woman holding foot for sensation

 

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that develops when the peripheral nerves in your legs and feet sustain damage. Most commonly caused by diabetes, neuropathy may also be the result of illnesses, chemotherapy or several other conditions. Regardless of the cause, all forms of neuropathy produce symptoms such as numbness, weakness and tingling, pricking, and/or burning pain in the legs and feet. 

Advanced Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy

There are multiple ways to treat the pain of peripheral neuropathy. In the office, if you come in for peripheral neuropathy relief, we will conduct diagnostic testing to determine the ideal treatment plan. We perform ABI (Ankle Brachial Index) to assess the flow of blood in your legs and Sudomotor testing to assess the function of your sweat glands. In combination, the results of these tests can help us determine the presence of small fiber neuropathies; it can also help us understand whether arterial factors are contributing to your symptoms. This information will let us know if you can benefit from Neuremedy, a medical-food that contains bioactive Vitamin B1, helping relieve numbness and neuropathic pain by addressing nutritional deficiencies. If Neuremedy is not indicated, oral and topical medications may help provide relief. 

Unfortunately, not all patients experience relief from commonly prescribed treatments for neuropathy. As such, Dr. Jason Wilks has filled the void for many patients with diabetic neuropathy, helping relieve pain where others cannot by prescribing Qutenza. After receiving FDA approval in 2020, this medication became the first topical treatment with a TRPV1 agonist that addresses the neuropathic pain of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. As the only podiatrist in Roseburg providing this treatment option, we are thrilled to be relieving neuropathy pain for those who have failed to find relief with other treatment options. 

While Qutenza is only approved for diabetic neuropathy pain, we can also offer advanced care for patients with neuropathy that is idiopathic or due to causes other than diabetes. In such cases, Shockwave Therapy may offer pain relief. Additionally, you may benefit from Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), a treatment involving a small device that sends low-level electrical currents through electrodes on the skin, helping stimulate damaged nerves and reducing pain signals sent to the brain for fast relief.