Many of our patients have diabetes, which isn't surprising when you consider this condition affects more than 30 million people in the United States. Some people manage diabetes with lifestyle adjustments or medical treatments, but these changes don't always eliminate every symptom. A whopping 60% of adults with diabetes are plagued with aches from peripheral neuropathy, a painful disease that makes it nearly impossible to walk at times. This disease can be difficult to treat, but many patients get great results from Micro-Vas therapy, a treatment offered at Northeast Spine and Sports Medicine.
The Symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy
When your blood sugar consistently spikes, it can damage your nerves. Nerve damage can occur throughout the body, but diabetic neuropathy typically strikes the legs and feet.
Symptoms of diabetic neuropathy may include:
- Burning pain
- Mild tenderness
- Tingling
- Muscle weakness
- Sharp cramps
- Joint pain
- Bone pain
- Heightened or decreased pain tolerance
- Difficulty feeling temperature changes
- Reflex issues
- Balance problems
- Foot ulcers or infections
Left untreated, these symptoms may escalate, making it difficult for you to walk or even move your lower body at all. When you do try to walk, you may struggle to maintain your balance, which can result in painful bumps or falls.
Diabetes can also cause other types of neuropathy, including mononeuropathy, radiculoplexus neuropathy, and autonomic neuropathy. At Northeast Spine and Sports Medicine, we often use Micro-Vas therapy for peripheral neuropathy, but we may be able to relieve the symptoms of other diabetes-related symptoms and conditions as well. Let us know what symptoms you're experiencing, and we'll tell you how we can help address them.
Micro-Vas Therapy: The Basics
Micro-Vas therapy is a nonsurgical treatment that alleviates pain via electrical stimulation. When this ionic impulse therapy reaches your muscles and nerves, it promotes tissue oxygenation and blood flow. This helps your body initiate its own recovery process, so pain disappears or decreases.
During an appointment for Micro-Vas therapy, a health care professional from our experienced team places flexible electrodes, commonly called pads, on your legs or feet. These pads transmit electrical currents into your muscles, helping soothe pain through an alternating directional pulse caused by reverse polarity. The pulse triggers neuromuscular contractions, which encourage collagen production and send nutrients streaming through your blood vessels.
Micro-Vas therapy helps improve lymphatic, arterial, and venous circulation at the same time. Blood flow increases pretty much as soon as the electrical currents run through your muscles and nerves. When this happens, you may notice some mild tingling in your lower body, though many patients feel nothing at all. The electrical pulses from Micro-Vas treatments also help decrease inflammation and swelling in your body.
How Micro-Vas Therapy Helps Patients With Diabetic Neuropathy
Depending on which form of diabetic neuropathy you have, you may have painful or sensitive nerves in your legs, feet, hands, arms or other parts of your body. Sometimes, this nerve pain comes from swelling and inflammation. When your tissues are swollen or inflamed, they press on nerves, resulting in pain, tingling, or other unpleasant sensations.
Micro-Vas therapy helps reduce swelling and inflammation, which in turn helps address the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and other types of diabetic neuropathy. Micro-Vas treatments also stimulate your body's collagen production, which contributes to its healing process long after you leave our office. Over time, you may notice fewer episodes of pain and tingling.
Before Micro-Vas became a medical treatment, it was designed for Navy SEALS in the 1980s. Back then, Micro-Vas was used to relieve hypothermia symptoms in military professionals who battled extreme weather. The treatments worked, and now they're available for anyone who needs them.
Like the Navy SEALS, diabetic patients who experience temperature sensitivity or numbness in their extremities may find Micro-Vas treatments beneficial. After a few weeks, you may notice sensation returning in your legs or feet, and you may no longer unintentionally harm yourself by putting your feet in water that's too hot or cold.
Is Pain Relief From Micro-Vas Therapy Permanent?
Micro-Vas therapy might not relieve your peripheral neuropathy forever, but it does provide long-lasting relief for many patients. Some of our patients say they feel better after just one appointment, though many patients visit us for about a month before symptoms significantly improve.
We typically see patients twice a week, for four consecutive weeks, when we treat diabetic neuropathy with our Micro-Vas equipment. Each appointment usually lasts 20 to 40 minutes if you don't receive any other services during your visit. However, your recovery may require a different timeline. Treatment duration depends on how much your body aches and whether you're receiving any other treatments for diabetes. Just click here for more info on halki diabetes remedy from Act1Diabetes.org. Depending on when and where your pain hits, you may find it helpful to combine our other services with Micro-Vas therapy. We also offer cold laser therapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, and chiropractic care at Northeast Spine and Sports Medicine.
Additional Treatment Options for Diabetic Neuropathy
Many of our diabetic patients find relief from Micro-Vas therapy, but you may want to explore other treatment options as well. This is especially true if you have other conditions that mimic the effects of diabetes. Sometimes patients with multiple medical issues find it difficult to determine which condition or disease triggers each symptom. When this happens, they may rely solely on one treatment method and then wonder why they aren't experiencing a full recovery.
Chiropractic adjustments can help keep the spine aligned, which is important if discs are pressing on your nerves. Some patients with conditions such as sciatica experience painful sensations that run from their lower backs all the way to their calves or feet. Combine this with your diabetes-induced foot pain, and you may have one heck of a time getting around — even after Micro-Vas therapy. That's why it's important to rule out other causes of pain before you seek treatment.
Managing the demands of diabetes can be stressful at times. If you're anxious about monitoring your sugar levels or feel depressed about changing your dietary habits, consider acupuncture therapy at Northeast Spine and Sports Medicine. This ancient practice may help improve your mental health and your overall well-being, making it easier for you to effectively manage your diabetes.
Massage therapy is yet another treatment option patients suffering from diabetes should consider. Diabetes can restrict blood flow, and your connective tissues may thicken. Muscles and ligaments become stiff due to joint pain or swelling, and you may notice your range of motion has decreased if you've had diabetes for a while.
Massage therapy helps tackle these issues by improving circulation, so your body can distribute essential nutrients to its cells. Massage therapy also helps loosen stiff muscles and relieve aching joints. Over time, you may find it easier to move your arms, legs, and neck.
Other Conditions That May Benefit From Micro-Vas Therapy
Micro-Vas therapy is a popular treatment for diabetic patients who experience peripheral neuropathy or ulcers, but you can also request a consultation if you have other painful conditions.
Here are some conditions that may benefit from Micro-Vas treatments:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Peroneal tendonitis
- Radiculopathy
Not sure if you have a condition that may improve with Micro-Vas therapy? Give us a call if you have headaches, slow-healing wounds, loose body joints, or cold feet. We may be able to provide some much-needed relief from your symptoms.
Ask Our Team About Micro-Vas Therapy for Diabetic Neuropathy
Are you interested in seeing if Micro-Vas therapy at Northeast Spine and Sports Medicine can address the painful symptoms of your diabetic neuropathy? Schedule a consultation, and we'll do a thorough physical examination to determine if you're a good candidate for this nonsurgical treatment. We can answer any questions you have during this time, but you can also call any of our New Jersey offices for more information before your visit. Make sure you bring information about other medical providers who are treating your diabetic neuropathy so we can offer complementary care.
Diabetes can be difficult to manage, but it doesn't have to be a debilitating disease. Instead of struggling through another sleepless night or skipping fun family events, ask us how Micro-Vas therapy and our other services can help you regain control of your diabetes. You deserve to enjoy all that life has to offer, and we're here to help you do that.
