Chiropractic treatment can be one of the components of treatment for peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Ronald Benson is proud to offer this service. 

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?
 

Neuropathy is another word for nerve disease or damage. Peripheral means nerves outside of the central nervous system (the brain and spine). Symptoms are extremely variable, depending on the cause, location, specific nerves involved and whether the nerve is primarily involved in movement or sensation. Patients may report numbness, tingling, burning, muscle weakness or a distortion in signals such that a slight touch is extremely painful or even firm pressure cannot be felt by the patient. Since the peripheral nervous system also supplies the organs, neuropathy can cause organ and gland dysfunction or even failure.

What Causes Peripheral Neuropathy?

Doctors can't always identify the specific cause of peripheral neuropathy. Genetics may be a factor in some cases, but a disease like diabetes or an injury can also cause this problem. Of diseases that can cause the problem, diabetes is the most common, but circulatory problems and kidney disease can also contribute to peripheral neuropathy as well as chemotherapy and other medications.

How Can Chiropractic Care Help?

Peripheral neuropathy related to nerve compressions, as can happen with degenerative spine conditions causing spinal stenosis, can often be helped with chiropractic treatment. Rather than treating symptoms like pain, chiropractic aims to correct the root cause of the problem, which relieves the pain or numbness. Chiropractic also focuses on a whole body approach, which includes focused nutrition and lifestyle changes to promote healing. Patients often find Dr. Benson’s care plan including cold laser and infrared laser promote more relief than anything else they’ve tried.