Neuropathy Pain- Chronic pain caused by nerve damage, nerve dysfunction, or nerve injury. These damaged nerves can cause weakness, “pins and needles” sensations, burning, shooting, or tingling pain, and numbness. Common causes of neuropathy pain include trauma, diabetes, chemotherapy, shingles, spine surgery, kidney disorders, vascular damage, blood diseases, and amputation.
Diabetic Neuropathy- “Having high blood glucose for many years can damage the blood vessels that bring oxygen to some nerves, as well as the nerve coverings. Damaged nerves may stop sending messages, or send messages too slowly or at the wrong times. Numbness, pain, and weakness in the hands, arms, feet, and legs may develop… Diabetic neuropathy is the medical term for damage to the nervous system from diabetes. The most common type is peripheral neuropathy, which affects the arms and legs”. – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/problems.htm
Neuropathy Pain and Diabetic Neuropathy Signs & Symptoms:
- Muscle weakness
- Burning sensations
- Pain similar to the sensation of electricity- electric pain
- Sharp, prickling, jabbing pain (“pins and needles”)
- Pain that can be worse at night, negatively affecting sleep patterns
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Feeling like gloves or socks are being worn, when they aren’t
More about Peripheral Neuropathy from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/peripheralneuropathy/detail_peripheralneuropathy.htm
More about Diabetic Neuropathy from the American Diabetes Association website: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/neuropathy/?loc=lwd-slabnav
Neuropathy Pain Treatment
See the University of Chicago’s Center for Peripheral Neuropathy website for treatment information: http://peripheralneuropathycenter.uchicago.edu/learnaboutpn/treatment/index.shtml