Neuropathy "The Painful Enigma"

Neuropathy is a medical term used to describe a collection of general diseases or malfunctions which affect the nerves. The causes of neuropathy, or nerve damage, can vary greatly among each individual and these may be caused by a number of different diseases, injuries, infections and even vitamin deficiency states. However, neuropathy can most commonly affect the nerves that control the motor and sensory nerves. Because the human body is composed of many different kinds of nerves which perform different functions, nerve damage is classified into several types. Neuropathy can also be classified according to the location of the nerves being affected and according to the disease causing it. For instance, neuropathy caused by diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy. Furthermore, depending on which nerves are affected will depend on the symptoms that will manifest as a result. Below we will discuss several specific types of neuropathies clinically treated by chiropractors, physical therapists and physical medicine doctors alike, as well as briefly describing their causes and their symptoms.

The vast array of symptoms caused by neuropathy, also known as peripheral neuropathy, reflect the fact that it may be caused by an equally broad range of ailments involving disease and damage to peripheral nerves.

Signs and Symptoms of Neuropathy

Depending on the reason and unique to each patient, signs and symptoms of neuropathy can include: pain; tingling, burning or prickling sensations; increased sensitivity to touch; muscle weakness or wasting; temporary or permanent numbness; paralysis; dysfunction in glands or organs; or impairment in urination and sexual functioning.

Such signs and symptoms are dependent on whether autonomic, sensory, or motor nerves, as well as a combination of them, are ultimately affected. Autonomic nerve damage can influence physiological functions like blood pressure or create gastrointestinal problems and issues. Damage or dysfunction in the sensory nerves may impact sensations and sense of equilibrium or balance, while harm to motor nerves may affect movement and reflexes. When both sensory and motor nerves are involved, the condition is known as sensorimotor polyneuropathy.