Peripheral neuropathy is when nerves extending to the hands or feet can become damaged. Affected persons may experience symptoms which range from burning and tingling, to Coolness and numbness this form of neuropathy occurs secondary to diseases such as diabetes or a can occur without associated ailment.
In order to properly treat the peripheral neuropathy there must be proper testing to determine the extent of the nerve damage. Itused to be that you would have to go to a neurologist to have an EMG or electromyogram to have needles placed in different parts of your foot or leg to determine the extent of your neuropathy. But now there is a new test that is now available and can be easily performed in your Podiatrists office. It involves taking a small piece of skin from the outside edge of both your legs through the use of a small punch biopsy under local anesthesia.
The test is called Epidermal nerve fiber density analysis. The skin sample will be sent to a laboratory and the results will come back in 2-3 weeks. Your podiatrist will go over the results with you and then explain the treatment options. Many times high doses of dietary supplements can be helpful to diminish the symptoms of neuropathy and improve nerve health. For more information contact us at 908-236-6999