What are my treatment options?

From a western medical perspective, treatment for peripheral neuropathy often includes recommendations for physical therapy, surgery, prescriptions and/or injections. Patients are frequently prescribed medications to reduce discomfort and pain symptoms only. Medications include amitriptyline, duloxetine, pregabalin or gabapentin. Additionally, some people use over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen or aspirin but discontinue use as stomach problems can develop with regular use.

Acupuncture is a lesser known, evidence-based option for care that shows significant results in reducing symptoms. More importantly, it’s been proven to successfully restore function of small nerve fibers. Rather than treatment planning based upon the how a patient developed neuropathy, acupuncture treatments focus on how the disease is impacting the patient and restoring function. Every patient is different therefore every treatment plan is different. Another important consideration is the low risk and lack of negative side effects when utilizing acupuncture care compared to potentially addictive prescription medications or invasive surgery.