Diabetes can sometimes take a heavy toll on the nerves of patients who’ve lived with uncontrolled blood glucose for extended periods. It’s called diabetic neuropathy, and it can make life with diabetes harder to manage.
At Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness, nurse practitioner Savitri Gopaul and her team specialize in the treatment of neuropathic pain. In recognition of National Diabetes Month, November’s blog focuses on diabetic neuropathy and the surprising benefits that physical therapy offers for managing the condition.
High glucose levels in your blood, the defining characteristic of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, damage systems and tissue throughout your body. Nerves and blood vessels suffer from these effects.
Your feet and legs already have challenges when it comes to returning blood to the heart, since it’s an uphill climb throughout the day due to the effects of gravity. This can lead to pooling of blood in the lower legs.
When this pooled blood is loaded with blood sugar, both blood vessel walls and nerve tissue can be affected. Blood vessel damage further aggravates pooling problems, leading to additional blood sugar damage.
When nerve damage hits your feet and legs, you can be subject to symptoms like:
It takes time for neuropathy to start, so it may be years from the first damage to the point when you recognize symptoms.
You have options when it comes to neuropathy management, and one surprisingly effective treatment is physical therapy (PT), combining hands-on treatment and at-home exercises. Check out these four surprising benefits.
While PT alone won’t fix high blood sugar on its own, physical activity makes cells more sensitive to the effects of insulin. PT exercises contribute to your overall activity level.
PT exercises improve both small fiber function and nerve conduction. Along with increased blood flow in problem areas, this helps to slow the progression of neuropathy as well as possibly improving nerve performance.
Endorphin production is naturally stimulated by exercise, including PT exercise. Other techniques, like joint mobilization, massage, and hot and cold therapy, can reduce your pain burden.
Many specific PT exercises address core muscle strength, body movement patterns, and overall stability, reducing your risk of off-balance falls while improving general mobility. This, combined with the other effects of PT, can make everyday tasks easier, promoting greater personal independence.
Contact us at Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness in Richmond, Virginia, to develop a neuropathy management plan with the assistance of our specialists. Call or click to request a consultation today.
