Neuropathy: A Common Side Effect from Diabetes

This is a pain in the…FOOT!

Tingling, pain or numbness in the feet, legs, hands, and fingers can be a symptom of neuropathy – a common side effect from diabetes.

I will often have patients say it feels like a "cold sensation" as if their feet always "feel cold," says RFH Nurse Practitioner Lauren Micalizio.

According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 50 percent of people who struggle managing their diabetes have neuropathy. It causes instability because of the loss of sensation in the feet, discomfort when sleeping, and overall difficulty walking.

The problem is a result of damage to the nerves of the feet. This can happen gradually with unmanaged diabetes or due to injury.

Patients with Neuropathy often describe some of the sensations as:

• Numbness or prickling (pins and needles) in your feet
• Sharp burning pain
• Sensitivity to touch or putting socks on
• Tripping and falling often
• Weakness
• No feeling at all in parts of the feet

At Restore First Health, we offer one of the only treatments available that actually reverses neuropathy through our Diabetic and Neuropathy Therapy (DNT) protocol.

How it works:

When someone has diabetes, the body’s pancreas is not able to process and utilize insulin in an efficient manner, often sending the wrong signals to increase or decrease our body’s insulin or sugar. Through our insulin infusion program (DNT), we reset, and reteach the body how to properly react to sugar in the bloodstream, allowing healing and restoration to take place. Damaged nerves that occur and cause neuropathy begin to repair, and over 90 percent of patients report a significant decline in symptoms related to foot neuropathy after several treatments.

What else can I do to help my neuropathy?

• The food we provide our bodies should emphasize a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein to help keep nerves healthy.
• Eat foods high in B-12 which includes meats, fish, eggs, low-fat dairy foods and fortified cereals.
• Avoid overindulging in alcohol
• Avoid movements that may cause nerve damage, including repetitive motions, cramped positions that put pressure on nerves.
• A person with diabetes should have an appointment to see a podiatrist AT LEAST once a year, if not more.
• Diabetics currently receiving DNT program therapy that have neuropathy may be on certain nerve pain medications such as Gabapentin and may continue to take these medications while in treatment with Restore First Health.