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Diabetes & Pain

One complication of diabetes is nerve damage. Nerve damage can result in a condition referred to as diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy often causes pain, which can range from mild pain to disabling pain.

  1. Types

    • Diabetes may cause peripheral neuropathy that causes pain in the arms, hand, legs and feet or autonomic neuropathy that causes abdominal pain. It may also cause proximal neuropathy that affects the thighs, hips and buttocks or focal neuropathy which causes pain in he shins or feet.

    Time Frame

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, autonomic neuropathy occurs most commonly in those diabetics who have failed to properly control their condition for 20 years or more. Also, peripheral neuropathy most commonly occurs in those who have had diabetes for more than 25 years.

    Considerations

    • Diabetic neuropathy effects men more than women. Also, those with high cholesterol and those that smoke are at a greater risk of developing diabetic neuropathy.

    Treatment

    • The progression of diabetic neuropathy can be slowed by controlling blood sugar levels consistently. Special medications such as Neurontin, Lyrica and Tegretol may be prescribed to alleviate diabetic neuropathy pain.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Diabetic neuropathy can be prevented by controlling diabetes with diet, medications and insulin injections.

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