What are the Symptoms of a Neuropathy?

Neuropathy is any pathology affecting the peripheral nervous system. It makes the nerves outside the spinal cord and brain unable to function correctly. According to the American Academy of Neurology, more than 100 neuropathy types exist. Every kind of neuropathy varies in terms of development. Taking a good look at your symptoms and figuring out which ones you have can be the key to finding a suitable treatment plan. The following are some common symptoms of neuropathy.

Sensitivity to Touch and Temperature

Neuropathy typically manifests itself as a sensitivity to touch and a loss in temperature sensation. Neuropathies that cause numbness often also result in a lack of pain sensation. This can make it difficult to differentiate between actual pain and the numbness caused by neuropathy. The numbing can be pretty confusing. This is especially the case if you have been experiencing nerve pain before developing neuropathy.

Muscle Spasms and Cramping

Some people with nerve injuries experience muscle spasms within the affected nerves. This can include anything from pins and needles to cramps in the foot or leg muscles. Neuropathy typically results in a weakness of muscle fibers, which can lead to cramping or twitching. Sometimes this is only temporary, but muscle pain and cramping may persist in some cases.

Experiencing Numbness

The connection between your nerve endings and muscles is the basis for all your senses. The nerves carry impulses from the body to the brain. But when these pathways are damaged or destroyed by injury or surgery, you can no longer feel these feelings. A loss of sensation sometimes accompanies neuropathy. This can make affected limbs feel numb, tingly, or even cold. These feelings can be pretty alarming, especially when they start in a stem or the body’s trunk.

Experiencing Pain

Neuropathy can also cause the nerves to become hypersensitive. This results in intense or prolonged pain in an area. The pain can be challenging to treat. It is often triggered by simple pressure or touches that a person may not even be aware of. In addition, as neuropathy progresses and becomes worse, the amount of pain that you feel may well increase as well.

Neuropathy affects nerves and can cause pain, numbness, or weakness. It is the most common cause of pain in the upper extremity. The condition can affect essential muscles such as the wrist, hand, elbow, and shoulder. The symptoms of neuropathy may vary depending on which nerves are affected. In some cases, no symptoms may be present at all. For more details on neuropathy, give us a call today.

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5 Reasons You Could Have Chronic Pain

According to a Statista survey, 29% of the US population experiencing back issues blame stress for the pain. 26% of adults suggest that the cause of this pain is the weakening of muscles and failing to exercise. In addition, another 26% believe that physical work is the leading cause of back pain. Chronic pain is a terrible thing. It can take over your life. The pain can make you tense up or withdraw from activities that used to bring you joy. Below are the five most common reasons people have chronic pain.

1. Genetics and Family Environment

Chronic pain is often multifactorial. This means that it has several different causes. Suppose your parents had chronic pain, and you were exposed to an identical situation as they were. In this case, you might also have the same symptoms they did. If your family or environment is abusive or neglectful, this abuse or neglect can lead to several chronic health problems in the future.

2. Psychological Factors

Psychological factors are one of the most common causes of chronic pain. They include emotions, thought patterns, and beliefs. Many people who have chronic pain continue to have negative feelings or thought patterns that influence their health. Depression or anxiety problems play a significant role in causing ongoing pain and symptoms.

3. Physical Factors

Another common cause of chronic pain is physical injury to your muscles or other soft tissues. They include inflammation or tissue injury. A common cause of tendon pain is degeneration of the knee or back issues. Other physical factors can increase your pain. For example, suppose a medical condition such as arthritis, fracture, or infection is present when the injury happens and does not heal properly. This can play a role in causing ongoing pain later.

4. Environmental factors like diet and exercise

The environment plays a vital role in causing chronic pain. The foods you eat are related to chronic pain in many ways. You may have eaten foods that contribute to your pain and drive long-term changes in your body. These changes include increased inflammation and muscle tension. Your exercise routine can also cause chronic pain by overworking one area of your body or increasing muscle tension.

5. Infectious disease

One of the most common and well-known causes of chronic pain is an infectious disease. You should receive appropriate treatment for your infection. Contrary to this, your immune system will continue to be stimulated by the bacteria in your body. This means that the disease has spread throughout your body and caused it to become inflamed.

If you have been experiencing chronic pain for a long time, it is natural to wonder why this is happening to you. There are dozens of different possible causes of chronic pain. It is worth looking into each one and seeing if any apply to your situation. For more details on chronic pain, give us a call today.

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