Neuropathy leg pain is common. Symptoms are worse at night. While usually symptoms are typical, sometimes they can be confused with other causes of night leg pain. So making the correct diagnosis is key. Once the diagnosis has been made, there are several treatments available.
Neuropathy Leg Pain Symptoms
People who suffer from peripheral neuropathy have different symptoms. Sometimes, they have altered sensation. This means that they cannot feel their feet properly. For instance, they might not be able to feel pain or they may not know when they have had an injury. Other times, people will actually have heightened sensations. In this case, they might feel pins and needles, burning or pain. Some people have a mix of reduced and heightened sensations.
Diagnosis
The symptoms are the key to the diagnosis. The typical pain that goes with neuropathy is described as burning. When the symptoms are typical, there is really no doubt about the diagnosis. This is especially true when people have the typical risk factors. For instance, neuropathy leg pain is more common in people with longstanding diabetes.
Next, examining the feet will offer more information. Often, people who suffer from neuropathy will not be able to feel their feet properly. So, when they are not looking, they will not always know if you are touching them or not. You can also use a special tool to quantify the problem. This tool is called a monofilament. Also, some people will have typical wounds called neuropathic ulcers. These are deep wounds that usually have a callus around them. Finding one of these wounds will make the diagnosis more definitive.
Sometimes the Diagnosis is Confusing
Still, making the diagnosis is not always easy. Sometimes symptoms will not be as typical. Other times, people may have more than one reason for their discomfort. The bottom line is that practically it is not always easy to decide if the pain is neuropathy leg pain or rest pain because of lack of blood flow. Fortunately, there are questionnaires that you can use to help make the distinction. Basically, the questionnaires help sum up the typical and atypical symptoms.
Neuropathy Leg Pain Treatment
There are two components to treating neuropathy leg pain: Treating the underlying cause and treating the symptoms.
Treating the underlying cause is important for several reasons. First, because left unchecked the reason for the neuropathy can cause more harm. But, second, sometimes, treating the underlying cause can reverse some of the symptoms. For instance, if the reason for the neuropathy was lack of vitamin B12, correcting this might reverse the symptoms.
Having said that, most people focus on treating the symptoms. Most people will require medication. The most common medications to treat neuropathy leg pain are gabapentin and pregabalin. Interestingly, there is no FDA approved indication for gabapentin in peripheral neuropathy. It is indicated for post-herpetic neuralgia. Pregabalin, on the other hand, does have an indication to treat neuropathic pain.
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