Some diseases and conditions create very little in the way of pain and discomfort. They still need to be treated but time is not always of the essence. Peripheral neuropathy is not one of those diseases or conditions.

If your health is being affected by peripheral neuropathy, it’s not something you are going to be able to live with for very long. At some point, you are going to have to seek help. Yes, you could visit your family physician. That would be the right call in the most severe cases of peripheral neuropathy. The problem with this option is medical doctors tend to strongly favor invasive treatment options like medication, steroid injections, and surgery.

When you are dealing with a nerve or pain issue, seeing a chiropractor is always an option that’s worthy of consideration. Why? Chiropractors use less invasive treatment options that often deliver the results patients want and need. In the following sections, the information will be directed at three of the ways that chiropractic care helps with a peripheral neuropathy condition.

About is Peripheral Neuropathy

A peripheral nerve is a nerve that runs from the brain or spinal cord into other parts of the body. If those peripheral nerves get damaged in any way, the result is often a condition called “peripheral neuropathy.”

There are three primary kinds of peripheral nerves: motor, sensory and autonomic. Each of these nerve groups controls different aspects of the human body. Motor nerves control muscle movement, sensory nerves control the ability to feel sensations, and autonomic nerves control the functioning of body organs.

As you can see, the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy anywhere in your body could create significant health issues. In many cases, these same health issues will get progressively worse if not treated. That’s why immediate treatment of such a condition is highly recommended by doctors and chiropractors.

The symptoms of this condition will depend on the kind of nerves that are being affected. Here are some of those symptoms by nerve group:

Motor Nerves:

  • Inability to control muscles – affects walking, standing, gripping
  • Muscle weakness and dystrophy
  • Severe muscle cramping

Sensory Nerves:

  • Tingling or numbness in the extremities (arms, hands, legs, and feet)
  • Imbalance and clumsiness in the extremities
  • “Neuropathic” pain – spontaneous pain without being caused by stimuli
  • Extreme sensitivity to outside the body stimuli

Autonomic Nerves:

  • Sudden increases and decreases in blood pressure and heart rate
  • Breathing problems caused by lung nerve damage
  • Inability to control bowel movements
  • Nausea and vomiting caused by digestive distress
  • Changes in skin color
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Profuse sweating while the internal body overheats, no sweating also possible

A for the potential causes of peripheral neuropathy, here is a list that includes a few of them:

  • Medical conditions like diabetes
  • Nerve injury due to impact or cutting
  • Viruses and bacterial infections
  • Drug and alcohol abuse
  • Smoking
  • Low vitamin levels, especially vitamin B12
  • Cancer and chemotherapy treatment

Ways Chiropractic Helps Treat Peripheral Neuropathy

Now that you understand a bit about the condition with which you might be dealing, you’ll have to decide on where to get treatment. If you would consider seeing a licensed chiropractor, here are three (3) ways that could help resolve or minimize your condition.

1. Spinal Decompression

Spinal decompression involves the gentle and gradual stretching of the spine. The process is handled on a decompression table that uses pulleys and harnesses to control the separation of the vertebrae.

For peripheral neuropathy, this would be the chiropractic technique of choice for patients who are dealing with sensory or motor nerve issues. The process also creates better blood flow throughout the body. This increased blood flow can help speed up the injury healing process. As the healing progresses, the pressure on peripheral nerves should decrease.

2. Adjustments and Manipulation

The target of chiropractic adjustments and manipulation is the spine. The intent of these treatments is to realign the spine for the purpose of releasing pressure on nerves. This is a very effective treatment method for peripheral neuropathy that is affecting nerves that are leading from the spine to the extremities.

When applied correctly, patients could experience

  • Pain relief
  • Faster healing of injured areas due to better blood flow to the areas
  • Improved range of motion from healing joint issues
  • Better immune response to combat viruses and bacteria
  • Restored muscle function

3. Cold Laser Therapy

A cold laser is an electronic device that generates light energy through various wavelengths (colors). Blue and green light wavelengths are the most common cold laser colors. The light energy seeps into soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, skin, and nerves). It produces increased blood flow into the treated area or areas, which helps decrease pain and speed up the healing process. It will also help repair nerve fibers that have been damaged or affected by disease, viruses, or bacteria.

If you have issues related to peripheral neuropathy, you can now understand why seeing a chiropractor might be the right option. Whenever possible, you should always start treating a condition or disease with the least invasive option possible.

If you would like more information about how we approach the treatment of peripheral neuropathy, we encourage you to contact us by calling us at (720) 328-1790. You can also gather information by visiting our website.