Nerve pain is bothersome and disruptive when it happens anywhere in your body. But neuropathy in feet is particularly painful because you rely on your feet for your mobility. With new treatment for neuropathy in feet available at Pain Management NYC, there’s no reason to put off seeing the best doctor for neuropathy to take care of your discomfort. Call today for a consultation and end your suffering with effective treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet, such as peripheral nerve and spinal cord stimulation.
What Is Neuropathy in Feet and Legs?
When you begin to experience tingling, stinging or burning in your feet and legs, it’s likely the onset of a condition called neuropathy. These annoying or painful sensations are caused by damaged nerve endings. Neuropathy in the feet is not a life-threatening condition, but without the best neuropathy in feet treatment, it can build up to a point where it interferes with your everyday life.
Neuropathy is a broad term for a complex condition. Multiple types of the disorder exist, and the cause may be a single factor or many different elements. The source of your foot pain may be anything from an illness to an injury or even a chemical exposure. Of course, you can develop nerve pain in other places or even in multiple parts of your body at once.
Every year, millions of Americans seek treatment for neuropathy in feet. You can find the best doctor for neuropathy in feet at Pain Management NYC in the New York and New Jersey areas. Connect with experienced doctors who know the new treatment for neuropathy in feet, such as spinal cord stimulation, to start your road to recovery.
What Are the Symptoms of Foot Neuropathy?
Not everyone’s symptoms are the same, but most people with foot neuropathy share typical factors that point to the condition. Symptoms may start out sporadically and increase to where they’re so painful that they interfere with your mobility.
Telltale signs include:
- Tingling
- Burning
- Stinging
- Weakness
- Pain
- Numbness
- Swelling in the feet
- Pain while standing or walking
People typically experience these sensations on both feet and legs, but they can also occur on just one side of your body or just in your feet. The symptoms also tend to worsen in the evening.
What Causes Neuropathy in My Feet?
Most foot neuropathy develops over time as a result of some other condition, injury or disease. It occurs when small blood vessels lose their ability to nourish the nerves. Some factors increase the risk of developing neuropathy.
You at a higher risk if you’re older than 40 and have certain conditions, such as:
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- Low levels of key vitamins
- Obesity or overweight
- Alcohol or drug abuse disorders
Neuropathy treatment for feet may be in order if you have other medical conditions or problems that can contribute to neuropathy pain in the feet in addition to the signs and symptoms of the disease.
These include:
- Diabetes. This is the most common reason for nerve damage in the feet. Over half the people with diabetes develop some kind of neuropathy.
- Injuries or accidents. Car accidents, hard impacts or falls can damage nerves.
- Exposure to chemicals or toxins. These exposures can occur at work or home.
- Inherited disorders. Charcot-Marie-Tooth is a disease that runs in families and often causes nerve damage.
- Infections. These include specific bacterial or viral infections.
- Autoimmune diseases. Lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis are a few types.
- Tumors. These are any type of growth that presses on a nerve.
Hypothyroidism and bone marrow disorders are just a few of other conditions that often lead to nerve pain. The best doctor for neuropathy in feet uncovers the cause of your foot pain, which is vital to treat it properly. Early detection and treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet normally lessens the progression of nerve damage.
What Are the Different Kinds of Neuropathy in Feet and Legs?
The type of neuropathy you have depends on several different factors. It often is determined by the number of nerves affected or the specific cause for the condition.
A few types that are likely to impact the feet include:
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Compression neuropathy
- Polyneuropathy
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Small fiber neuropathy
Whatever the type or source of disorder you have, your doctor for neuropathy in feet includes treatment of that underlying condition in your overall neuropathy feet treatment to remedy your pain.
What Are the Best Treatments for Neuropathy in Feet?
After a thorough medical exam and testing, your doctor determines the type of neuropathy treatment for feet appropriate for your condition and your lifestyle. These remedies consist of both medicinal and therapeutic treatments.
Pharmacological interventions may include:
- Pain relievers
- Anti-seizure medicine
- Topical treatments
- Antidepressants
When you need further intervention to reduce pain and avoid further complications, the best doctor for neuropathy in feet may recommend:
- Neurostimulators, like peripheral nerve and spinal cord stimulators, that deliver low level electrical impulses to block pain signals
- Physical therapy designed to strengthens muscles
- Mobility devices, such as braces or a cane
- Foot injections with numbing agents or steroids
- Surgery that involves removing tumors pressing on nerves
These therapies may be used in conjunction with each other or with medicines. It all depends on the nature and extent of your foot pain.
What Are the Complications and Risks from Foot Neuropathy?
Several complications may arise from untreated neuropathy in your lower extremities.
You may experience more issues as the condition intensifies, such as:
- Skin injuries because you can’t feel certain sensations
- Infections from untreated wounds like cuts, burns and blisters that you don’t feel
- Falls and trips as loss of balance tends to be an issue when you have untreated foot neuropathy and lose the ability to feel your feet and lose muscle tone
Since you simply aren’t aware of or can’t negotiate the crack in the sidewalk or the change in slope, falling is a serious concern because it leads to fractures or other injuries.
You can take a variety of steps to prevent complications caused by this nerve disorder by:
- Wearing close-toed shoes
- Checking your feet and legs regularly
- Treating minor injuries immediately
- Installing grabrails in your bathroom
- Using walkers or canes as needed
- Walking only in well-lit locations
When Should I See a Doctor for Treatments for Neuropathy in Feet?
Make an appointment with the best doctor for neuropathy in feet right away if you notice signs of neuropathy in the feet or legs. This is particularly important if the symptoms become more severe or bothersome. Not only can you get relief from the pain, but neuropathy feet treatment may stop the nerve damage from getting worse. The earlier you seek medical attention the better.
Before the stinging and burning in your feet get out of control, contact the pain management specialists at Pain Management NYC. They’re the go-to team in the New York area with the latest treatments to put the spring back in your step.
Boleslav Kosharskyy, MD, is a top-rated, best-in-class interventional pain management doctor. He is board-certified in Anesthesiology, Interventional Pain Medicine, and Palliative Care.
Dr. Kosharskyy is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Rehabilitation Medicine at Albert Einstein Medical College. He’s also the Associate Medical Director of Pain Medicine and Director of Anesthesia for the Joint Replacement Center at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein Medical College.
He is an active member of the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA), the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), and the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA)