Overcoming Diabetic Nerve Damage

People with diabetes often have high blood sugar levels. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage nerves throughout your body resulting in a condition called diabetic neuropathy, or diabetic nerve disease. Patients with higher blood sugar levels, patients who are older or have had diabetes longer, and diabetics who drink too much alcohol are more likely to have this kind of nerve damage. However, about half of all people who have diabetes end up getting diabetic neuropathy.

There are three kinds of diabetic neuropathy:

1. Peripheral Neuropathyis
   Damage to peripheral nerves. These are the nerves that sense pain, touch, hot, and cold. They also affect movement and muscle strength. The nerves in the feet and lower legs are most often affected. This type of nerve damage can lead to serious foot problems. The damage usually gets worse slowly, over months or years. Treatment may include the Anodyne® Therapy System.
2. Autonomic Neuropathyis
   Damage to autonomic nerves, which control things like your heartbeat, blood pressure, sweating, digestion, urination, and sexual function.
3. Focal Neuropathyaffects
   Damage to just one nerve, usually in the wrist, thigh, or foot. It may also affect the nerves of your back and chest and those that control your eye muscles. This type of nerve damage usually happens suddenly.

How is it treated?
Treatments for diabetic neuropathy vary depending on a patient’s symptoms, but always involves keeping blood sugar levels in a target range. Monitoring your blood sugar will not reverse nerve damage, but it can prevent it from getting worse. Resulting pain, digestive problems or blood pressure issues may be treated with medicines.

Physical therapy can also help treat some of the issues that arise with diabetic neuropathy. For instance, it is common for diabetics to lose some feeling in their feet. The Anodyne® Therapy System can decrease pain and increase local circulation in a patient’s limbs to help reduce falls and prevent amputations in diabetic patients. Balance and Fall Prevention therapy may similarly help prevent a fall and improve strength, balance, and the quality of life in these diabetic neuropathy patients.

If you suspect you have diabetic neuropathy, you should make an appointment with your doctor to schedule some tests. Make sure to tell your physician about any pain or weakness you feel. When it comes to discussing your treatment, be clear with your doctor about what is helping you feel better and what is not. You and your doctor can work together to find the treatment that helps you the most.