Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Specialist

Johnston Pain Management, P.A.

Pain Management located in Jacksonville, NC & New Bern, NC

Up to half of the people with diabetes develop diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a painful condition that puts you at risk of developing serious complications like foot ulcers. The team at Johnston Pain Management, P.A., has years of experience helping patients slow down the progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy while also providing personalized interventional treatments that ease their pain. To schedule an appointment, call one of the offices in Jacksonville, New Bern, or Sneads Ferry, North Carolina, or book online today.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Q & A

What is diabetic peripheral neuropathy?

Diabetic neuropathy refers to nerve damage caused by high blood sugar. You can develop several types of diabetic neuropathy, depending on the type and number of nerves affected. Of the different types, diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the most common.

When you have diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the nerve damage typically occurs in your feet and legs. However, it may affect your arms and hands, as well as the nerves in your eyes.

What symptoms develop due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy?

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy commonly affects the sensory nerves, causing symptoms such as:

Tingling or burning sensations in your feet or hands
Numbness in your feet or hands
Sharp pain in your feet or hands
Shooting pain in your legs or arms
Increased sensitivity to touch
Non-healing foot ulcers
Bone and joint pain

The two most serious complications include diabetic retinopathy (a top cause of adult-onset blindness) and diabetic foot ulcers.

What causes diabetic foot ulcers?

In addition to harming nerves, high blood sugar damages small blood vessels. When neuropathy causes numbness, you won't feel minor cuts and bruises on your feet or friction from shoes.

As small sores develop, they can't heal properly because blood vessel damage restricts their blood supply. As a result, small sores quickly develop into non-healing foot ulcers.

Without intensive wound care, the ulcer enlarges, and the infection spreads to your skin and bones. Then you have a high risk of needing an amputation.

How is diabetic peripheral neuropathy treated?

No cures exist for diabetic peripheral neuropathy once it develops. However, you can prevent the problem or stop existing neuropathy from getting progressively worse by controlling your blood sugar.

Maintaining tight control of your diabetes may require medications, dietary changes, exercise, weight loss, and carefully monitoring your blood sugar levels.

The next step in your treatment focuses on relieving the pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The team at Johnston Pain Management, P.A., creates a customized treatment plan that may include: