Neuropathy is a condition that damages the nerve cells that play a critical role in touch, sensation, and movement. Many how deal with these symptoms want to be proactive to slow the progression of neuropathy.
Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by diabetes. It’s believed that the high blood glucose levels of a diabetic person will damage their nerves over time.
There are several different types of neuropathies, including:
- peripheral
- proximal
- autonomic
- focal
Neuropathy is a widespread side effect of diabetes, with an estimated 60 to 70 percent of diabetics developing some sort of neuropathy throughout their life.
The ability to stop the progression of neuropathy depends on the underlying cause of the neuropathy. Some types of neuropathy are treatable, and it’s possible to slow the progression, while others are not.
Most neuropathies fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum.
In the article below, we will take a look at neuropathy and how to stop its progression. And learn how neuropathy treatment can help.
Types of Neuropathy
Peripheral Neuropathy
The most common form of diabetic neuropathy is peripheral neuropathy.
The common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are pain, numbness, and tingling in the arms, hands, legs, and feet.
When you lose sensation due to neuropathy, it can make wounds easy to miss.
If you have diabetes, you need to check your feet every day for signs of injury or infection, and you should keep your feet as clean as possible.
To prevent complications stemming from peripheral neuropathy, try not to put yourself in a position to damage your feet or expose them to irritants or germs.
If you like to walk barefoot, you might need to give that up if you have peripheral neuropathy in the feet.
Proximal Neuropathy
Proximal neuropathy often results in pain in your pelvis, buttocks, hips, and thighs.
It can also produce muscle weakness and pain in your legs.
Focal Neuropathy
Focal neuropathy involves damage to specific nerves or groups of nerves anywhere in your body.
It often causes intense, sudden muscle weakness, pain, and loss of feeling.
Carpal tunnel syndrome affecting the wrist is the most common type.
Autonomic Neuropathy
Autonomic neuropathy involves damage to the nerves that control your involuntary bodily functions.
These include heart and breathing rates, gastrointestinal activity, blood pressure, and sexual response.
It can also make it harder for a person with diabetes to notice when their blood sugar has dropped dangerously low.
Managing Neuropathy
Medical technology hasn’t got to the point yet where damage from neuropathy can be reversed.
But researchers are developing and investigating methods to treat nerve damage caused by diabetes.
The best ways to manage neuropathy are:
- lowering your blood sugar
- treating nerve pain
- regularly checking your feet for signs of injury, wounds, or infection
It’s essential to manage your blood glucose levels because it can help prevent additional nerve damage and to slow the progression of neuropathy.
There are several methods you can use to better manage your blood glucose levels, including:
- Avoid excess sugars
- Eat foods high in fiber.
- Eat foods that contain healthy fats.
- Eat vegetables and plant-based proteins regularly.
- Exercise at least five times a week for 30 minutes.
- Monitor your blood sugar according to your doctor’s recommendation and record your levels.
- Take insulin or oral medications.
As well as managing your blood glucose levels, we’ve mentioned this already, but it’s essential to pay attention to your feet and legs.
The nerves in your legs and feet can be damaged without you noticing due to a loss of sensation.
More ways to prevent damage to your feet or legs to help slow the progression of neuropathy are:
- regularly check your feet for open wounds or sores
- clip your toenails
- wash your feet with soap and water regularly
How To Slow The Progression of Diabetic Neuropathies
Slowing the progression of neuropathy depends on the type of neuropathy you have.
Genetic neuropathies are hard to slow, but there are ways to improve pain and manage your symptoms.
On the other hand, autoimmune neuropathies are on the other end of the spectrum and are often very responsive to treatments.
Diabetic neuropathies, medication-induced neuropathies, and many other neuropathies (there are over 100) fall somewhere in the middle.
Treatments to slow the progression and pain management treatments will vary depending on the specific cause of neuropathy and many personal factors.
For most people, the most successful way to slow the progression of neuropathy is to make lifestyle changes.
These changes include:
- Losing weight
- Exercising
- Control blood sugar levels
- Quit smoking
- Stop drinking alcohol
- Treat all injuries and infections right away
- Improving vitamin deficiencies
- Managing stress
- Attend physical therapy
- Wear orthopedic braces
- Controlling your environment includes assistive devices (like canes or walkers) and is well-lit to reduce your fall risk.
If you’re a diabetic, regardless of the type of neuropathy you have, the best way to stop is progression is to control your diabetes.
That means controlling your blood sugar. We can’t stress that enough.
There is nothing more important when you have diabetes.
Medications, diet, and lifestyle changes are your first line of defense, so be diligent. Your nerves are at stake.
To decrease your likelihood of getting diabetic neuropathy, you need to do many of the same things you would do to slow the progression of neuropathy, including:
- Don’t smoke
- Exercising regularly
- Lose weight
- Reducing your blood pressure and cholesterol
- Getting plenty of quality sleep
- Reducing stress
- Limiting alcohol
Contact Ethos Health Group
The best thing you can do to slow the progression of neuropathy is to see your doctor and devise a care plan.
Together you can manage your symptoms and reduce your pain to get back to enjoying your life.
At Ethos Health Group, we’ll perform a series of non-invasive tests that tell us just how much your neuropathy has progressed and what options exist for you.
The treatment programs at Ethos Health Group consist of cutting-edge, non-invasive therapies designed to stimulate new blood vessels’ growth to help reverse nerve damage in the feet or hands.
If you’re ready to find relief from your neuropathy, you should contact Ethos Health Group as soon as possible.
Click the button below to schedule your free consultation.