Lesser-Known Things That Impact Your Nerve Health

Burning, tingling, numbness, weakness. All of these are symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, a condition that affects neural feedback to the spinal cord and brain.

Instead of notifying you about damage or injury, your nerves may send pain signals for seemingly no reason or make you feel numbness or a buzzing sensation. 

At Advantage Spinal Dynamics & Innovative Medicine in Meridian, Idaho, we can help diagnose the cause of your nerve pain and offer treatments for neuropathy.

While patients with nerve issues often have conditions in common, such as diabetes or alcoholism, lesser-known factors can also affect nerve health.

Signs of neuropathy 

Your peripheral nerves are responsible for transmitting messages from other areas of the body to the brain, including sensations like temperature, touch, and damage. 

If you’re experiencing pain or other sensations for seemingly no reason, you have peripheral neuropathy. You can also experience neuropathy of the motor and autonomic nerves, which control muscle movement, bladder function, digestion, and more. 

Symptoms of neuropathy include: 

• Increased sensitivity 
• Muscle atrophy and weakness
• Tingling sensation 
• Prickling or pins-and-needles sensation
• Numbness 
• Urinary problems 
• Organ or glandular dysfunction 

Sexual dysfunction can also be a sign of neuropathy, affecting both men and women.

Lesser-known factors that affect nerve health 

Your nerve health can be compromised by any health condition, lifestyle, or workplace condition that directly or indirectly affects nerve function.

Autoimmune diseases

Certain diseases can cause nerve damage, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, lupus, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBS).

Compression

Pinched nerves in the neck or spine, ruptured discs, and carpal tunnel syndrome can damage nerves through compression, causing numbness, pain, tingling, and burning feelings.

Drugs and medications 

Certain drugs damage the myelin sheaths that insulate the nerves, causing nerve pain when the effects of the drugs wear off. Aggressive medications used for chemotherapy to treat cancer or medicine used to treat HIV can also cause nerve damage. 

Exposure to environmental hazards

Exposure to lead, mercury, cadmium, and other heavy metals over a period of time can cause damage to your nerves.

Motor neuron disease

Illnesses that affect the brain and spinal column nerves can cause progressive nerve damage; an example is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease.

Nutritional deficiency

Lack of sufficient B6 and B12 vitamins can cause nerve issues, including weakness, burning sensations, or numbness.

Treating neuropathy 

To treat neuropathy, your doctor must first diagnose the cause. At Advantage Spinal Dynamics, our team of chiropractors and therapists work with you to determine the source of your symptoms. We can provide the following treatments for nerve pain: 

• Laser therapy 
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections

Our team can also advise you on lifestyle changes to reduce symptoms and prevent further damage to your peripheral nerves. 

To learn more and begin building your treatment plan, schedule a consultation by calling 208-213-7963, or request an appointment online.