What is peripheral neuropathy?

Nearly 20 million Americans suffer from neuropathy. Neuropathy is damage or dysfunction of one or more nerves that typically results in numbness, tingling, muscle weakness and pain in the affected area. Neuropathies frequently start in your hands and feet, but other parts of your body can be affected too.

Peripheral neuropathy is a general term describing disease affecting the peripheral nerves, meaning nerves beyond the brain and spinal cord. Damage to peripheral nerves may impair sensation, movement, gland or organ function depending on which nerves are affected; in other words, neuropathy affecting motor, sensory, or autonomic nerves result in different symptoms. More than one type of nerve may be affected simultaneously. Peripheral neuropathy may be acute  or chronic  and may be reversible or permanent.

Neuropathy results when nerve cells, called neurons, are damaged or destroyed. This disrupts the way the neurons communicate with each other and with the brain. Neuropathy can affect one nerve (mononeuropathy) or nerve type, a combination of nerves in a limited area (multifocal neuropathy) or many peripheral nerves throughout the body (polyneuropathy).

Neuropathy Treatment

Treatment goals are to manage the condition causing your neuropathy and to relieve symptoms. 

Peripheral Neuropathy Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncture is an ancient art of regenerative medicine, which repairs, restores or regenerates damaged or destroyed nerve or neuron. Studies demonstrate that acupuncture improves nerve conduction in peripheral neuropathy patients.

What is neuromuscular diseases?

Neuromuscular diseases include a wide-range of disorders affecting the peripheral nervous system, which consists of all the motor and sensory nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. Progressive muscle weakness is the predominant condition of these disorders.

Neuromuscular Disease Treatment

We treat the full scope of neuromuscular disorders, including:

• Diabetic neuropathy – nerve damage caused by diabetes
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and other motor neuron diseases – destroys cells that control voluntary muscle activity
• Toxic neuropathy – pain and weakness caused by toxic substances
• Small fiber neuropathy – affects the nerve endings of the skin
• Autonomic neuropathies – damage to nerves that affects the heart, blood pressure, body temperature, digestion and more
• Muscular disorders, hereditary:

1. Congenital myopathies – muscle weakness existing at birth
2. Muscular dystrophy – a group of disorders involving muscle weakness
3. Metabolic myopathies – breakdown of muscles, cramping syndromes, exercise intolerance, including mitochondrial disorders

• Muscular disorders, acquired:
1. Inclusion body myositis – inflammatory muscle disease includes weakness and difficulty swallowing
2. Dermatomyositis – inflammatory muscle disease includes muscle weakness and skin rash
3. Polymyositis – includes muscle weakness and inflammation
4. Necrotizing myopathy – extensive muscle destruction
• Neuromuscular junction disorders (dysfunction at location where nerves connect with muscles):
1. Myasthenia gravis – communication problem between nerves and muscles results in muscle weakness and muscle fatigue
2. Lambert-Eaton Syndrome – often coincides with cancer, causing muscle weakness