Peripheral neuropathy, a result of damage to the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves), often causes weakness, numbness and pain, usually in your hands and feet. It can also affect other areas of your body.
Podiatrist Dallas, Tx checks the peripheral nervous system sends information from your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) to the rest of your body. The peripheral nerves also send sensory information to the central nervous system.
Peripheral neuropathy can result from traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic problems, inherited causes and exposure to toxins. One of the most common causes is diabetes.
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that causes weakness, pain, and numbness in your extremities typically the hands and feet.
Your peripheral nerves send messages from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. When those nerves are damaged, these messages are interrupted and affect how your body responds to pain, temperature, and other reflexes.
Causes for Neuropathy
Not a single disease, peripheral neuropathy is nerve damage caused by a number of conditions. Health conditions that can cause peripheral neuropathy which assumed by Podiatrist Dallas, Tx include:
Autoimmune diseases.
These include Sjogren’s syndrome, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and vasculitis.
Diabetes.
More than half the people with diabetes develop some type of neuropathy.
Infections.
These include certain viral or bacterial infections, including Lyme disease, shingles, Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis B and C, leprosy, diphtheria, and HIV.
Limb loss
An uncommon form of neuropathic pain called phantom limb syndrome can occur when an arm or leg has been amputated. Despite the loss of that limb, your brain still thinks it’s receiving pain signals from the removed body part.
Tumors.
Growths, cancerous malignant and noncancerous benign, can develop on the nerves or press nerves. Also, polyneuropathy can arise as a result of some cancers related to the body’s immune response. These are a form of a degenerative disorder called paraneoplastic syndrome.
Other causes
Other causes of neuropathic pain include:
· vitamin B deficiency
· carpal tunnel syndrome
· thyroid problems
· facial nerve problems
· arthritis in the spine
Diagnosis of Neuropathy
Diagnosis of painful peripheral neuropathy may require several steps. A clinical examination will involve taking a complete patient history and checking tendon reflexes, muscle strength, motor function and the sense of touch.
Additionally, urine and blood specimens may be requested to check for metabolic or autoimmune disorders. Other tests might be needed.
Follow-up tests in the diagnosis of painful peripheral neuropathy may include:
· Nerve conduction velocity testing to see how fast electrical signals move; and
· Electromyography, which measures the electrical impulses of muscles at rest and during contraction
· For facial pain syndromes, brain scans using computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
· A spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to test for breakdown of myelin
· A biopsy of the nerves may even be ordered to inspect the extent of nerve damage
Peripheral neuropathy has many potential causes. Besides a physical exam, which may include blood tests, diagnosis usually requires:
· A full medical history.
Your Podiatrist will review your medical history, including your symptoms, your lifestyle, exposure to toxins, drinking habits and a family history of nervous system (neurological) diseases.
· Neurological examination.
Your Podiatrist might check your tendon reflexes, your muscle strength and tone, your ability to feel certain sensations, and your posture and coordination.
