Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Specialist

What is diabetic peripheral neuropathy?

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a neurological condition that can result from unmanaged or mismanaged diabetes. Diabetes without proper management results in glucose (blood sugar) building up in your blood as insulin cannot adequately direct it into your cells for energy. Prolonged high blood glucose can eventually damage nerves. 

Your peripheral nerves are the nerves outside your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), which include sensory, motor, and autonomic nerves. Sensory nerves communicate sensations to your brain, motor nerves allow you to move your muscles, and autonomic nerves control your organs. 

What are the common symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy?

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy primarily affects the arms, legs, hands, and feet. The exact symptoms depend on which types of nerves the condition affects. Peripheral neuropathy can affect sensory, motor, autonomic nerves, or any combination of the three. 

Here are the symptoms that might appear from nerve damage to each type:

Sensory nerve damage

Sensory nerve damage from peripheral neuropathy causes the neuropathy symptoms you may be most familiar with. That includes numbness, tingling, and pain in the arms or legs. 

Motor nerve damage

Motor nerve damage due to peripheral neuropathy causes symptoms like weakness in the limbs and loss of balance when standing. You might also notice changes in the shape of your feet, which leads to localized areas of increased pressure on the soles. 

Autonomic nerve damage

Autonomic nerve damage from peripheral neuropathy leads to unexpected symptoms like dry, cracked skin on the feet. 

What are my diabetic peripheral neuropathy treatment options?

Pain Specialists of Oregon offers a range of minimally invasive treatments that you can get in the office for diabetic peripheral neuropathy symptoms. The team assesses your symptoms and medical history before recommending one of many minimally invasive therapies that help with nerve pain. Options include:

• Nerve blocks
• Steroid injections to reduce local inflammation
• Spinal cord stimulation therapy
• Peripheral nerve field stimulation
• Pain pump therapy
• Selective pulsed radiofrequency procedures
• Physical or occupational therapy

One treatment that the team at Pain Specialists of Oregon prescribes for diabetic peripheral neuropathy frequently is Nevro HF10® spinal cord stimulation. The device is FDA-approved to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy. It includes electrodes implanted in your spinal cord, a pulse generator, and a remote control. 

To get the best possible results from your spinal cord stimulator or any other treatment for diabetic neuropathy, closely follow your primary care provider’s diabetes management plan.

Schedule your appointment over the phone or online to learn more about diabetic peripheral neuropathy and available treatments today.

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HFX is a comprehensive solution that includes a Senza spinal cord stimulation system and support services for the treatment of chronic pain. HFX for PDN means that a patient has been implanted with a Senza System and programmed to include a frequency of 10 kHz.

Learn about a new cutting-edge treatement for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy