What is peripheral neuropathy?

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2 Oct

Peripheral Neuropathy, Pain Relief, Chronic Pain, Pain Management, Pain Therapy, Carpal Tunnel, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina, Facts

What is peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy refers to a problem with the peripheral nerves. These nerves send messages from the central nervous system, the brain and the spinal cord to the rest of the body.

The peripheral nerves tell the body when, for example, the hands are cold. It can lead to tingling, prickling, numbness, and muscle weakness in various parts of the body.

Peripheral neuropathy can affect a range of different nerves, so it can impact a variety of locations in different ways. It can affect a single nerve, or several nerves at the same time.

It is also associated with a number of different underlying medical conditions. Sometimes there is no identifiable cause.

It affects some 20 million people in the United States (U.S.).

Fast facts on peripheral neuropathy

Here are some key points about peripheral neuropathy.

Neuropathy is a common complication of a number of different medical conditions.
It can involve the autonomic nerves, the motor nerves, and the sensory nerves.
Sometimes it affects a single nerve or nerve set, for example, in Bell’s Palsy, which affects a facial nerve.
Physical trauma, repetitive injury, infection, metabolic problems, and exposure to toxins and some drugs are all possible causes.
People with diabetes have a high risk of neuropathy.

Treatment

Carpal tunnel syndrome is an example of a mononeuropathy, which affects a single nerve.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is an example of a mononeuropathy, which affects a single nerve.

Treatment either targets the underlying cause, or it aims to provide symptomatic pain relief and prevent further damage.

In the case of diabetic neuropathy, addressing high blood sugars can prevent further nerve damage.

For toxic causes, removing the exposure to a suspected toxin, or stopping a drug, can halt further nerve damage.

Medications can relieve pain and reduce burning, numbness, and tingling.

Managing neuropathy

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may help control pain. These are available over the counter.

Topical ointments and creams, such as capsaicin 0.075 percent cream, containing chili pepper, may ease pain. Patches are also available.

Treating mononeuropathies

When neuropathy is caused by compression of a single nerve, treatment is similar whichever nerve is involved. The approach depends on whether the compression is fixed or transient.

A palsy of the ulnar, radial, or peroneal nerve may be transient and reversible, simply by avoiding the cause of the nerve compression. For example, a person with ulnar nerve palsy should not lean on the affected elbow.

The patient may be advised to rest and to use heat and a limited course of drugs to reduce inflammation.

In carpal tunnel syndrome, conservative therapy includes splinting the wrist, oral or injected corticosteroid drugs, and ultrasound.

If a single-nerve neuropathy does not respond to these measures, surgery may be an option. Surgery may also be necessary if the nerve compression is fixed, for example when caused by a tumor.

Referral to specialist pain services or a relevant clinical specialty should be considered at any stage if:

pain is severe
pain significantly limits daily activities and quality of life
an underlying health condition is getting worse

Symptoms

Symptoms vary according to the types of neuropathy.

Sensory neuropathy

The person may have:

tingling and numbness
pins and needles and hypersensitivity
increased pain or inability to feel pain
loss of ability to detect changes in heat and cold
loss of co-ordination and proprioception
burning, stabbing, lancing, boring, or shooting pains, which may be worse at night

It can also lead to foot and leg ulcers, infection, and gangrene.

Motor neuropathy

This affects the muscles.

Symptoms include:

muscle weakness, leading to unsteadiness and difficulty performing small movements, such as buttoning a shirt.
muscle wasting
muscle twitching and cramps
muscle paralysis

If the autonomic nerves are affected, there may be problems with sweating, heat intolerance, bowel or bladder problems, and changes in blood pressure, leading to dizziness.

Causes

Many types of neuropathy are “idiopathic,” or of unknown cause, but a number of conditions can trigger it.

Diabetes is the most common cause of chronic peripheral neuropathy. It happens when high blood sugar levels damage the nerves.

Other medical conditions and injuries include:

Chronic kidney disease: if the kidneys are not functioning normally, an imbalance of salts and chemicals can cause peripheral neuropathy.
Injuries: Broken bones and tight plaster casts can put pressure directly on the nerves.
Infections: Shingles, HIV infection, Lyme disease, and others can lead to nerve damage.
Guillain-Barré syndrome: This is a specific type of peripheral neuropathy, triggered by infection.
Some autoimmune disorders: These include rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Other causes include:

excessive alcohol intake
some drugs, for example, chemotherapy and HIV treatment
B12 or folate vitamin deficiencies
poisons, such as insecticides and solvents
some kinds of cancer, including lymphoma and multiple myeloma
chronic liver disease

Disorders of the small blood vessels can reduce blood supply to the nerves, resulting in nerve tissue damage.

Neuromas, benign tumors that affect nerve tissue, can lead to neuropathic pain.

Diabetic neuropathy

The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes. Around 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have some degree of neuropathy.

High blood sugar levels cause damage to the walls of the tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the nerves in the ends of the hands and feet, and the essential organs in the body, such as the eyes, kidneys, and heart.

As a result, not only does the skin becomes damaged, but the loss of sensation further increases the risk of damage.

In the U.S., diabetic neuropathy is the main cause of foot problems and ulcers in people with diabetes. Around half of all people with diabetes are believed to have diabetic neuropathy.

Types

The nervous system is a complex web of communications in which different types of nerves interact. Peripheral neuropathy refers specifically to a malfunction of the peripheral nerves.

Over 100 types of neuropathy have been identified, each with its own causes and symptoms.

Neuropathy can affect the:

Sensory nerves: These nerves control sensation, and damage can cause tingling, pain, numbness, or weakness in the feet and hands.
Motor nerves: These nerves allow power and movement, and damage can cause weakness in the feet and hands.
Autonomic nerves: These nerves control body systems such as the digestive or cardiovascular system. Damage can affect the heart rate, blood pressure, and other functions.

Mononeuropathy involves a single nerve. In polyneuropathy, several nerves are affected.

Examples of neuropathy include:

postherpetic neuralgia, which can follow shingles. Sensory neuropathy can last for many months after the rash disappears.
ulnar nerve palsy, following an injury to the elbow
carpel tunnel syndrome, a compression of the nerves in the wrist
peroneal nerve palsy, caused by compression of a nerve in the leg that runs by the neck of the fibular, or the calf bone, between the knee and ankle
Bell’s palsy, a single-nerve neuropathy that affects the face

Natural treatments

Hot or cold packs may help relieve discomfort.

Non-drug measures include:

Hot or cold pack may help relieve discomfort.

wearing fabrics that do not irritate, such as cotton
covering sensitive areas with a plastic wound dressing or cling film
using warm or cold packs, unless the problem is worsened by heat or cold

Stress-relief and other complementary therapies include meditation, relaxation techniques, massage, and acupuncture.

Some people find that using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine helps. This device interrupts nerve messages by delivering a small electric current. Its effectiveness has not been confirmed by research.

Any supplements should first be discussed with a doctor.

Outlook

The outlook for peripheral neuropathy varies, depending on the underlying cause, and which nerves have been damaged.

Some cases may improve with time if the underlying cause is treated, but in others, the damage may be permanent or gradually worse with time.

Article Provided By: Medical News Today

If you would like to discuss what Carolina Pain Scrambler do to help relieve your chronic pain symptoms or receive more information on our treatment process, please do not hesitate to call us at 864-520-5011 or you can email us at info@carolinapainscrambler.com

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25 Sep

Pain Management, Pain Relief, Chronic Pain, Pain Therapy, Pain Treatment, Peripheral Neuropathy, Carpal Tunnel, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina, Pain Can Spread

How Your Pain Can Spread

Pain that starts in one place doesn’t necessarily stay there. Over time, pain can spread, shift, expand, or radiate, from one part of the body to another, making treatment even more challenging.

One common way that pain spreads to other parts of the body is through over-compensation, where we start to change our movement patterns to compensate for a part of the body that is injured or hurting. One typical example is a back ache caused by chronic pain in a knee or foot. When a part of the lower leg, such as a knee or foot, is chronically irritated, it can disrupt our normal body mechanics, which can lead to a limp when walking. If this altered gait pattern continues for an extended period of time, then this puts added stress on other parts of the body that may have to work extra hard to make up for weakness in the leg. Before you know it, the muscles in the lower back start to tighten up and get sore and stiff, and this can easily spread to the right hip and even up the spine to the neck.

Additional pain can also come from avoidance, where we avoid using a body part that is hurting. This often occurs when patients develop lingering pain in a hand or shoulder. As they try to keep doing their normal chores at home or activities at work, they resort to relying primarily on their opposite hand and arm. This over-dependence on one side of the body can lead to significant over-use and new pain. For example, a right-handed person who develops carpal tunnel syndrome with pain and numbness in the right hand can eventually experience similar symptoms in the left hand just by using it more.There is also something known as referred pain, and we can see this occur from painful muscle “trigger points.” Trigger points are tight and tender when you press on them, but they can also cause referred pain that appears in a different location. Because many of us spend so much time on computers or smart-phones, trigger points often develop around the trapezius muscle, which is a large muscle behind the neck, upper back and shoulder blades. Headaches, jaw pain, eye pain, and even pain the ring finger have in some cases been attributed to trigger points in the trapezius.

Nerve irritation can also cause referred pain. Sciatica is a classic example, where a bulging or herniated disc in the lower back presses on a nerve, causing pain to shoot down the back of the leg. This type of referred pain can feel like an electrical shooting sensation that radiates down the leg.The way pain gets processed in the brain can also lead to a spread of symptoms in the body. Intense nerve pain that arises from an injured arm or leg can start to crop up in a different arm or leg that was not injured. It is still not clear what causes this to happen, but the new pain that arises in the uninjured limb can mimic the original nerve pain.As you can see, there are a whole host of ways that pain can spread or move around the body. In each circumstance, the better we understand the causes, the more likely we are to treat it effectively. Reviewing how the pain feels with your health team can provide helpful clues. For example, muscular pain typically feels achy, throbbing, twitching or tight, and if you start to experience that in a part of your body that was not previously injured or affected, then there is a good chance it is due to some sort of muscular over-compensation. But if what you are feeling is more electrical, shooting, burning, or tingling, then that likely indicates nerve irritation, such as a pinched nerve from a herniated disc in the back. In many cases, restoring function and activity where the pain first started can help reduce the stress and strain on other parts of the body that get overworked. Listen to your body for clues to help guide the process.

Article Provided By: WebMD

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23 Sep

Chronic Pain, Pain Relief, Pain Management, Pain Treatment, Pain Therapy, Peripheral Neuropathy, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina

Emotions That Come With Chronic Pain

There is an overlap in the brain between feeling emotion and pain. This overlap may provide a path for people to gain control over their chronic pain.

According to Ashley Boynes-Shuck, a blogger and health advocate, being positive and staying hopeful while helping other people has been a wonderful way to get through the pain.

As more attention is being given by the scientific community, it is becoming more evident that the brain has evolved a certain amount of overlap between its emotion and pain centers. According to a practicing physician, “the areas of our brain that are associated with sensory perception, they share real estate with the areas of our brain that are involved in the processing of emotions.”

Since emotions are closely linked to the sensory centers of the brain, emotions may determine in part, our perception of pain in our bodies. People with chronic pain often avoid exercise and social interaction which are two activities that can often times provide relief.

Moreover, pain itself may increase negative emotions. Getting up every day with debilitating pain that will not stop can lead to frustration, resentment, and stress. People with chronic pain are also more likely to develop mood or anxiety disorders. Additionally, depressed individuals have three times the possibility of developing chronic pain. The subsequent cycle is hard to break.

Understanding the way emotions play a role in how we experience pain may provide some relief. There are many different options for dealing with chronic pain, from being evaluated by a physician or psychologist, to trying other methods like biofeedback, acupuncture, and yoga. Exercise of any kind is also a very helpful treatment for pain. Since its different for every person, depending on their age and their condition, its important to seek out personalized medicine and to find a balanced treatment.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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Regular Post

20 Sep

Neuropathy Treatment, Pain Relief, Treatments, South Carolina

10 Tips for Walking with Chronic Pain

Walking is one of the least expensive and easiest forms of exercise. It only requires a pair of sneakers, a place to walk, and the motivation to begin. Once a walking exercise routine is established, the length and intensity of walks can be modified based on individual goals and abilities.

Ten simple tips for an effective walking workout routine include the following:

Talk to a health care professional

Consulting a health care provider to be sure that walking will not worsen chronic pain is important. While studies show that walking can substantially lessen the intensity and frequency of pain episodes, talking with a health care provider before beginning any new exercise regimen is recommended.

Invest in a good pair of walking shoes

A good pair of walking shoes is essential. They should fit appropriately and support the feet and legs during exercise. Walking sneakers should have good arch support and a slightly raised heel that adds support and prevents wobbling while walking.

Warm up the muscles

Warming up the muscles with a slow five-minute walk prior to engaging in a longer brisk walk helps prevent injury.

Watch breathing and heart rate

Take note of breathing and heart rate. While the heart rate should be elevated to gain cardiovascular benefits, carrying on a conversation while walking should not be difficult. If it is, the intensity of the workout should be decreased.

Focus on good posture

Maintaining good posture while walking is important. The toes should point straight ahead, the head up, back straight and abdominal muscles engaged. The elbows should be bent at a ninety-degree angle and the arms should swing with each step.

Count steps

A pedometer will track the number of steps taken or the distance walked. This will help monitor improvement and encourage motivation.

Buy a wearable fitness tracker

Wearable fitness trackers count steps and allow for friendly competitions among friends, which can offer extra motivation.

Drink water

Keeping hydrated is important, especially if walking long distances or in high temperatures. In very hot weather conditions, replenishing electrolytes with tablets or fitness drinks is a good idea.

Apply sunscreen when outside

Wearing sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses when exercising outside protects the skin from sun damage.

Select a new route

Varying the walking route helps prevent boredom. Once the body is acclimated to the amount of time and distance walked, considering a route with some hills or terrain changes will keep it interesting.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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16 Sep

Managing CIPN after Cancer Treatment

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Though doctors and researchers are continually working to refine cancer treatments, therapies to treat the disease can still have side effects. Chemotherapy is often used as a strategy to kill cancer cells, but it can also affect the nerves that connect the spinal cord to muscles, skin, and internal organs. This condition is known as peripheral neuropathy.

“The likelihood that a person will develop peripheral neuropathy after cancer treatment varies widely, and is largely dependent on what kinds of chemotherapy drugs were given and the dosage that was used,” says Memorial Sloan Kettering physical therapist Laryssa Buoneto.

Symptoms of Neuropathy

A person’s particular symptoms related to neuropathy also may vary based on the type and dosage of drugs received. Certain types of chemotherapy affect the small sensory nerves in the feet and hands, causing symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and pain in fingers and toes. Treatment with chemotherapy can also result in weakness, muscle cramps, and muscle fatigue.

Less commonly, chemotherapy can have an impact on the nerves that control movement and autonomic (internal) functions. People with autonomic nerve damage may become dizzy when sitting or standing up, or may experience urinary or bowel symptoms, blood pressure changes, or irregular heartbeat.

“People who experience any of these symptoms during or after being treated for cancer should discuss them with their doctor,” says Ms. Buoneto. “These symptoms are common after cancer treatment, but they may also have other underlying causes.”

Diagnosing Peripheral Neuropathy

The first step in diagnosing peripheral neuropathy is to meet with your oncologist to discuss your chemotherapy regimen, symptoms, and any preexisting medical condition that could cause similar symptoms. Your oncologist may refer you to a physiatrist (a doctor who specializes in rehabilitation), a physical therapist, or an occupational therapist for evaluation and treatment.

In a typical exam, you would be examined for cuts and injuries, which can occur due to decreased sensitivity of the skin, and evaluated for your reaction to light touch, sensitivity to sharp and dull stimulation, finger muscle strength, reflexes, balance, and autonomic symptoms.

You may also undergo neurophysiologic tests such as:

electromyography, nerve conduction studies, and quantitative sensory tests to further examine peripheral nerve function
laboratory tests to look for metabolic disturbances and nutritional deficiencies
imaging tests to look for other possible causes of nerve damage

“These tests also can help your doctor or therapist to tailor a treatment plan to your needs and to measure progress to see if treatments are working,” says Memorial Sloan Kettering occupational therapist Gabrielle Miskovitz. “During your evaluation, your physical or occupational therapist will ask you to think about your goals. The therapist is there to help you maximize your safety, reduce your risk of injury, and improve your quality of life.”

Treating the Effects of Neuropathy

Medications are available to reduce the pain and sensory symptoms related to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

In addition, physical and occupational therapy can help those with neuropathy to improve balance and gait, fine motor skills, dexterity, and coordination. Many of the treatments are focused on decreasing the risk of falls, and injuries that can result from neuropathy.

Article Provided By: International Myeloma Foundation

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13 Sep

Chronic Pain, Pain Relief, Pain Management, Pain Therapy, Pain Relief, Peripheral Neuropathy, Carolina Pain Scrambler Center, Greenville South Carolina, Exercises

5 Exercises to Help Ease Chronic Pain

While medical treatments and physical therapy are vital components of managing chronic pain symptoms, increased physical activity as a daily habit can increase quality of life. Physical activity results in the release of natural endorphins; these are the “feel good” chemicals in the brain that enhance mood while simultaneously easing pain signals. Regular exercise also helps to improve sleep quality and may even result in a reduced need for pain medications.

Walking

Chronic Pain, Pain Management, Pain Relief, Pain Therapy, Pain Treatment, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina, Exercises

Walking is a low-impact aerobic activity that is safe and effectively provides the muscles with oxygen. By increasing circulation, exercise often decreases pain and stiffness.

Aquatic exercises

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Gentle exercise in warm water often aids in decreasing chronic pain symptoms. Research shows that this may be due to low impact on the joints in water-based workouts.

Stretching and yoga

Chronic Pain, Pain Management, Pain Relief, Pain Therapy, Pain Treatment, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina, Exercises

Stretching and yoga are often valuable exercises for the improvement of chronic pain. Maintaining good posture, gentle stretching and relaxation exercises are helpful pain-reduction tools to incorporate into a daily routine.

Strength training

Chronic Pain, Pain Management, Pain Relief, Pain Therapy, Pain Treatment, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina, Exercises

Strength training can significantly ease chronic pain and benefit a person’s overall health. Workouts that use free weights or resistance machines are helpful for balanced strength training. Starting slowly and building strength gradually is important to prevent injury.

Activities of daily living

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If going to the gym seems overwhelming or an individual’s chronic pain prevents them from exercising, everyday activities and daily chores can help. Routine activities, such as doing laundry, getting the mail, cooking, bathing and dressing are also valuable ways to incorporate movement throughout the day.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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11 Sep

Chronic Pain, Pain Relief, Pain Management, Peripheral Neuropathy, Pain Therapy, Paint Treatment, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina

10 Self Help Tips for Chronic Pain

1. Learn deep breathing or meditation for relaxation.

Though there are many different ways to meditate, repetition serves as the core for many different forms of meditation. Concentrating on breathing, ignoring thoughts, and repeating a word or phrase may cause the body to relax.

2. Reduce stress levels

Negative feelings including depression, anxiety, stress, and anger may increase the body’s sensitivity to pain. Listening to calm and soothing music may elevate your mood, making the chronic pain more tolerable. Guided imagery may also prove to be helpful, as it is a form of mental escape that may promote relaxation and help bring peace to your life.

3. Boost pain relief with natural endorphins made available through exercise.

Endorphins are chemicals in the brain that improve your mood while also blocking pain signals. Exercise also strengthens muscles, decreasing the chances of re-injury. Exercise may also lower your weight, reduce heart disease risk, and control blood sugar levels.

4. Decrease alcohol consumption.

Though pain can make sleeping difficult, alcohol may make sleep problems worse. If you are experiencing chronic pain, drinking less or no alcohol is recommended.

5. Join a support group.

Being around people who also endure chronic pain may make you feel less alone. You may also benefit from their wisdom in coping with pain. Meeting a mental health professional may also be recommended.

6. Don’t smoke.

Smoking may make painful circulation problems worse and increases the risk of heart disease and cancer.

7. Track your pain and activities every day.

Maintaining a log or a journal of your daily “pain score” will help track your pain. Measuring your pain at the end of the day using a 1 to 10 scale as well as keeping track of your activities may help your doctor understand your chronic pain.

8. Learn biofeedback to decrease headaches.

With biofeedback, sensors are worn so that you can “hear” or “see” bodily functions like pulse, digestion, body temperature, and muscle tension. The squiggly lines and beeps on the attached monitors reflect what is happening inside you body. When you learn to control those squiggles and beeps, you may be able to train your mind to lessen pain.

9. Get a massage for chronic pain relief.

A massage can reduce stress and relieve tension. Massages are utilized by people living with different kinds of chronic pain, including back pain and neck pain.

10. Eat a healthy diet.

A well balanced diet aids your digestive process, reduces heart disease risk, keeps weight under control, and improves blood sugar levels.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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9 Sep

8 Complications of Diabetic Neuropathy

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If glucose (sugar) levels are not under control and managed, diabetic neuropathy can cause serious complications. The common complications of diabetic neuropathy include:

Loss of a limb

The sensory neuropathy causes open wounds or sores to go unnoticed which can later become infected or ulcerated. Ulceration causes the soft tissue and skin to break down. The high blood sugar damages the blood vessels which reduces the blood supply to your feet. If left untreated, infection can spread to bone and gangrene can occur. Gangrene is tissue death which may require amputation to affected toe, foot, or lower leg.

Charcot joint

Charcot joint, also known as neuropathic arthropathy, often damages the nerve in the foot causing loss of function in the joint. Usually, the foot becomes deformed presenting with misalignment, loss of sensation, swelling, instability, and deformity in the joint. Walking can exacerbate pain and worsen the damage. Receiving early treatment can stimulate the healing process and prevent any additional damage.

Urinary dysfunction

The damaged nerves in the bladder are unaware of the pressure buildup caused by the urine filled bladder. This prevents the bladder from completely emptying causing an increase of bacteria, the ability to know when you need to urinate, and the control of the muscles used for urine output. These types of complications will lead to urinary tract infections and incontinence.

Hypoglycemia unawareness

An autonomic neuropathy prevents you from noticing when your blood sugar drops below 70 mg/dL or 3.9 mmol/L. The sign and symptoms you will notice are sweating, palpitations, and shakiness.

Digestive issues

Autonomic neuropathy injures the nerves in the digestive system causing constipation, diarrhea, nausea, bloating, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Gastroparesis can occur preventing the stomach from emptying normally. This can cause high blood glucose levels and nutritional issues.

Hypotensive

The heart and blood vessels control your circulation. When these vessels are damaged the body is unable to adjust the heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, you can feel light-headed or faint when standing up from after sitting.

Sexual dysfunction

Autonomic neuropathy decreases the sexual response due to the injured nerves to the sex organs. A man may present with erectile dysfunction and a woman may show difficulty with arousal, lubrication, or orgasm.

Uncontrollable sweating

The autonomic neuropathy disrupts the sweat glands from functioning normally, where the body is unable to regulate its temperature. The damage can cause profuse sweating, especially while eating or during the night.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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2 Sep

11 Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy

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Peripheral neuropathy occurs due to many underlying medical conditions. There are many occurrences where the cause is unknown, idiopathic. Diabetes mellitus is the common cause of peripheral neuropathy. The other primary causes of peripheral neuropathy include:

Infections

Some viral or bacterial infections such as shingles, Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis C, HIV, leprosy, and diphtheria can cause peripheral neuropathy.

Vitamin deficiency

Nerve health depends on B1, B3, B6, B12, folate, and vitamin E. Malnutrition from an unbalanced diet can cause damage to peripheral nerves.

Alcoholism

The toxic effect on the nerve tissue and alcohol abuse can create an unbalanced, unhealthy diet leading to vitamin deficiencies. They often describe a burning and tingling sensation in their feet.

Autoimmune diseases

Diseases in which your immune system attacks your own tissue include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and necrotizing vasculitis.

Inherited disorders

These heredity types include Charcot-Marie-Tooth and amyloid polyneuropathy diseases can cause peripheral neuropathy.

Trauma or pressure on the affected nerve

Trauma from a motor vehicle accident, sport injury, or falls damage or sever peripheral nerves. Repetitive motion from an activity or occupation such as typing or using crutches can contribute to pressure on nerves resulting in nerve damage. Tight plaster casts can also put pressure on nerves.

Tumors

Growths and both cancerous and noncancerous tumors can develop or apply pressure on the nerve. Paraneoplastic syndrome, a cancer related immune response that attacks your body, can also cause pressure to nerves and impair function.

Exposure to toxins

Such as heavy metals, chemicals, gold compounds, lead, arsenic, mercury, organophosphate pesticides.

Certain Medications

Cancer therapy, HIV, antibiotics, and statin medications can cause damage to peripheral nerves.

Cancers

Peripheral neuropathy can occur in lymphoma, osteosclerotic myeloma, and multiple myeloma.

Other diseases

Such as liver disease, hypothyroidism, or connective tissue disorders. Kidney disease causes peripheral nerve damage due to the imbalance of chemicals, salt, fluids, and waste products that accumulate in the body.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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28 Aug

Chronic Pain, Pain Relief, Pain Management, Pain Treatment, Peripheral Neuropathy, Carolina Pain Scrambler Center, Greenville South Carolina

Eliminate Stress for Pain Relief

Something that most of us out there aren’t familiar with is that stress can often cause pain. Considering how much responsibilities one has to deal with, an individual gets stressed out easily. And this stress can cause you not only to suffer emotionally but also physically as well.

Both stress and pain walk hand in hand, and that is why both have an impact on one another. Increased stress can cause one to suffer from chronic pain as well, and the only way to get rid of such kind of unfortunate pain is by getting rid of your stress.

To get rid of your pain, get rid of your stress:

Studies also claim that if you’re suffering from depression and anxiety, then you are likely to suffer from pain as well. So, if you’re experiencing severe pain then you might be extremely stressed out and as both impact each other, if your pain decreases your stress level will decrease as well.

Though the reason why these both a link to each is still uncertain, however, it is seen that people often suffer from neck, shoulder and back pain because they are stressed out. This could be because of brain chemicals, or it could be because of the link between stress and tension in the muscles. When one experiences this pain, the brain tries to minimize the signals so that there is a balance maintained and the person is able to function. However, chronic pain can offset the balance.

Your brain is always trying to inhibit the pain signals, however, if you’re completely stressed out then the brain’s ability to filter the pain signals fails and the pain increases. You must understand that if you’ve managed your stress then only will any sort of therapy work on you.

Here are some easy-to-follow tips for you to try out:

Move around and be active, this will reduce your stress level. Make sure to include some sort of exercise in your daily life; you can go for a jog, walk or bike around. Consult your doctor and find out how exercising will help with your pain.
Make sure to get a proper sleep so that you can deal with any sort of stress.
Take out time for yourself, improvise your daily routine and add activities that help you in relaxing.
Do yoga; meditate, take deep breaths to relax your mind and body. These exercises will reduce your stress level, and you can do them whenever you like.
You can even take out the time and visit a mental health professional, to help you with your stress and pain.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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