Peripheral Neuropathy: How laser therapy can help
Peripheral neuropathy is a complex medical problem and unfortunately there really is no one singular solution to alleviate neuropathic pain in the feet. Treatments are aimed at helping patients be comfortable and functional on their feet, and most importantly addressing underlying triggers like diabetes or foot deformities.
How is diabetic peripheral neuropathy treated?
Therapies for diabetic peripheral neuropathy starts with addressing the underlying cause, which is controlling diabetes. Uncontrolled blood sugars lead to irreversible nerve and blood vessel damage from head to toe. Treatment includes medications, diet and exercise to control blood sugars.
Another important factor in controlling blood sugars is managing stress. In times of stress, your body craves a quick sugar dump which is why many of us reach for the quickest snack like a candy bar, a bag of chips or a heavy greasy meal. There are many facets to managing stress but one way to prevent these urges is to plan out your meals and pack emergency snacks. Packing pre sliced vegetables and fruits is an easy way regulate blood sugar spikes and to avoid those less nutritious snacks. We aim for whole foods for whole person healing.
Stress in our work or home environment should also be carefully evaluated. During periods of stress, the hormone cortisol rises and if it stays elevated for long periods of time, it can express dysfunction in many different ways including weight gain, fatigue, mood changes and it’s also associated with chronic pain.
Healthy ways to manage stress include meditation, journaling, a 30 minute walk around the block or any activity that gives your mind a healthy and needed mental break. Sleep is also an important factor in our health because that is when our cells go to work to repair the day’s damage, so aim for 6-8 hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep daily.
Medical management of diabetes is just one part of the treatment plan. Additional therapies like laser therapy can also help alleviate pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
How do laser therapy work for peripheral neuropathy?
Addressing the source of your pain, mechanically (better shoes) and physiologically (blood sugars, stress etc), will help prime your cells to function better to receive therapies that rely on your physiology, like laser therapy. That means you can’t undo a bad diet or bad biomechanics. These must be addressed first before adding on advanced technology.
Laser therapy, is also referred to as low light laser therapy or deep tissue laser therapy, uses a light source that effects change on a cellular level. The focused beam of light is placed on top of your skin around the area of pain to start the cascade of cell signaling that ultimately gives you pain relief. It is different from steroid injections in that laser therapy encourages your body to heal on it’s own, whereas steroid injections masks pain and it doesn’t truly self repair damaged tissue. In fact, frequent use of steroids can weaken tendons or cause a complete tear, so it should be used judiciously.
Other advantages of laser therapy includes:
accelerated tissue repair & cell growth
reduced scar tissue
analgesia
improved vascular activity
increased metabolic activity
improved nerve function
Laser therapy is a gentle noninvasive way to treat peripheral neuropathy. It takes time to repair nerves so multiple treatments are necessary for the full effect.
If you’d like to be evaluated for laser therapy, request a consultation easily with the button below.
