Ever felt a tingling or numbness in your feet and hands? What about a painful burning sensation? This could be a sign of nerve damage or neuropathy.
Neuropathy is a set of conditions caused by damage to the nerves in the peripheral nervous system. The nervous system has two main parts: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is comprised of the spinal cord and brain. The vertebrae of the spinal cord are designed to protect the nerves from damage and injury. Unlike the central nervous system, the nerves in the peripheral nervous system are not protected by bone so are constantly exposed to mechanical injury or irritation.
Nerve damage can disrupt the body's ability to communicate with internal organs, muscles, and joints. This neuropathy can lead to pain, loss of motor control, and muscle weakness.
Neuropathy can be caused by injury or trauma, pressure on the nerves, nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, tumors, infections, and more. Often times a patient's peripherial neuropathy is caused by a combination of factors.
Chiropractic can reduce the pain and progression of neuropathic pain for some patients. Since the causes of neuropathy are varied, your chiropractor will cater your neuropathy treatment to the type and severity of your condition. Chiropractors can draw on a number of natural treatments to treat neuropathy like chiropractic adjustments, nutritional counseling, physical therapy, low-level infrared light therapy, massage, acupuncture and more.
If you suffer from neuropathic pain, it's crucial to seek treatment now to prevent the nerve damage from worsening.