Sometimes, when your foot falls asleep, you experience tingling and numbness. While it only lasts for a minute or so, it feels like forever. Now, imagine having numbness, tingling, and pain in your feet and legs every day. Individuals with peripheral neuropathy suffer from these symptoms daily. Understanding why peripheral neuropathy occurs and the benefits of stem cells can help improve the quality of life for many.
🧠 Understanding Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral Neuropathy, also called neuropathy, is an impairment of the peripheral nerves connecting the spinal cord and brain to the body. The condition results in burning, numbness, pain, weakness, and tingling in both limbs, extending to the toes and fingertips, in individuals with the condition.
Sensation and movement signals are transmitted through the brain and spinal cord, then distributed throughout the body. When the peripheral nerves become damaged, these signals are scrambled, and erratic pain signals are sent to the brain. The resulting pain is peripheral neuropathy.
Peripheral neuropathy affects approximately 194 million individuals worldwide. Unfortunately, many people remain undiagnosed.
⚠️ What Causes Peripheral Neuropathy?
The most common cause of neuropathy is diabetes. Diabetes causes approximately eighty percent of the people who have peripheral neuropathy. Uncontrolled high glucose levels can compromise nerve fibers, leading to neuropathy.
- Alcohol Abuse, mainly over a long period of time, compromises peripheral nerves, resulting in peripheral neuropathy. Because alcohol abusers drink more than they eat, it is also common for them to have vitamin deficiencies.
- Autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, can cause inflammation that affects the nerves
- Hereditary genetic disorders can damage nerve fibers
- Infections can damage nerve function, along with bacteria, parasites, and viruses
- Injuries or trauma from surgery and accidents can compromise nerves
- Compression injuries, where nerves in the wrist or spine have been subjected to pressure, can injure nerves
- Vitamin deficiencies, such as those of niacin, B1, B6, B12, and vitamin E, can lead to nerve impairment
- Toxin exposure from chemotherapy also damages peripheral nerves
These eight causes account for the remaining twenty percent of individuals with peripheral neuropathy.
⚠️ Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms
Symptoms are based on the nerve or group of nerves that send the signals to the brain.
Three areas are affected by the nerves: motor signals, sensory signals, pain signals, and the autonomic nerves.
Motor: Signals for muscle movement are sent by the brain; when this doesn’t happen or is impaired,
individuals experience weakness in the muscles and, in severe cases, paralysis.
- Muscle weakness can affect one group of muscles or all the muscles, depending on its severity. Muscle weakness sets in when the muscles are not properly used.
- Muscle atrophy is the process by which a muscle shrinks due to disuse. In some cases, it can cause deformities of the hands and feet
- Uncontrollable muscle movement happens when the brain loses its communication with the nerves. The nerves become overly active, and the result is muscle cramps
Sensory: The peripheral nerves are responsible for interpreting the world around you. It signals the brain to use the senses. If that signal doesn’t reach the brain, you can lose your sensory abilities.
- Lack of Balance and Coordination is caused by the loss of sensation from the damaged nerves. With poor sensation awareness, your balance is off, and you lack coordination.
- Tingling is caused by a signal that is not picked up. Think of it as the internet, but your device won’t connect to it.
- Neuropathic Pain happens when damaged nerves send erratic pain messages. The resulting pain is disruptive to your quality of life.
Autonomic symptoms are seen mostly from the use of chemotherapy and other toxins, spinal cord injuries, and in aging adults. These are functions you don’t need to think about, like your vital signs. When none or a few autonomic signals are interrupted, you can experience all the symptoms or one or two.
- Erratic Vital Signs are common in autonomic peripheral neuropathy. When you stand, your blood pressure drops, but your heart rate increases due to the compromised nerves.
- Bowel and Bladder Control: The loss of autonomic nerve signals can lead to accidents in bowel and bladder control.
- Extreme Changes in Sweating are how the body maintains its temperature. After the peripheral nerves are damaged, you can sweat profusely or not at all. This can happen occasionally or all at once, depending on the extent of nerve damage. After a meal, is a common time for profuse sweating!
💊 Current Peripheral Neuropathy Treatments
Currently, the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are treated with medications, physical and occupational therapy to increase function and control muscles, pain reduction, and spinal cord treatments using stim devices. Unfortunately, these therapies do not help many with peripheral neuropathy. However, when these therapies are used in conjunction with stem cell treatments for peripheral neuropathy, many individuals experience increased improvement and an enhanced quality of life.
🩺 Choosing Stem Cell Treatments for Peripheral Neuropathy
When selecting stem cells, it is essential to understand that stem cells won’t cure peripheral neuropathy. Stem cells are used in combination with your current neuropathy regimen. Our stem cell experts at Stem Life Clinic utilize mesenchymal stem cells harvested from bone marrow, adipose tissue (fat tissue), and umbilical cords. We offer the finest stem cell treatments at more affordable prices than our counterparts in Tijuana and the US.
Stem cells can morph into any cell in the body. Once introduced into your body through an IV infusion, the stem cells migrate to the site that needs help. In this case, the peripheral nerves. The stem cells begin to restore peripheral nerve cells, reduce inflammation, and revitalize nerve function, thereby improving symptoms. Stem cell treatments for peripheral neuropathy can offer symptom relief, improving your quality of life.
Stem cell treatments are non-invasive, with no downtime required for recovery, and the stem cells continue to regenerate for months to years after the treatment is completed.
🔬 Benefits and Disadvantages of Stem Cells for Peripheral Neuropathy
Stem cell treatments for peripheral neuropathy address the symptoms at the cellular level, where medications can’t, and they also rejuvenate the nerves, something current therapies don’t do. Unfortunately, not everyone is a candidate for stem cells. Stem cell therapies can also be very expensive.
Stem Life Clinic offers stem cell therapies for neurological, pulmonary, diabetes, autoimmune, and other chronic diseases. Don’t just treat chronic illnesses; treat them with stem cells that can alleviate symptoms and rejuvenate the affected cells.
Our bilingual staff will meet you at the airport and accompany you to your hotel, restaurants, and appointments. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our stem cell specialists and start your journey to better health through stem cells.
