There are 20 million Americans who suffer from neuropathy, with symptoms that start from frail tingling or throbbing pain to muscle spasms, difficulty to move arms or legs, and in other cases, atrophy. And about 15-18 million of these patients developed them due to a form of diabetes.

What is Neuropathy?

Neuropathy is a kind of nerve disease or damage, and there are more people with this condition than those with Alzheimer's, Epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, HIV, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis combined. Neuropathy and Peripheral Neuropathy are standard terms used to refer to damage to a single nerve or a group of nerves located outside the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system consists of nerves found in these particular areas of the body. Neuropathy is a term used to describe disorders found to start from peripheral nervous system damage or injury. It is a medical condition resulting from damaged nerve or nerve cells or a side effect associated with autoimmune diseases, such as infections, tumors, diabetes, or hereditary conditions.

Neuropathic pain can be debilitating for patients who deal with nerve pain that also comes with fear of never finding relief from its symptoms. Conditions like diabetes, HIV, and chemo can cause it.

What are the Symptoms of Neuropathy?

Neuropathy symptoms can start from minimal, moderate, to severe depending on the types of nerves that are affected or where the damaged nerves are located. Due to constant inflammation, some forms of neuropathy can lead to chronic pain and fatigue. Some symptoms are triggered when agitated by poor posture and exercise. Some come and go naturally.

However, rare and severe cases of neuropathy can cause paralyzation, breathing problems, or loss of consciousness. Peripheral neuropathy symptoms come in the following forms:

• Foot & ankle ache
• Soreness in the knees, calves, or shoulders
• Numbness & tingling in the hands and legs
• there is limited reach or movement
• Weakness or tremors
• Chronic pain & fatigue
• Headaches & migraines
• Stiff neck muscles

Besides pain and numbness, neuropathy can include various symptoms, such as prickling and throbbing or a freezing sensation. To a more severe extent, it can damage the capacity of the brain to communicate correctly with other regions of the body.

How to Treat Neuropathy

Neuropathy can be a side effect or caused by other medical conditions, so treatment is tailored to treat the underlying condition to lessen the severity of the nerve pain. This condition can be severe and painful along with common forms of neuropathy, including diabetic neuropathy, Sciatica, and carpal tunnel syndrome, which are prevalent among adults. Due to this, some people might be suffering from neuropathy and are not aware that they have it.

Individuals suffering from neuropathy seek relief in alternative medicine. For nerve pain, many patients sought chiropractic care as an alternative to treat pain and correct underlying causes to slow down the progression of their condition. Chiropractic care is an all-natural and therapeutic approach to treat symptoms and alleviate the pain that comes with the disease.

Patients with permanent damage or chronic neuropathic conditions believe that electro-stimulation and massage therapy manage their symptoms without medications. Some of the standard effective treatment options for Neurotherapy are chiropractic adjustments, inflammation injections, and physical therapy.

Chiropractic Treatment For Neuropathy 

Chiropractors work with the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, and spine. One of the most common nerve pains is Sciatica. It is a pain that travels through the sciatic nerve from the lower back down to the buttock, into one leg, or both. The pain is the result of nerve compression.

Chiropractic care for neuropathy concentrates on treating the underlying diseases that cause nerve pain and inflammation that the body produced from neuropathy. Treating inflammation can help alleviate pain in your joints and extremities. Patients seek help for relief to improve their overall quality of life without the need for medication.

Hence, each chiropractic treatment plan is tailored to meet the specific needs of every patient. For patients suffering from nerve pain in their lower extremities, exercising and therapy are recommended to promote healing to leg muscles and joints like knees, hips, and ankles. Patients who are dealing with diabetes and develop peripheral neuropathy can also benefit from chiropractic care.

Besides chiropractic adjustments, chiropractors also use some procedures to relieve nerve pain:

• Ice Therapy: It helps reduce inflammation that can occur as a result of nerve pain.
• Ultrasound: It is a procedure wherein the heat produced by sound waves gently massages the tissues to increase circulation and effectively eliminate pain, stiffness, muscle spasms, and cramping.
• Tens: TENS or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a procedure wherein it uses electrical stimulation to control and minimize pain and muscle cramping.

Although these are excellent treatments, chiropractic care mainly focuses on adjustments. During a chiropractic adjustment, your chiropractor will realign your spine and joint to make sure they are correctly functioning. Doing so will free your nerves that have been restricted or pinched.

Chiropractors administer treatment to manage the pain and treat the underlying causes. It targets the root cause of the pain symptoms. Chiropractic care follows a "whole body" approach to treatment by starting from addressing the underlying condition. Treatments that cover up the symptoms tend to ignore the bigger problem. Chiropractors use a system of treatment that begins by addressing the underlying trigger of the patient's pain. Although chiropractic care is not intended to cure peripheral neuropathy, it can be an effective treatment program.

Chiropractors believe that early diagnosis and treatment can reduce nerve damage and help patients with disease management.

Find Help

Everyone experiences neuropathy differently. Others' pain comes and goes, while for some, the pain can be constant. As the condition worsens, patients may have to deal with coordination and balance loss, along with freezing pain, extreme sensitivity to touch, or muscle weakness. You don't have to suffer from this excruciating pain in silent agony. Although your pain diagnosis seems unclear, there are still ways to find relief from your pain.