You’re not alone if you suffer from neck pain that’s severe enough to limit your movement or activities, as it’s estimated that 10-20% of adults experience the same problem. John S. Michels, MD, of Interventional Spine & Pain in Dallas, serving greater Dallas/Ft. Worth, Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, and surrounding areas, has years of experience using innovative interventional therapies to help patients find relief from their neck pain. Call the office or use online booking to schedule an appointment today.
Neuropathy refers to nerves that can’t work properly because they’re injured or diseased. Your peripheral nerves include:
Peripheral neuropathy may affect one, two, or all three types of nerves, which determines the type of symptoms you’ll experience.
Diabetes causes about 30% of peripheral neuropathies. When blood glucose remains at levels that are higher than normal, it gradually damages small nerves throughout your body.
This list isn’t comprehensive, but these are a few causes of peripheral neuropathy beyond diabetes:
You can also develop neuropathy from chemotherapy medications and genetic disorders.
The symptoms you develop depend on the type of nerve that’s damaged:
Keep in mind that these are only a few examples of the many possible symptoms.
Several prescription medications are used to treat the chronic pain of peripheral neuropathy. However, they’re not always effective and they often cause side effects.
Dr. Michels offers another option, interventional procedures. These treatments are effective because they directly target the affected nerves.
Interventional treatments provided by Dr. Michels include:
Steroids and a local anesthetic are injected near the targeted nerves in the epidural space alongside the spinal cord. Anesthetics quickly relieve your pain by blocking nerve signals, while steroids reduce inflammation.
Dr. Michels uses several different devices for spinal cord stimulation. These devices emit mild electrical impulses at the targeted nerves to block or mask pain signals traveling through the nerves to your brain.
This is similar to spinal cord stimulation except that the electrical impulses target a structure called the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). The DRG is a bundle of sensory nerves within the epidural space. Individual nerves from a specific part of your body meet at the DRG. By targeting the DRG, pain relief is achieved in a broader area.
If you struggle with peripheral neuropathy, call Interventional Spine & Pain or book an appointment online today.
