Peripheral Nerve Disorder

What is a peripheral nerve disorder?

Peripheral nerves are the ones that branch out from your central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord). A peripheral nerve disorder is a condition that interferes with the way those nerves work.

Peripheral nerve disorders usually affect the arms, hands, feet, and legs, but they can develop anywhere. In addition to neuropathic (nerve) pain, you can experience:

• Burning
• Prickling
• Tingling
• Increased sensitivity
• Numbness
• Weakness
• Loss of function

The symptoms you get with a peripheral nerve disorder vary depending on the kind of nerve that’s damaged.

What causes a peripheral nerve disorder?

A peripheral nerve disorder can develop for numerous reasons. Common triggers of peripheral nerve disorders include:

• Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
• Postherpetic neuralgia (from shingles)
• Celiac disease
• Infectious diseases
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Kidney failure
• Lupus and other autoimmune disorders
• HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
• Hormonal disorders
• Alcoholism
• Poisoning
• Repetitive stress

Nerve root injuries or pinched nerves cause similar symptoms.

How is a peripheral nerve disorder diagnosed?

To diagnose the cause of your condition, Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group do a thorough physical exam. They also check your medical history and discuss your symptoms with you. From these initial investigations, they select the most appropriate tests.

You might need blood tests to check for infection or other possible causes of a peripheral nerve disorder. Your doctor might also do an EMG (electromyogram) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) study. These tests evaluate how well your nerves are working and find the specific nerves that are affected.

How are peripheral nerve disorders treated?

Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group offers many treatments for peripheral nerve disorders. They include:

• Physical therapy
• Relaxation
• Biofeedback
• Cognitive reconditioning
• Anti-seizure medications
• Low-dose antidepressants
• Lidocaine cream
• Capsaicin cream
• Steroid injections
• Peripheral nerve block injections

If your peripheral nerve disorder symptoms don’t improve with these treatments, Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group offers advanced options like peripheral nerve stimulation. This involves having a small device implanted under your skin that disrupts the electrical signals from your nerves to your brain.

To find the most effective treatment for your peripheral nerve disorder, call Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group today or book an appointment online.