What are the Symptoms of Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy, which simply means damage to nerves that make up your peripheral nervous system, is a complex set of conditions that can take many different forms and produce a variety of different symptoms. These nerves have a wide range of responsibilities, including processing sensations, controlling muscles, and regulating internal organ function. The actual symptoms you experience, then, depend on what types of nerves are damaged, and where in the body they are located.

The most common symptoms of neuropathy tend to involve sensory nerves in your hands and feet. These nerves transmit information regarding your physical senses to the central nervous system, where they can be processed. When that connection has been damaged, you may feel “phantom” pain or discomfort in your lower legs with no obvious cause.

The exact sensation may feel like a sharp stab, dull ache, pins and needles, electric prickling, burning, freezing, throbbing, or something else entirely. The only constant is that it doesn’t seem to have any obvious external cause. Eventually, as the condition progresses, you may develop partial or total numbness that gradually spreads upward to the legs.

However, sensory nerves are not the only ones that may be damaged. Your peripheral nervous system also contains motor nerves and autonomic nerves, and they produce entirely different symptoms when damaged.

Motor nerves control physical movement, so when they are damaged you may feel weakness—or even paralysis—in muscles, particularly those of the legs and feet. Cramping, involuntary muscle twitching, and reduction in reflexes are also common.

Autonomic nerves regulate your body’s internal organs, such as breathing, digestion, and gland function. When peripheral neuropathy affects these nerves, it may cause disruptions in sweating patterns and heat tolerance, problems with digestion or bladder control, dizziness, blood pressure problems, and more.

Neuropathy is progressive and will generally continue to get worse unless you take steps to correct it. Furthermore, the worse it gets, the more difficult it becomes to treat. If you observe any symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, it’s imperative that you see the specialists at Wilks Advanced Foot Care. In addition to more traditional treatments, we offer advanced laser therapy that not only alleviates pain, but can actually help the nerve fibers themselves regenerate.

To make an appointment with our team in Roseburg, OR, please give us a call today at (541) 673-0742. You can also drop us a line online using our contact form.