Neuropathy Specialist

What is neuropathy?

Neuropathy, also called peripheral neuropathy, occurs when you suffer damage to your peripheral nerves, the nerves located outside of your brain and spinal cord. This often causes muscle weakness, numbness, and pain in your hands and feet. You may also experience complications with urination, digestion, and circulation. 

When your nerve cells, called neurons, are damaged or decayed in peripheral neuropathy, your neurons cannot communicate with each other or your brain. This causes you to lose feeling in parts of your body or prevents your bodily functions from performing as they should.

What are the causes of neuropathy?

Though neuropathy can result from traumatic injuries and exposure to toxins, its leading causes are diabetes and viral or bacterial infections. Autoimmune diseases, such as Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, also increase your chance of having peripheral neuropathy. 

Additional causes include:

• Inherited disorders, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
• Growths or cancerous and noncancerous tumors that press on the nerves
• Bone marrow disorders, like monoclonal gammopathies, myeloma, lymphoma, and amyloidosis
• Other diseases affecting your kidneys, liver, connective tissue, and thyroid

You also increase your chance of having neuropathy if you frequently consume an excess amount of alcohol, are exposed to poisons or toxic substances, use certain medications, such as chemotherapy, or lack crucial vitamins to support nerve health. 

How do you treat neuropathy?

Using multi-approach treatment plans, Dr. Haq provides several treatment options to create a treatment plan tailored to your needs. 

To treat your underlying conditions of neuropathy and relieve your symptoms, Dr. Haq may prescribe you medication depending on the intensity of your nerve pain. These medications could be pain relievers, anti-seizure medication, topical treatments, or antidepressants. 

If you prefer not to use medication or your symptoms persist, Dr. Haq also recommends different types of therapy or procedures to help your discomfort. If you have weak muscles, making it difficult to move as you please, physical therapy might be the right option to help you gain your strength. 

Additional therapies also exist, such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) —  where electrodes are positioned on your skin to deliver a small electric current — and immunosuppressive treatments for individuals with autoimmune disorders. 

On the other hand, if you have tumors that put pressure on your nerves, causing neuropathy, you may require surgery to prevent worsening symptoms. 

How can I prevent neuropathy?

To prevent peripheral neuropathy, you should make healthy lifestyle choices like maintaining a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. It’s also important that you prioritize staying active daily and avoiding toxic chemicals, smoking, and over consumption of alcohol. 

In addition, if you have diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or alcoholism, you must manage your underlying conditions by visiting with your doctor frequently to monitor your health. 

To learn more about how to prevent, diagnose, and treat neuropathy, call Pain Management of North Dallas, PA, in Frisco, Texas, or use the online booking tool today.