The Diabetes and Nerve Pain Connection

The increase in Type 2 diabetes has many people worried. If you are newly diagnosed, you may be concerned about being able to handle the constant testing, restricted diet, or related health issues such as heart, kidney and vision problems. You might not be thinking about pain and tingling in your legs and feet, but diabetes and nerve pain are also closely related.

Why is that? Because elevated sugar levels contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries, which reduces blood flow from your heart to your legs and feet. This, along with poor nerve function, means nerve cells aren’t nourished properly and can atrophy and lose function. Nerve damage (neuropathy) can result in no signals being sent when they should be (such as hot and cold sensations, or pain from a cut or scrape), or pain messages being sent to your brain when there is no physical reason for them.

Electrical pain like this can be a tingling, burning sensation or sharp, shooting pains, especially at night, that make your muscles twitch and can make you miserable.  That’s one reason for the finger pokes, diet regulations, and medications or insulin you take: the better control you maintain over your glucose levels, the less your chance of damaging your nerves and other organs.

What if the nerve pain has already begun? That’s where a visit to your friendly podiatrist at Far West Podiatric Medical Group comes into play. We take great care of diabetic feet, and can treat all types of related foot issues—such as non-healing wounds and nerve pain.

As a diabetic, a complete foot evaluation and treatment plan is advised to prevent these well- known and avoidable complications.

Call our Hawthorne, CA office at (310) 675-0900 for an appointment. Those in the greater South Bay area may wish to schedule using our online form.