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Diabetic Neuropathy
What is diabetic neuropathy?
Diabetic neuropathy is a serious and common complication of diabetes. It’s a type of nerve damage caused by long-term high blood sugar levels. The condition often develops before diagnosis of diabetes is made and can worsen overtime.
If you have diabetes and notice numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in your hands or feet, these are early symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. The danger is usually when you can’t feel pain and an ulcer develops on your foot.
In cases of severe or prolonged peripheral neuropathy, you may be vulnerable to injuries or infections. In serious cases, poor wound healing or infection can lead to amputation.
What are the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy?
It’s common for symptoms of neuropathy to appear gradually. In many cases, the first type of nerve damage to occur involves the nerves of the feet. This can lead to the symptom of sometimes painful “pins and needles” in your feet.
The most common form of neuropathy is peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy usually affects the feet and legs, but it can also affect the arms or hands. Symptoms are varied, and can be mild to severe. They include:
✓ numbness
✓ tingling or burning sensations
✓ extreme sensitivity to touch
✓ insensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
✓ sharp pain or cramping
✓ muscle weakness
✓ loss of balance or coordination
✓ Some people experience symptoms more often in bed.
If you have peripheral neuropathy, you may not feel an injury or sore on your foot. People with diabetes often have poor circulation, which makes it more difficult for wounds to heal. This combination increases the risk for infection. In extreme cases, infection can lead to amputation.
What are the treatment options for Diabetic Neuropathy?
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is an implanted neuromodulation solution that provides relief to chronic pain sufferers by disrupting pain signals
traveling between the spinal cord and the brain.
During a quick and minimally invasive procedure, a small device is implanted under the skin, just above the beltline or in the buttocks area. It’s connected to thin, flexible wires that are placed near the spine.
Getting your implant is typically an outpatient procedure, which means you will likely go home the same day.
When to consider spinal cord stimulator.
Diabetic Neuropathy can be treated without surgery. However, Spinal Cord Stimulation may be considered if the following are true:
✓ diagnosed with and managed for Diabetes.
✓ Blood glucose is being controlled with medications, activity, diet.
✓ diagnosed with painful diabetic neuropathy.
✓ tried and failed 2 or more commonly prescribed PDN medications.
