Neuropathy is pain or a lack of feeling, that occurs when nerves are damaged, often due to conditions like diabetes or treatments like chemotherapy. No matter the cause, neuropathy can be an uncomfortable condition that often becomes more painful over time and can lead to further medical complications and risks in the future. Neuropathy develops in stages. In order to find the proper treatment for your symptoms, it is crucial to understand the neuropathy stages and determine which one most closely matches the symptoms you are experiencing.
The neuropathy stages can be defined as follows.
Stage 1: Light Numbness and Pain
The most common early symptom of neuropathy is dumbness that develops in the feet, toes, arms, or fingers. These symptoms are often sporadic and usually take a few weeks or months to develop into consistent numbness and/or pain.
Stage 2: Consistent Pain
Over time, occasional or sporadic numbness or nerve pain will likely develop into more constant pain. While pain might not necessarily worsen during this stage, symptoms will likely be more noticeable as they will be present more often. This is the neuropathy stage, during which many patients begin to pay closer attention to nerve pain and might begin to look into options for treatment.
Stage 3: Increased Pain
After pain becomes more consistent, the pain will likely become heightened. The third neuropathy stage is the point at which pain or numbness will increase to its most debilitating point. At this point, patients are likely to be in constant, nearly unbearable pain, or the numbness has reduced feeling to the point it is affecting daily function. This is when everyday responsibilities and activities such as walking, exercising, working, and more become difficult or impossible. If neuropathy is not treated at this stage, it is likely that you will risk irreversible nerve damage or further medical complications in the future.
Stage 4: Total Numbness
The fourth neuropathy stage is a feeling of total numbness. At this point, a patient loses all sensation in the affected areas, and it is likely that irreversible damage has been done to the nerves. The risk of dangerous medical complications and life-altering treatments such as amputations is highest at this stage.
Neuropathy Treatment
When dealing with neuropathy, it is crucial to seek treatment from a medical professional as soon as possible in order to minimize the risk of further medical complications such as irreversible nerve damage.
If you’ve been putting off seeking treatment for neuropathy due to a reluctance to undergo surgery or other complicated or painful procedures, it’s time to contact the experts at Central Iowa Neuropathy. We offer cutting-edge technology that can alleviate your neuropathy symptoms without surgery or harmful medications, using only your body’s natural healing abilities to treat neuropathy once and for all.
If you’re tired of living with neuropathy and want to resume your everyday life and normal activities, contact us today for a free consultation. We can’t wait to hear from you!
