Diabetic Foot Neuropathy

A common complication of diabetes is neuropathy, often in the feet. Typically it starts as pain, usually burning. Then it turns into numbness, which is even worse. The numbness leads to untreated infections, which leads to amputations of feet.legs. Numbness also includes loss of position sense, leading to falls. There are other causes of peripheral neuropathy, but complications of diabetes are the most common.

Conventional medical management is not very helpful. A number of medications are tried: Neurontin, Dilantin, Tegretol, phenobarbital. Only occasionally do they relieve the burning pain. A mainstay has been careful inspection of feet to catch infections early, and that remains important. Recently I have developed an approach which seems effective at reversing foot neuropathy, whether caused by diabetes or other conditions. It involves direct stimulation of the nerves involved. Usually the tibial, saphenous, medial and middle plantar nerve are stimulated electrically. Electrodes (acupuncture needles) are placed along the nerve, above and below the area being treated.

The treatment itself is essentially painless, and several are required. Progressively longer benefit results from each treatment. For feet without sensation, sometimes there will be a burning sensation as the nerves are revived. That is a transition to normal sensation. (Similarly, feet which are almost frostbitten when warmed will go from no sensation to burning pain to cold to normal.)

The treatment itself is specifically not acupuncture, which is why Medicare and Medicaid cover it as well as most insurances. The technical term is “Percutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation” or PENS. However, acupuncture, particularly French Auricular Acupuncture, significantly enhances the benefit and reduces the number of treatments needed.

“Specializing in Difficult-to-Treat Medical Conditions”