Pain Relief for Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is a disorder that occurs when nerves that connect the spinal cord to muscles, skin, and internal organs become damaged. It primarily affects the feet and hands, but can affect other areas of the body. It causes a wide variety of symptoms including pain, burning, tingling, numbness, and electric shock sensations. 

At Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, our pain medicine providers – Drs. Kelly Zach, Phillip Essay, and Thomas Brooks, and Kelsey Hohlen, PA-C – have experience treating patients with peripheral neuropathy. They have helped patients who have sustained injury to the peroneal nerve (the nerve that is prominent in the knee region) regain complete sensation and movement of the foot and ankle. For patients with nerve entrapments (nerves that are bound in scar tissue), such as ilioinguinal neuritis after hernia repairs, treatments such as nerve blocks, medications, and specialized physical therapy can help. In patients who develop medication-induced neuropathy, especially from chemotherapy, a significant decrease in symptoms may occur over time.

Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy

Most instances of neuropathy are acquired or genetic. Some causes of an acquired peripheral neuropathy include:

  • Physical Injury.  This is the most common cause of acquired single-nerve injury, resulting from: Automobile accidents; Falls; Sports, Medical procedures; Broken or dislocated bones; Arthritis; Overuse
  • Diabetes
  • Vascular issues
  • Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis  
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Kidney and liver disorders
  • Nutritional or vitamin imbalances, alcoholism, and exposure to toxins 
  • Certain cancers and benign tumors
  • Chemotherapy drugs 
  • Infections. Viruses such as chicken pox, shingles, West Nile, and herpes simplex; Lyme disease; HIV

Genetically-caused polyneuropathies are rare.  Some genetic mutations lead to mild neuropathies with symptoms that begin in early adulthood and result in little, if any, significant impairment. More severe hereditary neuropathies often appear in infancy or childhood. 

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Peripheral Neuropathy

Nerves in your peripheral system have specific functions. Symptoms can vary depending on the type of nerve that is damaged or affected.  There are three categories of nerves, those that:

  • Respond to sensation, like heat, cold, pain, or touch, to the skin (sensory nerves)
  • Control muscle movement (motor nerves)
  • Control functions like blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, and bladder (autonomic nerves)

Some signs of peripheral neuropathy may include:

  • Slow or gradual progression, or in other cases, symptoms can literally appear overnight
  • Burning, tingling, numbness, or electric shock sensation
  • Pain in the feet when standing, walking, or other weight-bearing activities
  • Issues with balance and falling
  • Burning, tingling, numbness, or electric shock sensation
  • Muscle weakness
  • Numbness in hands and feet

Common symptoms of autonomic nerve damage include excess sweating, inability to tolerate heat, difficulty regulating blood pressure, and abdominal and bowel issues. 

Complex regional pain syndrome is a class of lingering neuropathies where small-fibers are mostly damaged.

It can be difficult to diagnose peripheral neuropathy because of the variety of symptoms patients experience. Your provider will usually start by obtaining your medical history, performing physical and neurological exams, and ordering various blood tests and genetic tests. Other tests may be requested, such as a nerve conduction study, EMG, nerve and skin biopsies, MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound of muscles and nerves.

Treatments for Peripheral Neuropathy 

Developing a treatment plan for peripheral neuropathy depends on the type of nerve damage, symptoms, and where the pain is located. At Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists, our providers will discuss with you the type of nerve damage that is causing your symptoms and what treatments will provide the best options for pain relief. Treatments may include:

  • Medications
  • Supplements
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) 
  • Physical therapy
  • Nerve block injections
  • Surgery

In some cases, neuropathy symptoms can completely go away, but these instances are rare. On occasion, if a specific nerve is injured, the nerve may be able to regenerate with restoration of feeling and movement.  

Other things you can do that don’t require medical intervention include: 

  • Healthy weight management
  • Avoidance of toxins, like alcohol
  • Eating a balanced diet
  • Replenishment of vitamin deficiencies 
  • Avoidance of smoking or tobacco use, including vaping 

For people with diabetes, controlling blood glucose levels has been shown to reduce symptoms and avoid further nerve damage.

We Can Help

If you’ve been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy and haven’t found relief from treatment, it may be time to contact the physicians at Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Drs. Kelly Zach, Phillip Essay, and Thomas Brooks are pain medicine physicians who are specially trained in treating peripheral neuropathy. Give us a call at 402-413-5010 and let us help you find relief from peripheral neuropathy pain.

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