Peripheral Neuropathy Specialist

Shamloo Elite Spine and Pain Institute

Ben Shamloo, MD FIPP

Interventional Spine & Pain Management located in Los Angeles, CA & Studio City, CA

Peripheral neuropathy is characterized as pain for no good reason: It comes from a fault in your nerves rather than being a useful warning of tissue damage. If you have a chronic pain problem like peripheral neuropathy, interventional pain management expert Ben Shamloo, MD, FIPP, of Shamloo Elite Spine and Pain Institute in Beverly Hills, California, can help. Dr. Shamloo uses innovative and scientifically advanced therapies that can help you even when your pain hasn’t responded to other treatments. Call today to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online.

Peripheral Neuropathy Q & A

What is peripheral neuropathy?

Neuropathy is pain or other sensations that arise from a problem with the nerves rather than being a signal that you have an injury. Peripheral nerves are those nerves that aren’t part of your central nervous system, like the nerves in your arms and legs.

Pain is a common symptom of peripheral neuropathy, but you could also experience burning or prickling sensations, tingling, or pins and needles. Other symptoms include numbness, when you can’t feel anything, or hypersensitivity, when the lightest touch causes pain.

Peripheral neuropathy doesn’t carry out a useful function like pain or other feelings normally do. Pain is vital to alert you to the fact that your body has damage and needs repairing. It tells you when a pan is too hot to touch or you’ve trodden on a nail. Without this alert system, you’d be unaware you needed to take action.

It’s the peripheral nerves that are sending these pain signals or telling you your arm’s gone to sleep. However, if you have peripheral neuropathy, it means your nerves are sending pain messages and other signals to your brain when there isn’t any damage or harm.

What causes peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is a complication of many different conditions, including:

Celiac disease
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
Guillain-Barré syndrome
HIV-associated peripheral sensory neuropathy
Hormonal disorders
Kidney failure
Lupus
Peripheral nerve injury pain
Postherpetic neuralgia

Peripheral neuropathy can also develop because of:

Alcoholism
Tissue compression
Infectious diseases
Nutrient deficiencies
Physical trauma
Poisoning
Repetitive stress

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy affects people who have diabetes and is one of the most widespread types of neuropathy. It can cause numbness, which means you might not realize you’ve injured your foot. The injury can get infected or become ulcerous, which may result in having to have an amputation.

What treatments are there for peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is often a chronic problem that isn’t curable. However, there are a number of potential treatments for peripheral neuropathy that can ease the symptoms, including:

Lifestyle changes
Physical therapy
Relaxation or meditation
Pain management training
Laser therapy
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
Stem cell therapy
Anti-seizure medications
Antidepressants
Lidocaine cream
Capsaicin cream

When you see Dr. Shamloo he can create a personalized treatment plan for your peripheral neuropathy that includes the appropriate therapies and self-help techniques. With his help, you can learn to live with peripheral neuropathy and have a greatly improved quality of life.

Call Shamloo Elite Spine and Pain Institute today to find out more or book an appointment online.