If you experience symptoms like numbness or tingling in your legs and feet, you may be suffering from nerve damage, or neuropathy. At Foot & Ankle Centers of Frisco & Plano in Frisco, Little Elm, and McKinney, Texas, the board-certified podiatry team offers a number of treatments to effectively manage your condition and relieve your symptoms. To get an accurate diagnosis of your foot problem, call the office nearest you or book your appointment online today.
Neuropathy, or peripheral neuropathy, refers to numbness, tingling, and pain caused by damage to the nerves outside of your brain and spinal cord, called the peripheral nerves. Neuropathy commonly affects the peripheral nerves in the legs and feet.
Your nerves are responsible for transmitting information between your central nervous system and the different parts of your body. Damage to these nerves can result in a variety of symptoms, including:
Neuropathy can be caused by underlying problems, including injuries, infections, autoimmune diseases, bone marrow disorders, and kidney disease. The most common cause of neuropathy is diabetes.
Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes, affecting more than 50% of diabetics. Diabetes causes an abnormal rise in blood sugar that can restrict blood flow to your legs and feet and damage your nerves.
As the nerve damage continues, you gradually lose feeling and sensation in your feet.
Diabetic neuropathy increases your risk for diabetic foot problems, including diabetic ulcers and neuroarthropathy (Charcot foot). Damage to your nerves is permanent, so it’s important to seek medical care as soon as possible.
The goal of treatment is to slow down the progression of your nerve damage, relieve your symptoms, and prevent further damage to your feet.
Before beginning treatment, your podiatrist performs a thorough evaluation to determine the severity of your condition and the underlying cause of your symptoms.
In addition to a physical exam, your doctor also discusses your medical history and performs a neurological exam, checking your reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation.
In some cases, your doctor may conduct additional tests, including:
After your diagnosis, your doctor determines the most effective treatment for your neuropathy.
To effectively manage your condition, your doctor may recommend a number of treatments, including:
Foot & Ankle Centers of Frisco & Plano also offers alternative treatments, like magnetic therapy and galvanic stimulation. In some cases, you may require surgery to decompress or remove severely damaged nerves.
To speak with a board-certified podiatrist about your neuropathy symptoms, book an appointment by phone or online today.
