For millions of Americans, the daily reality involves living with a persistent, uncomfortable tingling sensation in their hands or feet. For others, it isn't tingling at all, but a total loss of sensation that turns a simple walk across the living room into a hazardous journey. This is the reality of diabetic neuropathy, a condition that affects roughly half of all people with diabetes. It is a progressive nerve disorder that can rob you of your mobility, your independence, and your peace of mind.
If you are navigating life with diabetes in Chesterfield, MO, you might feel like your options are limited to managing blood sugar and taking pain medication. However, the landscape of treatment is changing. While medication has its place, many residents are finding that a comprehensive approach—one that addresses the root cause rather than just the symptoms—offers a better path forward.
Understanding your condition is the first step toward reclaiming your health. By combining smart medical management with holistic therapies available right here in our community, relief is not just a possibility; it is an achievable goal.
Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can occur if you have diabetes. High blood sugar (glucose) can injure nerves throughout your body. Diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in your legs and feet. Depending on the affected nerves, diabetic neuropathy symptoms can range from pain and numbness in your legs and feet to problems with your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels, and heart. Some people have mild symptoms. But for others, diabetic neuropathy can be quite painful and disabling.
This condition is a serious complication of diabetes, yet it often goes undiagnosed until significant damage has occurred. The excess sugar in your blood acts almost like a slow-acting poison to the delicate nerve fibers, interfering with their ability to send signals. It also weakens the walls of the small blood vessels (capillaries) that supply the nerves with oxygen and nutrients. Without these essentials, the nerves eventually wither and malfunction.
There are four main types of diabetic neuropathy. You may have just one type or symptoms of several types. Most conditions develop gradually, and you may not notice problems until considerable damage has occurred.
This is the most common form of diabetic neuropathy. It affects the feet and legs first, followed by the hands and arms. Signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are often worse at night, and may include:
The autonomic nervous system controls your heart, bladder, stomach, intestines, sex organs, and eyes. Diabetes can affect nerves in any of these areas, possibly causing:
Also known as diabetic polyradiculopathy, this type typically affects nerves in the thighs, hips, buttocks, or legs. It can also affect the abdominal and chest area. Symptoms are usually on one side of the body, but may spread to the other side. Symptoms include:
Focal neuropathy (mononeuropathy) usually comes on suddenly and affects specific nerves, most often in the head, torso, or leg. It may cause:
Treatments of Diabetic Neuropathy Chesterfield MO
The cornerstone of preventing and managing diabetic neuropathy is blood sugar control. While you cannot undo all nerve damage that has already occurred, keeping your blood sugar within your target range can stop the damage from getting worse. It can even improve some of your current symptoms.
When glucose levels remain high for extended periods, the chemical makeup of the nerves changes, and their ability to transmit signals is impaired. Furthermore, high glucose levels contribute to inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation puts further stress on the nervous system. By stabilizing blood sugar, you reduce the toxic environment in which your nerves are struggling to survive.
Managing diabetes requires a multifaceted approach. It is not just about avoiding sweets; it is about a complete lifestyle strategy.
If you visit a primary care physician or a specialist for neuropathy symptoms, the treatment plan typically focuses on symptom management. The goal is often to reduce pain to a manageable level rather than to repair the damaged nerves.
Doctors frequently prescribe medications to dull the pain signals sent to the brain.
Physical therapy can help improve your strength and balance. Since neuropathy often leads to muscle weakness and a loss of sensation in the feet, falls are a major risk. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to accommodate these changes and may suggest braces or orthopedic shoes.
While these treatments can provide necessary relief, they often come with limitations. Medications can cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, and swelling. More importantly, they often act as a "mask," hiding the pain without addressing the underlying deterioration of the nerve tissue. This is where many patients in Chesterfield find themselves looking for something more—a way to actually support the body's healing process.
Treatments of Diabetic Neuropathy
Chiropractic care is often misunderstood as being solely for back pain or headaches. However, the central philosophy of chiropractic care revolves around the nervous system. Since neuropathy is a disorder of the nerves, chiropractic care offers a logical and effective complementary treatment avenue.
Your spine houses the central nervous system, which acts as the highway for every signal traveling between your brain and your body. If there are misalignments in the spine (subluxations), this communication highway can become congested. For a diabetic patient whose nerves are already compromised, spinal misalignment adds insult to injury.
Chiropractic adjustments aim to restore proper alignment to the spine. When the spine is aligned, pressure is removed from the nerves. This allows for better communication throughout the body. While an adjustment doesn't "cure" diabetes, it optimizes the body's ability to function and heal.
One of the critical issues in diabetic neuropathy is poor circulation. Nerves die when they don't get enough blood. Chiropractic treatments and associated therapies often focus on increasing circulation to the extremities. Better blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients reaching the damaged nerves, creating an environment where repair is possible.
Chiropractors typically take a whole-body approach. They don't just look at your feet; they look at your posture, your gait, your nutrition, and your lifestyle. This comprehensive viewpoint helps identify contributing factors to your pain that a standard check-up might miss.
For those seeking a specialized approach to neuropathy in the Chesterfield area, Bonesetters offers a distinct path to relief. Under the guidance of Dr. Hayes, Bonesetters has established itself as a clinic that refuses to accept "pain management" as the only solution. Their mission goes deeper: to target the root causes of pain to help patients reclaim lasting wellness.
At Bonesetters, the approach to diabetic neuropathy is built on evidence-based, personalized treatment plans. Dr. Hayes understands that a patient in pain requires a gentle touch. The clinic utilizes advanced technology designed to stimulate nerve function and promote healing without invasive procedures or heavy reliance on pharmaceuticals.
The treatment protocols at Bonesetters are designed to address the specific challenges of peripheral neuropathy. By using targeted therapies, they aim to restore function to the nerves that have been damaged by high blood sugar. This isn't about a temporary fix; it's about rehabilitating the nerves to improve sensation, reduce pain, and restore balance.
The team at Bonesetters operates with a clear goal: to improve quality of life even when other treatments have failed. They understand the frustration of being told that you "just have to live with it." Dr. Hayes and his staff work to prove that statement wrong. By focusing on whole-body chiropractic care, they address the structural and neurological components of your health simultaneously.
For a patient with diabetic neuropathy, this might look like a combination of spinal adjustments to ensure the central nervous system is firing correctly, combined with specific therapies targeting the affected limbs. It is a partnership between doctor and patient, with a shared goal of getting you back to the activities you love, whether that's golfing in Chesterfield Valley or simply playing with your grandchildren without fear of falling.
Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment
While professional treatment at a clinic like Bonesetters is vital, what you do at home plays an equally large role in your recovery and maintenance. Dr. Hayes and his team often provide personalized advice for lifestyle adjustments, but here are some universal changes that support neuropathy treatment.
What you eat directly impacts your nerve health.
Because neuropathy reduces sensation, you might not feel a pebble in your shoe or a small cut on your toe. These minor injuries can turn into severe infections for diabetics.
Chronic stress raises blood sugar levels and increases inflammation. Finding ways to manage stress is actually a form of pain management. Techniques such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, or gentle yoga can help calm the nervous system and reduce the perception of pain.
Living with diabetic neuropathy can feel isolating. The constant numbness or pain can make you feel disconnected from the world around you. But you do not have to accept this as your permanent reality. There are resources in Chesterfield, MO, designed to help you halt the progression of this condition and find relief.
If conventional treatments have left you wanting more, or if you are worried about the long-term effects of pain medication, it is time to explore a different angle. Chiropractic care, specifically the advanced, root-cause focused treatments available at Bonesetters, offers a hopeful alternative.
Don't wait until the numbness becomes permanent. The nerves have a remarkable ability to heal if given the right support, but time is of the essence.