Polyneuropathy
Polineuropathy is damage to the peripheral nerves, which causes sensory and balance disturbances and unsteadiness.
The main symptoms are tingling, numbness, burning sensations and a feeling of vibration in the arms and legs.The pain often increases at night. Touching the affected area or a change in the ambient temperature can increase the symptoms.
The sensory nerve endings of a patient with polyneuropathy are destroyed, so they cannot feel pain or temperature. They may therefore burn themselves or develop ulcers in areas exposed to injury or pressure.
In the absence of pain, the patient is at greater risk of injury.
Disturbance in the sense of position of joints can occur, leading to unsteady walking and even difficulty standing. Decreased mobility causes muscles to weaken and atrophy.
Neuropathy is most often the result of diabetes, autoimmune disease or alcoholism. These should be treated first, i.e. normalising blood sugar levels, for example, is the first priority.
TENS and MENS treatments can be used to reduce or eliminate pain and other unpleasant symptoms, and soft laser treatment can also be effective (treated along the course of the nerve at several points)