Peripheral Neuropathy – Stanford Medical Research Helps Phoenix Pain Sufferers!

Neuropathy is a term used in the medical community to describe nerve damage that intercepts the body’s communication signals from one part of the body to another. Peripheral Neuropathy is the term used to describe damage to the nerves outside of the spinal cord or brain. Most of the time, the nerves that are damaged resulting in Peripheral Neuropathy are those that communicate sensory information from the hands or lower legs to the spinal cord and then to the brain. Some of the symptoms of Neuropathy are numbness, burning, sensitivity, and sharp pain of the extremities.

There are a number of factors that may contribute to the cause of neuropathy, including: trauma or pressure on a nerve, vitamin deficiencies, alcoholism, diabetes, infections, kidney disease, autoimmune diseases, tumors or exposure to poisons. Diabetes is one of the most common causes. In Arizona, 1 in every 9 people have diabetes, and it is estimated that 1 in every 3 kids born in America after the year 2000 will be affected by diabetes. Approximately 60-70% of people with diabetes will experience mild to severe symptoms of neuropathy.

When a person discovers that he or she has neuropathy, the first step is to work with his or her physician and determine the cause of the neuropathy. When traditional methods do not cure the neuropathy, there are new cutting edge treatments available. Historically, medications created to control seizures have shown some benefits in treating pain from neuropathy, such as gabapentin (Neurontin). Medications traditionally used to treat depression (like nortriptyline and Cymbalta) have also shown promise in relieving neuropathy. Depression medications help interfere with the reception of pain signals to the brain, so they have helped with the pain of neuropathy.

But, as expected, the side effects that go along with seizure and/or depression medications are endless. Patients suffer from an array of side effects including nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, constipation and decreased appetite. Most people who take depression and/or seizure medications opt out of it because the side effects are so unpleasant. Because of this, many people with neuropathy turn to more natural treatments, such as smoking or drinking cessation, regular exercise, a low fat diet, and increase in vitamin dosages. When all natural remedies fail, many people seek the care of Pain Management Specialists, such as those at the Novocur Pain Management Clinics.

Novocur offers cutting edge treatments such as capsaicin treatments and spinal cord stimulation. Capsaicin, studied at Stanford Medical Center, is a naturally occuring substance found in hot peppers. It can cause modest improvements in neuropathic pain for several months after a therapeutic concentration of it is applied. People who suffer from chronic peripheral neuropathy pain are tested at the Novocur Clinics for treatment with a spinal cord stimulator, which can block the reception of pain from neuropathy to the brain and spinal cord. The Spinal Cord Stimulator replaces the feeling of pain with a more soothing vibration of massage. Results from the Spinal Cord Stimulator can be effective for several years in patients who are proper candidates for this cutting edge treatment.