Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is a type of damage to the nervous system -- more specifically, a problem with your peripheral nervous system. This is the network of nerves that transmits information from your central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord) to the rest of your body.

There are more than 100 types of peripheral neuropathy, each with its own set of symptoms and prognosis. To help doctors classify them, they are often broken down into the following categories:

  • Motor neuropathy. This is damage to the nerves that control muscles and movement in the body, such as moving your hands and arms or talking.
  • Sensory neuropathy. Sensory nerves control what you feel, such as pain, temperature or a light touch. Sensory neuropathy affects these groups of nerves.
  • Autonomic nerve neuropathy. Autonomic nerves control biological functions that you are not conscious of, such as breathing and heartbeat. Damage to these nerves can be serious.
  • Combination neuropathies. You may have a combination of two or three of these other types of neuropathies, such as a predominantly motor neuropathy or a sensory-motor neuropathy.

What causes peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy has many different causes. Some people inherit the disorder from their parents, and others develop it because of an injury or another disorder.

In many cases, a different type of medical problem, such as a kidney condition or a hormone imbalance, leads to peripheral neuropathy. One of the most common causes of peripheral neuropathy in the U.S. is diabetes.

What are the risks for peripheral neuropathy?

The following are risk factors for peripheral neuropathy:

  • Diabetes
  • Kidney disease
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Family history of peripheral neuropathy

What are the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy?

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy vary based on the type that you have and what part of the body is affected. Symptoms can range from tingling or numbness in a certain body part to more serious effects such as burning pain or paralysis.

  • Muscle weakness
  • Cramps
  • Muscle twitching
  • Loss of muscle and bone
  • Changes in skin, hair, or nails
  • Numbness
  • Loss of sensation or feeling in body parts
  • Loss of balance or other functions as a side effect of the loss of feeling in the legs, arms, or other body parts
  • Emotional disturbances
  • Sleep disruptions
  • Loss of pain or sensation that can put you at risk, such as not feeling an impending heart attack or limb pain
  • Inability to sweat properly, leading to heat intolerance
  • Loss of bladder control, leading to infection or incontinence
  • Dizziness, light headedness, or fainting because of a loss of control over blood pressure
  • Diarrhea, constipation, or incontinence related to nerve damage in the intestines or digestive tract
  • Difficulty eating or swallowing
  • Life-threatening symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or irregular heartbeat

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your health care provider for a diagnosis.

How is peripheral neuropathy diagnosed?

The symptoms and body parts affected by peripheral neuropathy are so varied that it may be difficult to make a diagnosis. If your health care provider suspects nerve damage, he or she will take an extensive medical history and do a number of neurological tests to determine the location and extent of your nerve damage. These may include:

  • Blood tests
  • Spinal fluid tests
  • Muscle strength tests
  • Tests of the ability to detect vibrations

Depending on what basic tests reveal, your health care provider may want to perform more in-depth scanning and other tests to get a better look at your nerve damage. Tests may include:

  • CT scan
  • MRI scan
  • Electromyography
  • Nerve and skin biopsy

How is peripheral neuropathy treated?

Usually a peripheral neuropathy can't be cured, but you can do a lot of things to prevent it from getting worse. If an underlying condition like diabetes is at fault, your health care provider will treat that first and then treat the pain and other symptoms of neuropathy.

In some cases, over-the-counter pain relievers can help. Other times, prescription drugs are needed. Some of these drugs include mexiletine, a medication developed to correct irregular heart rhythms; antiseizure drugs, such as gabapentin, phenytoin, and carbamazepine; and some classes of antidepressants, including tricyclics such as amitriptyline.

Lidocaine injections and patches may help with pain in other instances. And in extreme situations, surgery can be used to destroy nerves or repair injuries that are causing neuropathic pain and symptoms.

Can peripheral neuropathy be prevented?

Lifestyle choices can play a role in preventing peripheral neuropathy. You can lessen your risk for many of these conditions by avoiding alcohol, correcting vitamin deficiencies, eating a healthy diet, losing weight, avoiding toxins, and exercising regularly. If you have kidney disease, diabetes, or other chronic health condition, it is important to work with your health care provider to control your condition, which may prevent or delay the onset of peripheral neuropathy.

Living with peripheral neuropathy

Even if you already have some form of peripheral neuropathy, healthy lifestyle steps can help you feel your best and reduce the pain and symptoms related to the disorder. You'll also want to quit smoking, not let injuries go untreated, and be meticulous about caring for your feet and treating wounds to avoid complications, such as the loss of a limb.

In some cases, non-prescription hand and foot braces can help you compensate for muscle weakness. Orthotics can help you walk better. Relaxation techniques, such as yoga, may help ease emotional as well as physical symptoms.

Key points

  • Neuropathy affects the body in many different ways, including how well you're able to use your muscles, feeling and sensation in your various body parts, and other body functions that are automatic such as your heartbeat.
  • Medications can improve your symptoms.
  • If is important that you control any other diseases you may have to reduce your risk for peripheral neuropathy.
  • If you think you may have peripheral neuropathy, it is important to talk with your health care provider.

Next steps

Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your health care provider:

  • Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.
  • Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you.
  • At the visit, write down the names of new medicines, treatments, or tests, and any new instructions your provider gives you.
  • If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.
  • Know how you can contact your provider if you have questions.

Patient Stories

  • “That medical staff in the ICU was amazing – they definitely went above and beyond.”

    Rafaelito
    Read More
  • "I can’t say enough about the RWJBarnabas Health nursing teams. They work hard, are caring and compassionate and I appreciated them through this entire process."

    Dan
    Read More
  • “Everybody at the hospital was great. The nurses on the cardiac floor were wonderful. They were all so caring, and I felt safe.”

    Tommy
    Read More

Patient Stories

  • Watch Testimonial
  • Watch Testimonial
  • Watch Testimonial
Medical Specialty Services at Bayonne
16 East 29th Street
Bayonne, NJ 07002
(973) 926-7280
View
Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center
200 South Orange Avenue
Livingston, NJ 07039
(973) 322-7000
View
Heart and Lung Specialty Center at Toms River
780 Route 37
Suite 120
Toms River, NJ 08755
(732) 341-2308
View
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group at Princeton
800 Bunn Drive
Suite 303
Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 688-6859
View
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
94 Old Short Hills Road
Livingston, NJ 07039
(973) 322-5000
View
Monmouth Medical Center
300 Second Avenue
Long Branch, NJ 07740
(732) 222-5200
View
Clara Maass Medical Center
1 Clara Maass Drive
Belleville, NJ 07109
(973) 450-2000
View
Community Medical Center
99 Highway 37 West
Toms River, NJ 08755
(732) 557-8000
View
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
201 Lyons Avenue at Osborne Terrace
Newark, NJ 07112
(973) 926-7000
View
Children's Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
201 Lyons Avenue at Osborne Terrace
Newark, NJ 07112
(973) 926-7000
View
Jersey City Medical Center
355 Grand Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 915-2000
View
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at RWJUH
200 Somerset Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(732) 828-3000
View
RWJ University Hospital Rahway
865 Stone Street
Rahway, NJ 07065
(732) 381-4200
View
RWJ University Hospital Somerset
110 Rehill Avenue
Somerville, NJ 08876
(908) 685-2200
View
Trinitas Regional Medical Center – Williamson Street Campus
225 Williamson St
Elizabeth, NJ 07202
(908) 994-5000
View
Jersey City Medical Center Vascular Testing Center
377 Jersey Avenue
Room 460
Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 716-5810
View
The Unterberg Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center
300 2nd Avenue
Long Branch, NJ 07740
(732) 923-7250
View
Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
375 Mount Pleasant Ave
Suite 301
West Orange, NJ 07052
(973) 322-6949
View
Community Medical Center Cardiac Imaging Center
401 Lacey Rd
Whiting, NJ 08759
(732) 716-1390
View
RWJ University Hospital Hamilton
1 Hamilton Health Place
Hamilton, NJ 08690
(609) 586-7900
View
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
1 Robert Wood Johnson Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(732) 828-3000
View
Cardiac Diagnostic Center at Jersey City
120 Franklin Street
Jersey City, NJ 07307
(201) 885-4758
View
RWJ Cardiac Rehab at East Brunswick
593 Cranbury Road
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
(732) 238-3202
View
Jersey City Medical Center Outpatient Services at Colony Plaza
414 Grand Street
Suite 14
Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 616-0470
View
Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus
600 River Avenue
Lakewood, NJ 08701
(732) 363-1900
View
Children's Specialized Hospital Outpatient Center – Bayonne
519 Broadway
Bayonne, NJ 07002
(888) 244-5373
View
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group
18 Centre Drive
Clinical Academic Building (CAB)
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(609) 655-5178
View

Heart and Vascular Care Treatment & Care

offered at these locations in your neighborhood

View All Locations