How Long Does it Take for a Skin Graft to Heal on Your Foot?
A skin graft can prevent a diabetic foot ulcer from becoming a limb-threatening situation, but it does require a recovery period. Here’s what to expect.
Different Types of Neuropathy: Symptoms and Treatment
You rely on your nerves to carry signals to and from your brain. But if those nerves get damaged, as is the case with neuropathy, they can send the wrong signals. This can leave you living with stabbing pain, muscle weakness, and other problematic symptoms.
Here at North Central Texas Foot & Ankle in Decatur and Roanoke, Texas, Samantha Childers, DPM, Ricky Childers, DPM, and our team treat two different types of neuropathy. We believe that helping you find an effective treatment plan starts with understanding the type of neuropathy that’s affecting you.
We offer diagnoses at our offices, but we also want to help you feel informed now. So let’s take a look at the two primary types of neuropathy we treat — and what we can do to alleviate their symptoms.
Diabetic neuropathy
Over time, diabetes can cause your blood sugar levels to remain so high that your nerves sustain damage. As many as half of all people with diabetes will experience some kind of neuropathy.
Diabetic neuropathy can come in several forms, but the most common is peripheral neuropathy. This type of neuropathy usually affects the feet and legs of people living with diabetes, causing symptoms like:
- Sharp, stabbing pain
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Muscle weakness
- Trouble balancing
If you’re living with diabetic neuropathy, you may lose sensation in your feet. This makes you more likely to let slow-healing ulcers on your feet go unnoticed. Over time, this puts you at risk for amputation.
A key part of managing diabetic neuropathy comes down to checking your feet and legs on a regular basis. We can help you put a foot care plan in place, while also developing a treatment plan to ease any uncomfortable symptoms you’re experiencing.
Mechanical neuropathy
The other main type of neuropathy we treat is mechanical, or compression, neuropathy. You develop this type of neuropathy when the nerves in your low back get put under too much pressure.
Symptoms of this type of nerve problem include low back pain and muscle weakness.
Most people with mechanical neuropathy develop it as a result of repeated stress to the low back.
Treating neuropathy
Here at North Central Texas Foot & Ankle, we can help you ease your symptoms with a personalized treatment plan designed to address your specific type of neuropathy. Your plan might include:
- Regenerative medicine, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or stem cell therapy
- Prescription medications
- Medical-grade supplements
- Physical therapy
- Custom orthotics
- Surgery
Ultimately, our goal is to help you find relief. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms we just outlined, don’t hesitate to call or message one of our offices to schedule an appointment to discuss neuropathy.
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