PainCare - Pain Management in New Hampshire

Diabetic, alcoholic, or unknown cause

What is neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is a technical term used to describe a disorder of the peripheral nervous system, i.e., the nerves that branch out from the spinal cord to all parts of the body.

Peripheral neuropathy usually affects the long sensory nerve endings, especially to the body's extremities – arms, hands, legs and feet – occasionally to the face and trunk. When peripheral nerves become damaged by neuropathy, they can create pain themselves, usually characterized as burning or pins and needles. These symptoms are usually accompanied by a marked sensitivity to touch of the affected region – very similar to a very severe sun burn  – and usually progress over time from the fingers and toes to more central locations such as calves/forearms. Usually more than one nerve is affected at the same time.