According to the National Institute of Health, about 20 million people in the U.S. suffer from some form of neuropathy.
Neuropathy is a condition that's associated with damage to the peripheral nervous system.
The damage associated with neuropathy may cause interference with the body, brain, and spinal cord, causing several unpleasant symptoms.
The most common symptoms are sharp pains, tingling, numbness, just to name a few.
If you're dealing with nerve damage like carpal tunnel syndrome, or nerve group damage, seeking chiropractic treatment can help get you through the pain.
Neuropathy can be a daunting and challenging condition, but specialized treatment plans from chiropractors can help.
In the article below, we'll take a look at the Peripheral Nervous System, and what your chiropractor can do to restore it. In the article below, we'll take a look at the Peripheral Nervous System, and the types of treatments your chiropractor can do to restore it and offer relief from neuropathy.
Table Of Contents
- What Is The Peripheral Nervous System?
- Symptoms of Neuropathy
- What Causes Neuropathy?
- How Will Your Chiropractor Help?
- Visit Your Chiropractor Today
What Is The Peripheral Nervous System?
The peripheral nervous system is a portion of your nervous system, not including your brain or spinal cord, that connects your limbs and organs to your central nervous system.
Your peripheral nervous system is made up of three types of nerves. The first type is sensory nerves, and they communicate messages of cold, heat, touch, and pain.
The next type is the autonomic nerves. The autonomic nerves communicate messages for involuntary or automatic functions of the body.
A few examples of involuntary actions are your heartbeat and digestion.
And the last type of nerves are the motor nerves, and they control the muscles that allow you to move your body parts.
Symptoms of Neuropathy
There is a wide range of symptoms for neuropathy, and they can range from moderate to severe depending on which nerves are affected and where they're located.
Neuropathy can be chronic, causing constant pain, discomfort, and fatigue. Other causes of neuropathy are only triggered by poor posture or exercise.
The symptoms of neuropathy can come and go at random, with varying levels of severity.
In extreme cases, neuropathy can cause a loss of consciousness, breathing problems, and paralyzation.
In the more common cases, neuropathy has the following symptoms:
- Numbness and tingling in the extremities and limbs
- Headaches and migraines
- Inflammation of the knees, calves, or shoulders
- Stiff neck muscles
- Chronic pain
- Chronic fatigue
- Limited range of motion
- Loss of coordination and/or balance
- Loss of sensation of extremities
- Muscle spasms or muscle tension
- Foot and ankle pain
- Muscle weakness or tremors
What Causes Neuropathy?
There are several things that could be causing your neuropathy.
Figuring out the cause can be challenging, but there are a few widely known causes.
The most common cause is diabetes. A few more underlying conditions that can cause neuropathy are:
- Alcoholism
- Autoimmune diseases
- Tumors
- Chronic disease
- Conditions that affect liver function
- Misaligned extremity joints
- Infection
- Toxins
- Kidney disease
- Sudden physical trauma or sports injuries
- Nutritional imbalances
- Vitamin deficiencies, specifically vitamin B
How Will Your Chiropractor Help?
If you're living with any form of neuropathy, your local chiropractor is one of the best places to seek help. Chiropractic care is a holistic approach that offers non-invasive, drug-free approach to help the neurological condition.
Chiropractors are experts when it comes to the nervous system, and they can make sure that your body is running at optimum levels so your nervous system can successfully transmit messages.
Your chiropractor will most likely use spinal adjustments to the area to help alleviate pressure from the affected nerve or nerve group.
Patients also tend to find relief after their chiropractor uses electrical stimulation therapy and stretchy exercises.
Cold laser therapy, also known as level laser therapy, along with adjunctive therapies are also useful and may be performed by your chiropractor depending on your specific situation.
Massage therapy, manual therapies, trigger point therapy, and ultrasound therapy are all alternative treatment options that can help neuropathy patients find pain relief and restore proper nerve function.
Since neuropathy is typically a chronic condition, your doctor may want to schedule regular visits, and as the condition is controlled, your frequency of visits is likely to decrease.
After your initial visit, your chiropractor can also recommend healthy diet and lifestyle modifications, like regular exercise to help you get relief from neuropathy symptoms.
Visit Your Chiropractor Today
If you have any of the symptoms above, and you haven't sought out chiropractic therapy, yet, it's time to make the call for hands-on healing.
Your chiropractor will complete a physical assessment and get your full medical history so they can develop a treatment plan specifically for you and your type of neuropathy.
If patients with neuropathy don't have a chiropractor, they can contact the team at the Car Wreck Doctor to seek an all-natural and therapeutic approach to healing and avoid permanent damage.
Car Wreck Doctor has a network of chiropractors, and they can help match you with the chiropractor to find your personalized treatment plan.