peripheral neuropathy into two main categories. First, neuropathy of the legs and feet due to diseases like diabetes or alcoholism will ( most commonly ) destroy the nerve endings. Frequently, no conditions are diagnosed to pinpoint the cause of neuropathy. Those cases are called idiopathic ( no known cause ) and are troubling to the patients and physicians treating them.
Neuropathy can result in sensory changes in the hands, feet, or face. Those changes can lead to severe discomfort, numbness, tingling, burning, pain, or loss of feeling. In the case of neuropathy of feet, patients can not feel the ground and so do not experience feedback from the ground when they stand up and walk. As a result, their gait is wider than average in order to add stability to their walking.
Generally accepted treatment of neuropathy in legs and feet:
- Medications that target the brain and possibly can dull the sensation of pain. The most common of them are Gabapentin and Lyrica, and in some cases, the use of narcotics to control the pain. These centrally-acting medications might help the pain, but it is associated with severe side effects that affect the brain, like tiredness, double vision, loss of memory, and dizziness. Disturbing side effects limit the effectiveness of the medications.
- Some cases are treated with nerve blocks directed at the spinal cord and the central nerves like epidural nerve blocks or transforaminal nerve blocks.
Our RESET pain management for neuropathy of legs and feet
Over the 40 years we have been treating patients, we discovered a revolutionary way to treat neuropathy in the legs and feet. In my experience with thousands of patients with neuropathy in the legs and feet, I concluded that the current treatments available to patients with neuropathies are not providing relief. Over thousands of trials and errors, I created an effective treatment modality, tested it on multiple patients, and made it a reality where I can help patients with neuropathy of the legs and feet. Our extensive research culminated with the creation of the most effective approach to currently treating neuropathic pain in the legs and feet.
During our treatments of patients with neuropathy in their legs & feet, we realized that the pain is not only created and transmitted in the spinal cord and central nerves but also at the level of Hyperactive nerves. Therefore, if hyperactive nerves are part of the problem, they must be the solution. Our Invention consists of resetting (RESET) the activity level of a hyperactive nerve back to normal levels allowing the nerves to fire at an average level. Once we RESET the nerve to an average and tolerable level, the burning, numbness, cramping, and pain improve.
After the RESET treatment, Patients report feeling the ground when walking; they describe improved gait and steadiness. They explain that since the treatment, they can sleep at night as the burning and cramping are all minimized down to a functional level. Patients are pleased when they report that they can close their hands, which they have been unable to do for years. In addition, their feet are less swollen, and they can wear regular shoes again. Some even state that their condition has disappeared and are pleased with it.