Peripheral Neuropathy

Neuropathy: Get the Facts on This Little-Known Nerve Disorder

Neuropathy or peripheral neuropathy afflicts millions of people across this country. If you suffer from this disorder, your symptoms may include unexplained pain, tingling, numbness or muscle weakness. The symptoms will appear in the legs, feet, arms, hands and other parts of your body depending on the cause of it in a particular sufferer. When you first notice signs of the disorder, you should consult a doctor to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment recommendation. In addition, if there is an underlying health condition present that may influence the onset of the neuropathy the doctor should also address that to bring you relief.

What Is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral
All the types, though, fall into one of the categories below:

• Autonomic nerve neuropathy happens when damage occurs to the nerves that help the body's organs function in a normal manner. The reason for this is the fact that the damaged nerves cannot transmit signals from the brain to the autonomic nervous system or vice versa effectively.

• Multifocal motor neuropathy negatively affects the motor nerves of the body. Without these nerves functioning correctly, you cannot control your muscles in the typical manner. The nerves are unable to signal the muscles to move, and this can lead to muscular weakness, twitching or cramping.

• Sensory neuropathy negatively affects the cutaneous sensory nerves that allow you to feel sensations through touch. You will first experience issues with your feet before the neuropathy symptoms move upwards to other parts of the
Typically, you will suffer neuropathy of both the right and left sides of your body with the symptoms starting in your feet before moving up to other areas of the body.

Procedure for Diagnosing Neuropathy

You should consult with a neurologist for a proper diagnosis. When diagnosing neuropathy, your neurologist will first ask you about your medical history and your symptoms. Then, he will perform a physical exam to further his information in order to come up with a proper diagnosis. In addition, your doctor will order a variety of tests, including the following ones:

• Blood tests will detect various diseases such as diabetes, kidney issues, liver problems or hormonal imbalances. On top of this, blood tests measure vitamin and mineral levels to discover whether or not you are deficient in important nutrients. These tests also will show if any toxins are present in your system. Any issues that these tests discover may need addressing along with your neuropathy.

• An electromyography or EMG records the electrical activity in your resting muscles, especially for detecting multifocal motor neuropathy.

• A nerve conduction velocity or NCV will measure how quickly electrical signals move through the