Neuropathy Treatment

Medically reviewed by Joshua L. Hare, DO, Founder & Medical Director

Neuropathy most often affects the hands and feet

Neuropathy, or peripheral neuropathy, refers to damage or dysfunction of the peripheral nerves that carry signals between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body. It most commonly affects the hands and feet[1] and can cause burning pain, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and extreme sensitivity to touch. Diabetes is the most common cause, but neuropathy can also result from chemotherapy, autoimmune diseases, infections, vitamin deficiencies, and nerve injuries. At IPC, we offer advanced treatment options for neuropathic pain including spinal cord stimulation (including high-frequency and dorsal root ganglion stimulation), peripheral nerve blocks, and medication management tailored to the specific neuropathic pain pattern.

Symptoms of neuropathy

Nerve pain feels different from musculoskeletal pain, and patients usually describe it in a recognisable vocabulary.

• Burning, electric, shooting or stabbing pain
• Tingling, prickling or a persistent pins-and-needles sensation
• Numbness or reduced sensation, which can coexist with pain in the same area
• A pattern that typically starts in the toes and feet and progresses upward over time, later involving the fingers and hands — often described as stocking-and-glove
• Symptoms that are noticeably worse at night
• Pain from things that should not hurt, such as bedsheets resting on the feet
• Unsteadiness, particularly in the dark, because reduced sensation makes balance harder

Reduced sensation matters as much as pain: it raises the risk of unnoticed injuries, particularly on the feet.

When to see a pain specialist about neuropathy

Arrange an evaluation when burning or tingling is persistent, is disturbing sleep, is not responding to initial treatment, or is progressing — spreading further up the limb or worsening in intensity.

Interventional and advanced options are relevant when medication alone is not enough or its side effects are limiting. Spinal cord stimulation has an established role in painful diabetic neuropathy and other neuropathic pain that has not responded to conservative care, and it is trialled temporarily before anything is implanted permanently. Diagnostic and therapeutic nerve blocks may also be appropriate depending on the distribution.

If you have diabetes, foot examination and blood glucose control remain central and continue alongside pain treatment. Check your feet regularly, and report any sore, blister or ulcer promptly, because reduced sensation means an injury can progress without being felt. Weakness that is worsening quickly over days, rather than sensory symptoms developing over months, needs urgent assessment.

Treatment options for neuropathy

Neuropathic pain often responds poorly to ordinary painkillers, which is why the options below act on the nerve signal itself. Neuromodulation is generally considered after medication and blocks have been tried.

References

Clinical sources for this page.

1. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus. Peripheral Nerve Disorders. Back to first citation ↑