Neuropathy is the term used to describe a problem with the nerves, usually the ‘peripheral nerves’. your periphial nervous system sends information from your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) to the rest of the body. Neuropathy is seen with a number of different underlying medical conditions.
Signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy might include: Gradual onset of numbness, prickling or tingling in your feet or hands, which can spread upward into your legs and arms. Sharp, jabbing, throbbing, freezing or burning pain. Extreme sensitivity to touch.
Neuropathic pain can be confirmed by demonstrating physical or visible features of nerve dysfunction in the painful area, as well as at the corresponding spinal level. There are subtle signs that you can even use yourself at home to confirm the category of pain. These signs outperform laboratory tests and are frequently more sensitive than radiological investigations. Dr. Gunn’s Radiculopathy Model outlines these neuropathic features below:
The painful area is tender to finger pressure. Tenderness is maximal over motor points where the nerve enters a muscle or tendon. These generally correspond to acupuncture and trigger points. Sometimes multiple tender points occur when more than one spinal segment is involved, which is known as fibromyalgia.
Tenderness can also be located in the spinal muscles.
The painful part is usually colder (from vasoconstriction).
The painful area may exhibit excess perspiration.
Often there is excess fluid in the subcutaneous tissues, as in Trophedema:
There may be Goosebumps over the painful area.
The Skin Rolling Test, The Matchstick Test, The Orange Peel test
Peripheral nerves all innervate internal organs. Neuropathy in these autonomic nerves often goes unsuspected. The following conditions give strong indications of neuropathic origin: irritable bowel syndrome and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Trophic Changes (due to reduced neural stimulation):
Localized hair loss
Psoriasis (Abnormal skin)
The most important and widespread features of neuropathic pain.
Changes within muscle can be extremely painful (supersensitive nerve receptors in muscle).
Shortened muscles can produce mechanical pain by pulling on tendons and joints.
The most crucial shortening occurs in paraspinal muscles across a joint space, compressing the disc and sometimes the nerve root. The significance: neuropathy becomes the primary condition, and the ‘root signs’ are secondary results.
– Muscle shortening
– Muscle contracture
– Shortened paraspinal muscles
– Facet Joint Syndrome
In fact, diabetic neuropathy can be reversible, partially reversible or irreversible. This is because diabetes mellitus is subjected to different patterns of nerve damage. When one nerve is affected by diabetes, the ailment may be reversible or partially reversible.