Neuropathy

Pain Specialty Group

Pain Management located in Newington, NH & Newmarket, NH

Neuropathy is a problem that comes from a dysfunction of your nerves, and it can cause severe pain as well as unpleasant sensations. Board-certified pain management specialists Anh L. Ngo, MD MBA, and Manuel G. Sanchez, MD, of Pain Specialty Group in Newmarket and Newington, New Hampshire, have extensive experience in helping patients who have neuropathy manage their condition and lead more comfortable, enjoyable lives. If you have any kind of neuropathy, take advantage of the latest treatments by calling Pain Specialty Group today, or book an appointment online.

Neuropathy Q & A

What is neuropathy?

Neuropathy is a broad term for pain and altered physical sensations that happen because of damage to your nerves. The peripheral nerves carry signals to your spinal cord and brain, which together form your central nervous system (CNS). As well as being responsible for sending pain signals, peripheral nerves also send information about other physical sensations, so when you have neuropathy, you might also experience:

Burning feelings
Prickling sensations
Tingling or pins and needles
Increased sensitivity to touch
Muscle wasting
Muscle weakness
Numbness

Your peripheral nerves normally send valuable information to your CNS about tissue damage, temperature, and other signals that enable you to respond appropriately. For example, if you’re too close to a fire, you feel the heat burning your skin, or if you cut yourself, you feel pain and know you need to tend to the wound.

When you have neuropathy, these signals get sent when there is no fire or wound, so you may feel like your hand is burning or you’ve got a knife in your side, but in reality, the nerves are malfunctioning.

What causes neuropathy?

Neuropathy can develop for a number of reasons. There are many different diseases that can cause neuropathy, including:

Celiac disease
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Guillain-Barré syndrome
HIV-associated peripheral sensory neuropathy
Hormonal disorders
Kidney failure
Lupus
Peripheral nerve injury pain
Postherpetic neuralgia
Rheumatoid arthritis
Trigeminal neuralgia

Neuropathy can also develop after a serious illness, or if you have cancer, you could get chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Some infectious diseases, poisoning, nutrient deficiencies, alcoholism, repetitive stress, and physical trauma can all cause nerves to malfunction, leading to neuropathy.

One of the most common forms of neuropathy is diabetic neuropathy. This condition affects people who have diabetes, and mainly affects the feet. Diabetic neuropathy increases your chances of developing leg ulcers and infections, sometimes resulting in amputation.

Idiopathic neuropathy is the term for neuropathy that has no identifiable cause.

What treatments are available for neuropathy?

The team at Pain Specialty Group can help reduce the symptoms of neuropathy using innovative treatments such as laser therapy, regenerative medicine techniques like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, neuromodulation, and spinal cord stimulation.

To find out more about neuropathy treatment, call Pain Specialty Group today, or make an appointment online.