What Does Diabetic Neuropathy Feel Like?
If you have diabetes then you may struggle with managing high blood sugar, which can lead to nerve pain. Pain and discomfort of your nerves when you have diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy and can present in a variety of different ways. Knowing how neuropathy feels to you can help you understand more about how it can affect your daily life and also ways to help manage the pain. You don’t have to go through this pain alone! A trusted doctor can help with diabetic neuropathy treatment that will produce lasting results and help you get back to the daily activities you used to enjoy.
Four Types of Diabetic Neuropathy and How They May Make You Feel
These are the four different types of neuropathy specific to people with diabetes. You may experience one of these or a combination of types and the symptoms may be gradual at first, so it helps to know what to look out for when you are concerned about diabetic neuropathy affecting your life.
Autonomic Neuropathy
This type of neuropathy affects the autonomic nervous system, which controls your body’s heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, digestion, and sexual organs. When the nerves of your autonomic nervous system are affected by diabetes, it can affect many of your daily functions. You may notice issues with your bladder or bowel control. You may have trouble recognizing when your blood sugar is low. Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting, and you may also have less of an appetite than normal. Feeling dizzy when you go from sitting to standing and even cause you to sweat more than normal.
Mononeuropathy
Mononeuropathy refers to a single nerve affected by diabetes. When a specific nerve is damaged, it can cause pain, uncomfortable tingling sensations, and numbness. Some report a loss of movement in the area that nerve controls, or even a loss of feeling altogether. When a nerve is functioning properly, it is able to send regular signals from the brain to the area of your body it controls. If the nerve is damaged it can cause these signals to be disrupted, miscommunicated, or even stop altogether.
Peripheral Neuropathy
This is the most common type of neuropathy in people who have diabetes. Peripheral neuropathy generally begins in the feet and legs before affecting your hands and arms. Common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include pain and cramping in your foot, uncomfortable tingling sensation, and even numbness in your foot. Many who experience peripheral neuropathy also say their feet become very sensitive to touch and temperature changes. These symptoms may increase at night as your body temperature naturally drops and your muscles relax. Instead of alerting your feet to a drop in temperature, though, the nerves communicating to your feet may instead send painful sensations like tingling or numbness.
Proximal Neuropathy
While peripheral neuropathy primarily affects your extremities, proximal neuropathy affects your hips, buttocks, thighs, and legs. This type of neuropathy may also affect the trunk of your body more generally. Pain generally starts on one side of your body before spreading to the other side. You may experience difficulty going from sitting to standing without pain. Severe pain can occur in a hip, buttock, or thigh on one side of your body. You may even notice your legs start to feel weak and start to lose definition in your thigh muscles.
Treatments to Help Ease Your Pain
Some people who struggle with diabetic neuropathy have gone the traditional medicine route and tried a variety of medications that have not really eased any pain or symptoms, or have led to uncomfortable side effects. At Fox Integrated Health, we offer natural, medication-free diabetic neuropathy treatment options that help manage your pain and reduce your symptoms so you can begin to experience healing and relief. The doctors at Fox Integrated Health recognize that no two people have the same experience with diabetic neuropathy and tailor-make treatment plans for each person that address your specific areas of pain and discomfort.
Diabetic neuropathy treatment at Fox Integrated Health occurs in a state-of-the-art facility where doctors work to address the root cause of your pain and offer effective solutions to manage your discomfort. Treatment options include sessions with a Broomfield chiropractor for adjustments, recommendations on nutrition and lifestyle, laser therapy, massage therapy, and even physical therapy. Call now to schedule an appointment and learn more about how the Fox Integrated Health team can provide you with innovative treatment options that actually work!