Category: Diabetes

Experiencing diabetic neuropathy can be quite distressing. A question that many individuals living with diabetes might find themselves asking is, can diabetic neuropathy be reversed? Don’t worry; we’re here to answer this important question and shed some light on this uncomfortable symptom.

While completely reversing diabetic neuropathy may not always be possible, it is well worth exploring ways to manage the impact of symptoms and prevent any further nerve damage from occurring. By taking proactive steps and intervening early, you can find solutions that significantly reduce pain and discomfort and improve your quality of life.

In this article, we’ll explore the common types of diabetic neuropathy and their unique characteristics. We’ll also discuss various conventional treatment options commonly prescribed to help manage this condition.

When it comes to individuals experiencing persistently painful and debilitating symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, finding effective treatment becomes a top priority.

We’ll introduce how the specialized Neurofunctional Pain Management techniques offered by Neuragenex provide an innovative approach to finding relief from pain without resorting to heavy medications or invasive surgeries.

Let’s begin by taking a closer look at what diabetic neuropathy is and what it is that causes your painful symptoms.

Understanding Diabetic Neuropathy and Its Prevalence

Diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes that causes damage to the nerves throughout the body. This results from elevated blood sugar levels, which over time, can lead to disruptions in nerve function and communication, resulting in various uncomfortable and often painful symptoms.

The prevalence of diabetic neuropathy is striking, where sufferers of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can experience its effects. Nearly half of all people who have diabetes will develop neuropathy during their lifetime, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). It is more prevalent among those who have struggled with diabetes for a long time or those who have difficulty managing their diabetes.

Depending on the severity and type of diabetic neuropathy, it can cause mild to severe pain, particularly in the hands and feet. Additionally, it can provoke further complications such as ulcers and infections, muscle weakness, and, in severe cases, amputation of the affected area. These symptoms carry the potential to deeply influence the daily lives of those affected.

The impact of diabetic neuropathy can vary widely, highlighting how important it is to better understand this condition. In the next section, we will discuss the different types of diabetic neuropathy and their distinct symptoms.

Types Of Diabetic Neuropathy And Their Symptoms

There are several distinct types of diabetic neuropathy, each displaying an identifiable set of symptoms. These variations exist due to the many ways high blood sugar, a hallmark of diabetes, impacts different nerves of the body. Let’s explore the different classifications and their effects below:

Peripheral Neuropathy

As the most common type of diabetic neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy is what most people may picture when thinking of this condition. It damages the nerves in the hands, arms, feet, and legs, where it typically begins with sensations of numbness.

Over time, it can lead to mild to severe neuropathic pain and loss of most or all local sensation. Even the early stages of peripheral neuropathy can impact routine activities, making walking, exercising, or dexterous tasks a challenge.

Autonomic Neuropathy

Autonomic neuropathy poses a different set of challenges to those affected. This type of neuropathy damages the autonomic nerves, which control many of the body’s involuntary functions. This can affect an individual’s heart rate, blood pressure, bladder, digestive tract, and genitals.

Symptoms of autonomic neuropathy will vary, depending on its severity and the areas affected. Digestive upsets such as constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and bowel incontinence can develop. Additionally, urinary tract areas may be impacted, causing infrequent urination, bladder infections, or incontinence.

If autonomic neuropathy affects the nerves that control heart rate and blood pressure, it can cause dizziness and fainting, along with slow, fast, or abnormal heart rates. A further uncomfortable sign can include problems with getting or keeping an erection (for men) or difficulty with orgasms and vaginal dryness (for women).

Focal Neuropathy

Focal neuropathy, sometimes called mononeuropathy, damages a single nerve or group of nerves in close proximity. It is less common than both peripheral and autonomic neuropathy, and it mostly affects nerves of the torso, legs, head, or hands.

The distinctive characteristic of focal neuropathy involves the localization of symptoms to a specific area, where it causes sudden pain and weakness.

For example, it may cause sudden pain and numbness within the face, otherwise known as Bell’s Palsy. Or it may affect the thumb and index finger, as seen in carpal tunnel syndrome, where pain and immobility develop.

Proximal Neuropathy

Proximal neuropathy is a rare form of diabetic neuropathy that can lead to life-altering symptoms if left unmanaged. Otherwise referred to as diabetic amyotrophy, this type of neuropathy harms the nerves of the hips, thighs, and buttocks.

Pain and weakness arise throughout the affected areas where even standing and walking can become difficult tasks. Symptoms will usually only affect one side of the body, although it can spread to both sides in rare cases.

Common Medical Treatment Options For Diabetic Neuropathy

While completely reversing the effects of diabetic neuropathy may be challenging, an individual can slow down its progression and manage its painful symptoms in many ways.

The two biggest factors that can prevent the condition from worsening and help you to find relief are adopting lifestyle changes to manage blood sugar levels effectively. Let’s discuss these alongside other contemporary treatments in more detail:

• Glycemic control: Maintaining blood sugar levels through lifestyle adjustments and medication is the best way to prevent nerve damage from diabetic neuropathy from worsening and to ease the symptoms. This can be achieved by following your prescribed medication regime, eating a well-balanced diet, exercising, and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes.
• Over-the-counter pain medications: Some over-the-counter medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can provide relief from the pain and inflammation caused by diabetic neuropathy. It is essential to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medication.
• Surgery: In some cases, inflammation from nerve and tissue damage causes swelling and compression of the surrounding nerves, heightening the painful symptoms. In this case, surgery may be considered to reduce nerve compression and alleviate pain.
• Physical therapy: Through the help of a qualified physical therapist, you can discover targeted exercises and conditioning movements that help improve muscle strength, relieve tension, and alleviate discomfort caused by neuropathy.
• Complementary Therapies: Many individuals choose to explore complementary options to help find effective relief from diabetic neuropathy. Techniques such as acupuncture, massage, relaxation, and meditation may help relieve the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy.
• TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation): This therapy aims to alleviate pain associated with diabetic neuropathy by improving blood flow and reducing painful signals sent to the brain from low-pulse electrical currents applied to the skin.

These treatment options aim to relieve painful symptoms, improve nerve function, and slow the progression of diabetic neuropathy. However, some individuals who suffer from chronic pain may struggle to find sufficient relief.

Alternative approaches, such as our Neuragenex approach to Neurofunctional Pain Management, can offer promising solutions. Next, we will discuss how Neuragenex can help you find enduring relief from the pain caused by diabetic neuropathy.

The Neuragenex Protocol

Neuragenex specializes in Neurofunctional Pain Management and offers a tailored pain treatment protocol designed to address diabetic neuropathy at its source. Our dedicated specialists offer an alternative to traditional treatment methods by providing non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical, non-invasive, and non-chiropractic options for pain management.

So, what does Neurofunctional Pain Management involve, and how does it work? Our Neuragenex protocols include electroanalgesia treatments, specialized IV therapy, and lifestyle counseling. Let’s explore these techniques in more detail.

IV Nutritional Therapy

Specialized IV therapy is an integral part of our tailored approach that addresses an individual’s specific needs. Through blood work evaluation, we identify your nutritional deficiencies, customizing a hydration therapy program that can improve your overall health. 

IV nutritional therapy replenishes essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and other core nutritional components. When combined with electroanalgesia, customized hydration therapy reduces inflammation and promotes overall healing, optimizing the body for enduring pain relief for each patient.

Electroanalgesia

Electroanalgesia is another key component of Neurofunctional Pain Management. This therapy uses electrical stimulation to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief. Electroanalgesia uses high-pulse electrical currents applied to the skin.

By promoting nerve regeneration and reducing pain signals, electroanalgesia enhances muscle function and alleviates the impact of neuropathy. Its long-lasting effects can provide relief for months after completing the treatment course.

Lifestyle Counseling And Patient Education

At Neuragenex, we strongly believe in a whole-person, patient-centered approach to managing pain. We understand that suffering from chronic pain can have a profound psychological effect and encompasses more than just an underlying health condition but also your entire lifestyle. 

That is why our Neuragenex protocol includes lifestyle counseling. Our comprehensive patient education program focuses on improving various aspects of health to enhance overall well-being and address specific health conditions, such as diabetic neuropathy. 

By making positive lifestyle changes, patients can further support their healing process and improve their quality of life even after completing their Neuragenex treatment course.

Take Control Of Your Diabetic Neuropathy Today

Although the answer to the question ‘Can diabetic neuropathy be reversed?’ isn’t as straightforward as you might have hoped, there are many ways to manage and alleviate its impact and manage painful symptoms.

Improving your well-being while living with diabetes is very achievable through early detection and intervention of diabetic neuropathy. Discovering tailored treatments and adopting lifestyle adjustments are key in helping to slow the progression of this condition and enhancing your overall quality of life.

Diabetic neuropathy can be challenging, and with the help of our dedicated team at Neuragenex, our expertise, support, and innovative solutions can help you navigate the complexities of this complex condition. Your journey to a more comfortable and fulfilling life starts with informed choices and a commitment to proactive care.

Peripheral Neuropathy can sometimes be attributed to nerve damage caused by injury, but it is more commonly associated with long-term metabolic dysfunction from type 2 diabetes. Because of peripheral neuropathy’s prevalence in diabetic patients, the condition known as Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN), it is perhaps more appropriate in order to distinguish between injury-related peripheral neuropathy and diabetic-related peripheral neuropathy. 

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition in which patients experience pain and numbness in the nerves along the ends of their nervous system, almost exclusively their feet and hands. Because patients who suffer from type 2 diabetes also have a litany of other undesirable side-effects and risk factors, peripheral neuropathy is just one more major condition added to the burden. However, a patient with type 2 diabetes may wonder if they are at risk of peripheral neuropathy and may wrongly feel that the condition cannot or will not manifest in themselves. A recent study conducted by doctors Xiuxiu Liu and Yuyan Xu in 2019 found that, “[d]iabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common cause of neuropathy worldwide. It is estimated to be present in approximately half of those with diabetes, and 10% to 20% have symptoms that are severe enough to warrant treatment”. With peripheral neuropathy likely being a result of diabetes, at least half of patients with diabetes can expect to suffer from the condition. However, even as the chances of peripheral neuropathy are fifty-fifty or the flip of a coin, many do not seek treatment or attempt to manage their diabetes or consequential DPN. We must, however, question whether a lack of patients seeking treatment is due to patient inaction or lack of options.

The study continues its evaluation and states that, “. . . DPN is extremely difficult to treat, determining its risk factors and controlling it at an early stage is critical to preventing its serious consequences and the burden of social disease”. The issue for most physicians and their patients who suffer from DPN is that the lack of treatment for peripheral neuropathy makes “controlling” it, when it manifests in patients with diabetes, extremely difficult. What are doctors Liu and Xu referring to when they say we must determine the risk factors and control it before the serious consequences occur? 

Risk factors for diabetic peripheral neuropathy are perhaps key indicators to the severity of the condition. According to doctors Liu and Xu, risk factors for severe DPN include, “the duration of diabetes, age, HbA1c, DR, smoking, and BMI, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), [and] diastolic blood pressure . . .”. These risk factors for increased severity in DPN are what doctors Liu and Xu seek to educate their patients about. What doctors seek to maintain between themselves, and their patients is the ability to control these risk factors in order to mitigate the likelihood of increased, severe peripheral neuropathy. 

For these doctors, treatment of DPN includes the patient’s ability to maintain their diabetes, avoid smoking, and control their BMI (body mass index). However, while other risk factors such as age are of course uncontrollable, this does not make the unchangeable factor of increased age any less of a risk factor for increased DPN. Doctors like Liu and Xu would do well to educate their patients on their ability and responsibility to mitigate these risk factors through their own actions and explain that the choices they make for their health are indeed a major part of the treatment for DPN. 

Perhaps the most unfortunate risk factor of increased diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the presence and longevity of the condition itself. Doctors Liu and Xu later conclude in their study that, “DPN’s prevalence increases with the duration of the disease. The results of this study showed that the duration of disease had a statistically significant effect on the complications of peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. This is consistent with previous research results suggesting that early screening for primary disease is important to prevent and delay the occurrence of DPN”. Regardless of the prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in patients or their journey in treating their condition with the advice of their doctors, Neuragenex offers a next generation pain management treatment for the persistent pain, tingling, burning, and numbness from the condition. Neuralgesia, a proprietary treatment program exclusive to Neuragenex, is the most advanced, safe, and effective method of treating chronic peripheral neuropathy pain. 

Hundreds of patients have experienced relief from the pains and irritations of peripheral neuropathy through our proprietary Neuralgesia treatment protocols. Neuralgesia is a combination of high pulse electrical stimulation and specialized hydration therapy to produce an enduring pain relief effect that is unlike any other treatment program in the medical field. Neuralgesia is safe and effective for a wide range of chronic pain conditions and is especially effective in treating peripheral neuropathy.

 Many patients experience immediate relief and regain function in their extremities after only one session. Some patients report improved quality of life events after just one treatment as well, such as being able to sleep through the night, or have improved mobilization due to reduced pain. Neuralgesia is a twice a week treatment protocol that is one hour in length and is conducted in a social setting, so it is pleasant and enjoyable. Neuralgesia is not only used to treat the effects of peripheral neuropathy but other chronic pain conditions such as back pain, knee pain and joint pain, chronic migraines and headaches, fibromyalgia, and pain stemming accidents or surgery. 

Neuragenex is on a mission to bring its proprietary Neuralgesia treatment program to millions of patients across the nation suffering with chronic pain with the ultimate goal of relieving pain, restoring health, and magnifying quality of life without medications, surgeries, or invasive procedures. As the next generation pain management program, we want to be the first thought, first choice, and first step in the journey of chronic pain management.