Foot Neuropathy Cure

Foot neuropathy is a term used to describe nerve damage in the feet. It is a common form of a larger syndrome called peripheral neuropathy. Potential causes of foot neuropathy include systemic diseases such as diabetes, autoimmune disorders, alcoholism, traumatic injury, nerve entrapment or compression, vitamin deficiency, genetic disease, toxin exposure and cancer. Treatment options are available to halt, diminish or control foot neuropathy symptoms.

Stages of Treatment

• According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, treatment of peripheral neuropathy involves several stages, including identifying its underlying cause, curing its effects whenever possible, controlling its symptoms and providing affected individuals with appropriate self-care information.

Identifying Underlying Causes

• Your doctor may use several methods to discover the cause of your foot neuropathy. Initially, he will perform a physical examination and take an extensive medical history. He may also use a blood test, examine the fluid in your spinal cord and brain, test your muscle strength and evaluate your sensitivity to touch in various areas of your body. Additional procedures used to detect the cause and extent of your neuropathy may include a computed tomography (CT) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and a nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test that can uncover any damage to the nerves' protective covering (myelin sheath).

Halting or Diminishing Symptoms

• In some cases, you may be able to halt or significantly reduce the symptoms of your foot neuropathy. If your problems are the result of toxin exposure, removal of the toxin from your environment may be a sufficient cure. Neuropathy symptoms caused by vitamin deficiency can be corrected by following a diet that contains appropriate amounts of the missing nutrients. If your symptoms are caused by nerve compression or entrapment, surgery can relieve these impediments and restore normal nerve function. If you drink excessively, limiting or stopping your alcohol intake can diminish the effects of foot neuropathy. If you smoke, quitting can ease your symptoms by reversing restrictions in the blood vessels that feed your peripheral nerves.

Controlling Symptoms

• If your foot neuropathy is the result of a progressive disease such as diabetes, it may be impossible to cure or reverse your symptoms. However, proper disease management can stop your condition from worsening. If you are diabetic, it is extremely important for you to control your daily blood glucose levels. If you are suffering from autoimmune disease, damage to your nerves can be controlled with immunosuppressive medications such as azathioprine, cyclosporine or prednisone. Your doctor may also prescribe treatment with special proteins called immunoglobulins, which combat abnormal immune activity. In some cases, you may be treated with a technique called plasmapheresis, which involves artificial filtering of antibodies and other immune system components from your bloodstream.

Self-Care

• Self-care options are especially important for sufferers of diabetic foot neuropathy. If you have this form of the disorder, you will need to wash and dry your feet daily, check with your eyes and fingers for signs of increasing damage, and report any changes to your doctor. Talk to your doctor for additional information on neuropathy self-care.