Diabetes Foot Neuropathy Treatment

Foot neuropathy can be incapacitating and dangerous. Proper care of your feet will go a long way toward improving your ability to function with this disease. There are treatments you and your doctor can discuss to help with this problem and to minimize further complications of your diabetes.

• Diabetics must take excellent care of their feet.

Definition

• Foot neuropathy is a form of peripheral neuropathy. Distal symmetric neuropathy and sensorimotor neuropathy are other names for this condition. This nerve damage can affect all your extremities such as the hands, feet, toes, legs and arms.

Causes

• Diabetic foot neuropathy has many metabolic causes such as high glucose blood levels, low levels of insulin in your body and abnormal fat levels in your blood. The length of time you have diabetes can also affect its intensity.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of neuropathy in the foot include tingling, cramping, numbness and pain. Peripheral neuropathy can lead to atrophy of the foot muscles. Loss of sensation is common with the feet and you can become quite sensitive to even light touches. Loss of coordination or having balance problems with this disease can lead to injuries. The symptoms can be worse during the night.

Medical Treatment

• The main goal in controlling foot neuropathy is to keep your blood glucose at its proper level. Using the correct level of insulin or other medication, getting enough exercise and adhering to a healthy diabetic food plan are all important at preventing further nerve damage of the disease.

  According to the diabetes.niddk.nih.gov website, your doctor may prescribe antidepressant medications such as duloxetine (Cymbalta) and paroxetine (Paxil) to deal with the pain. Anticonvulsants such as pregabalin (Lyrica) and lamotrigine (Lamictal) also help relieve your symptoms, speed healing and prevent further nerve damage.

  Biofeedback, acupuncture and physical therapy will sometimes alleviate the painful feelings in your feet.

Home Treatment

• Your doctor may recommend a bed cradle if your feet and legs are hypersensitive. This device keeps the blankets and sheets from touching the areas.

  Lidocaine patches and capsaicin cream can be helpful in controlling the pain, you can apply this directly to your skin.

  Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant and is helpful in relieving symptoms and improving nerve function. It is found in organ meats such as liver; red meats and brewers yeast also contain alpha-linoic acid. Very small amounts are in peas, broccoli, brussels sprouts and spinach. You can purchase this capsule supplement in health food or drug stores. Your doctor can advise you on the dosage.

  Evening primrose oil capsules can be helpful. Consult your doctor when trying these kinds of supplements.