Living with Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetes is a frustrating and mysterious disease. Whether a person is diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar damages every cell in the body. Diet and exercise are critical to controlling diabetes, along with medication, including insulin. As the disease continues, one of the common issues is peripheral neuropathy.

How Diabetes Attacks the Body

The real short explanation of diabetes is this – when a person doesn’t make insulin (type 1) or doesn’t make enough or properly use insulin (type 2), they are diagnosed as diabetic. Insulin helps the body’s blood cells process sugar. If uncontrolled, the blood sugars become high enough to damage the body.

Blood cells with a high glucose level morph into cells with razor-sharp edges, like tiny bits of glass running through the bloodstream. From that view, it’s easy to understand how and why the damage happens. For example, one of the first places diabetics notice changes is in the feet. This is because those sharp-edged blood cells damage the nerves in the feet. These nerves are known as peripheral nerves.

Diabetes can also lead to high blood pressure, which contributes to peripheral neuropathy. Keeping your blood pressure and blood glucose under control is vital to prevent more damage. While nerve damage generally becomes noticeable first, other problems include damage to the eyes, heart and kidneys.

Living with Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage in the feet (and legs), presents symptoms of burning, tingling and numbness in the affected area. The symptoms are random and can be quite intense. People who suffer from peripheral neuropathy often try many different products to relieve the pain, with varying degrees of success.

Currently, there is no cure for peripheral neuropathy. However, chiropractic care has been shown to offer relief of symptoms for many patients.

Chiropractic Care for Neuropathy Symptoms

Although nerve damage cannot be reversed or repaired, help is available at Hanowell Spine Clinic. Dr. Dalton Hanowell will consult with you and then suggest a treatment plan. Medications, therapy exercises and nerve blocks may be used to treat your neuropathy. While the symptoms may not be eliminated, treatments can make the pain more tolerable.

Call for an exam and consultation today and learn more about chiropractic care for relief.