Neuropathy

Neuropathy refers to nerve problems that often affect the feet, especially in people with diabetes. If you have pain, numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in your feet, visit Pinnacle Foot & Ankle Clinics in Burnsville or Edina, Minnesota. The experienced team will diagnose the cause of your neuropathy and provide effective treatment. Call Pinnacle Foot & Ankle Clinics or book an appointment online today for an expert assessment of your neuropathy.

What is neuropathy?

Neuropathy is nerve damage or dysfunction. It affects the peripheral nerves that spread throughout your body, relaying information to and from the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).

Peripheral nerves tell your brain when you feel sensations like pain, pleasure, hot, and cold. They also pass messages from your brain to your muscles and organs.

Neuropathy interferes with this communication, so the peripheral nerves don’t work as they should. Neuropathy can affect any peripheral nerves, but diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the main problem in feet.

Diabetes develops if you have too much sugar in your blood. Without careful management, high sugar levels damage the peripheral nerves, especially those in your feet. The nerves might send pain messages to your brain even with no tissue damage. Or you might have an injury and not realize it because you feel no pain.

What symptoms does neuropathy cause in the feet?

Neuropathy causes various symptoms, including:

• Sharp pain
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Prickling
• Itching
• Burning sensations

A single neuropathy symptom might affect the entire foot, or a combination of symptoms could appear in different parts of your foot.

If diabetic peripheral neuropathy causes numbness, you might be unaware of an injury. Cuts, punctures, ingrown toenails, and fungal nails can become infected because you don’t realize they’re there.

Diabetes also restricts blood circulation, so foot injuries don’t get enough oxygen, healing cells, and nutrients to repair the tissues. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy and poor circulation can result in slow-healing diabetic ulcers (open sores). Without expert care, these ulcers can develop severe infections that can lead to limb amputation.

How is neuropathy treated?

To treat your neuropathy successfully, the Pinnacle Foot & Ankle Clinics team first determines the underlying cause. Diabetes is most likely, so managing your condition well and seeing your doctor regularly for a diabetic foot check is vital.

The Pinnacle Foot & Ankle Clinics team is crucial in caring for feet affected by neuropathy. The team treats sores and problems like fungal nails. They can also trim your toenails and use sterilized instruments to remove corns and calluses.

Diabetic socks and shoes and custom-fitted orthotics (specially made supportive shoe inserts) can help prevent pain and neuropathy complications. Low-dose tricyclic antidepressants and anticonvulsant medications reduce pain and other unpleasant sensations.

Call Pinnacle Foot & Ankle Clinics or book an appointment online today for a neuropathy evaluation.