Navigating Neuropathy

Have you been experiencing tingling, burning, or numbness in your feet? If so, you may have a condition called peripheral neuropathy. When you damage the nerves located around the outside of your brain and spinal cord, it commonly results in neuropathy. This condition can sometimes be painful and difficult to manage, but luckily, it can be treated, and symptoms often improve. Here’s everything you need to know about neuropathy.

Symptoms

Curious to know if your pain is peripheral neuropathy? Below are some signs you have this condition:

• Numbness, prickling, and tingling in your feet that can spread into your legs

• Muscle weakness

• Feeling as though you’re wearing socks, even if you aren’t

• Foot pain, even if you’re sitting

• Throbbing or burning pain

• Sharp pains

• Loss of coordination, which can lead to falls

• Excessive sweating

• Paralysis, in serious cases

Causes

There are a host of reasons why you can suddenly develop neuropathy. Causes include, but are not limited to…

• Diabetes

• Alcoholism

• Autoimmune diseases, like lupus or arthritis

• Tumors

• Kidney or liver disease

• Certain medications

• Injury to the nerve

• Vitamin deficiencies

Treatment

With nerve disorders, it’s crucial you see a podiatrist at the first signs of your condition. Getting back on the right track to healthy feet is easier if you start treatment sooner rather than later. Here are some of the treatment options your podiatrist will likely suggest:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers

• Prescribed painkillers

• Topical creams

• Supplements

• Injection therapy

• Physical therapy

• Surgery

Prevention

The best defense against neuropathy? Taking extra care of your health to ensure you stay away from nerve damage. Some ways you can support your nerve health are by…

• Eating a protein, vitamin-rich diet

• Exercising regularly

• Avoiding repeated motions, toxic chemicals, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption

Here at PodiatryCare, PC, and the Heel Pain Center, we specialize in custom orthotics, along with various other foot and ankle ailments. Dr. Charlotte George, Dr. Matthew Tschudy, Dr. Rebecca Wiesner, Dr. Kristen Winters, Dr. Laura Vander Poel, and the rest of our team are dedicated to helping our Hartford County patients. To schedule an appointment at our Enfield location, call (860) 741-3041; for an appointment at our South Windsor location, call (860) 644-6525.