A SERIOUS COMPLICATION OF DIABETES
Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by prolonged high blood sugar levels, a common complication of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It most often affects the nerves in the feet and legs, causing debilitating symptoms like burning, tingling, and numbness. While managing your blood sugar is the most important step to prevent further damage, it often doesn't resolve existing pain. As pain management specialists, we work with you and your primary care team to provide advanced treatments specifically designed to control your neuropathic symptoms and dramatically improve your quality of life.
UNDERLYING CAUSES
The development of diabetic neuropathy is a complex process, but it is primarily driven by the toxic effects of high blood sugar on the nervous system and its supporting structures.
The primary culprit. Sustained high glucose levels can directly injure nerve fibers and interfere with their ability to transmit signals properly.
Diabetes harms the tiny blood vessels that supply nerves with oxygen and nutrients. This lack of blood flow contributes to nerve fiber damage.
The risk of developing neuropathy increases the longer you have diabetes, especially if your blood sugar levels are poorly controlled over many years.
Factors like smoking, which further damages blood vessels, and excessive alcohol use can significantly worsen nerve damage and increase pain.
RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS
The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy most often begin in both feet and slowly progress up the legs in a "stocking" pattern. Later, the hands can be affected in a "glove" pattern.
The most common initial symptoms are a persistent burning, tingling, or "pins and needles" sensation in the toes and feet.
Patients often experience sharp, stabbing, or electric shock-like pains that can occur spontaneously, especially at night.
A key sign of nerve pain where even the light touch from socks or bedsheets can feel intensely painful (allodynia).
A dangerous reduction in the ability to feel pain or temperature in the feet, which can lead to unnoticed cuts, blisters, and serious infections.
As numbness progresses, it becomes difficult to feel the ground beneath your feet, leading to unsteadiness, poor coordination, and an increased risk of falling.
In later stages, nerve damage can affect muscles, leading to weakness in the feet and ankles and, in some cases, foot deformities like hammertoes.
The burning, tingling, and numbness of diabetic neuropathy can severely impact your mobility, sleep, and quality of life. While managing your blood sugar is essential, advanced pain management can effectively treat your symptoms. Contact us to learn about modern therapies like SCS that can significantly reduce your neuropathic pain.