It’s estimated that 190 million people globally have been diagnosed with some type of neuropathy. While chronic diseases, diabetes, and people living longer are on the rise, the need to treat neuropathy is crucial. The key to improving your quality of life is understanding neuropathy, its causes, symptoms, and current treatments.
Understanding Neuropathy
Damaged peripheral nerves (not including the spinal cord and brain) cause neuropathy. The damage can start in the tiniest nerve fiber of the skin and follow the nerves as they exit the spinal cord. It affects people by causing pain, tingling, and numbness in the affected areas. The hands and feet are the most impacted areas.
A common cause of neuropathy is diabetes, which is currently on the rise around the world.
Neuropathy is not fatal, but it steals your quality of life, making your activities of daily living difficult. While multiple factors can cause neuropathy, an individual may often have more than one underlying cause.
Causes of Neuropathy
- Diseases like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, Lupus, Lyme disease, and shingles can cause neuropathy.
- Infections cause neuropathy by attacking nerve tissue or by triggering the immune system to attack the nerves.
- Injuries such as crush injuries and cuts can damage the nerves directly. Repetitive strains and fractures can cause compressed nerves (nerves that are pinched between two surfaces), causing inflammation that irritates the nerves.
- Medications for heart issues, autoimmune conditions, chemotherapy drugs, antivirals, and antibiotics can lead to nerve damage.
- A Long History of Alcoholism affects the nerves in the arms and legs. It is believed the damage is induced by the toxic effects of the alcohol, lack of nutrition enhanced by the alcohol, and an increase in free radicals that attack the nerves.
More often than not, the cause of neuropathy can be found, but there are situations where the cause of neuropathy is never found!
Neuropathy by Type
There is a wide variety of neuropathy. They are named for the nerve damage caused, the number of nerves affected, and the location on the body where they are found. The following are the most common forms of neuropathy:
Affects the autonomic functions of the body, including bladder control, blood pressure, breathing, digestion, erectile dysfunction, and other bodily functions that occur automatically without conscious thought.
Nerves get their nutrition and oxygen from small blood vessels. As the high blood sugar damages these small vessels, there is no longer nutrition to the nerves, and neuropathy starts. Generally, diabetic neuropathy is seen in the feet and hands, but it can also affect the hips and thighs. High glucose levels also impact the autonomic nervous system, causing autonomic neuropathy.
Also known as focal neuropathy, affects a single nerve. This nerve damage causes conditions like Bell’s Palsy and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Impacts non-spinal and brain nerves like the arms, legs, feet, and hands. Peripheral neuropathy is debilitating and increasingly reduces your quality of life.
Affects multiple nerves simultaneously. A large number of the global population suffers from polyneuropathy.
Neuropathy Symptoms
Neuropathy damages sensation in the nerves. As a result, the sensation in the affected area is unusual discomfort. These sensations can feel like:
Losing the sensation in your feet puts you at risk for:
If you start experiencing one or more of these symptoms, please contact your physician. If these symptoms suddenly appear and progress quickly, seek immediate medical attention. The sooner you are diagnosed with neuropathy, the quicker you can be treated. The best outcome for neuropathy is early diagnosis!
Current Treatments for Neuropathy
Treatments vary by severity, location, and type of neuropathy you have.
Are a temporary solution for neuropathy. They provide temporary relief but must be repeated.
Is done to relieve pain, stiffness, muscle weakness, and soreness. A therapist may also have you exercise or massage the neuropathic area.
Is performed to release, remove, or repair the nerves that are the source of neuropathy, such as carpal tunnel surgery. Often, pain can be reduced in this way.
Like NSAIDs (Motrin and Ibuprofen) or acetaminophen are given to reduce pain and decrease inflammation.
Are applied where the neuropathy is to relieve its discomfort. Commonly used creams include Capsaicin and Lidocaine.
Such as antidepressants, has proven that anxiety and depression can enhance pain. Taking an antidepressant reduces the anxiety and depression that cause the discomfort. While it is not known how antiseizure meds relieve neuropathy, they are given as pain relief for pain in neuropathy, with proven relief.
Neuropathy causes a myriad of issues, including psychological ones. Losing the ability to do the things you love and losing your independence is emotionally challenging. Counseling is a great solution to help you get through this difficult time.
Using Stem Cells for Neuropathy
Stem Cells for neuropathy are not a cure. They are an alternative treatment for neuropathy. When used with your current treatments, an increasing number of people experience relief. Recent studies have proven that stem cells effectively relieve diabetic and inflammatory polyneuropathy.
Stem cells for peripheral neuropathy enhance the nerve’s healing process. Stem cells can become any cell in the body. Once they are introduced into the neuropathic location, they regenerate the area by repairing the damaged nerves, which includes the nerve’s protective layers. They also stimulate blood flow to the vessels, oxygenating and bringing nutrients to the nerve.
The amazing part of stem cells for neuropathy is that, after treatment, the stem cells continue to replenish new healthy cells!
Our stem cell specialists at Stem Life Clinic utilize mesenchymal stem cells harvested from placental tissue and Wharton’s jelly to treat patients with type I and type II diabetic neuropathy, Lupus, and Arthritis. Our reviews reflect the happiness of our clients!
Stem cells for peripheral neuropathy are a regenerative, alternative treatment intended to improve the quality of life by offering relief from the pain, numbness, and tingling associated with neuropathy.
