Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the nerves outside your brain and spinal cord, most commonly affecting the feet and hands in a symmetrical, stocking-and-glove pattern. Diabetes is the leading cause in the United States, but chemotherapy, alcohol use, B12 deficiency, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions, and mechanical nerve compression all produce it.
Many patients arrive having been told there is nothing to do beyond medication that dulls the sensation. That is not the whole story, particularly when there is a mechanical or circulatory component contributing.
Symptoms we hear about
- Burning or electric pain in the feet, often worse at night
- Numbness or a feeling of walking on cotton
- Pins and needles that never fully resolve
- Loss of balance, especially in the dark
- Extreme sensitivity to light touch such as bedsheets
- Weakness in the feet or hands as it progresses
What usually causes it
- Diabetes and prolonged elevated blood sugar
- Chemotherapy-induced nerve damage
- B12 and other nutritional deficiencies
- Spinal nerve root compression contributing to symptoms
- Reduced microcirculation to peripheral nerves
- Alcohol use, thyroid disease, and autoimmune conditions
First, rule out what is treatable at the spine
Not everything called neuropathy is purely metabolic. Lumbar or cervical nerve root compression produces overlapping symptoms, and a patient can absolutely have both, diabetic neuropathy plus a stenotic segment adding compression on top of it.
That mechanical component is the part conservative care can address most directly, and it is regularly overlooked. Our exam distinguishes the pattern of true peripheral neuropathy from radiculopathy, and identifies patients who have both.
Cold laser and microcirculation
MLS laser therapy is our primary tool for neuropathy. Nerves depend on tiny blood vessels called the vasa nervorum for their oxygen supply, and in most forms of neuropathy that microcirculation is compromised. Photobiomodulation improves local circulation, increases cellular energy production, and supports nerve repair.
Results vary with the underlying cause and, most importantly, with how long the damage has been present. Nerves that are irritated and under-perfused often respond well. Nerves that have degenerated over many years respond less.
The metabolic side matters as much as the mechanical
Nerve health is not going to improve while the process damaging it continues. Seema Lad, our registered pharmacist and certified diabetes educator, works with neuropathy patients on blood sugar management, B vitamin status, and reviewing medications that may be contributing.
We work alongside your primary physician or endocrinologist rather than in place of them. Neuropathy is a case where a coordinated approach genuinely outperforms any single provider.
How we treat peripheral neuropathy in Frisco
Your plan is built from your exam findings, not from a template. These are the tools we most often combine for this condition.
Peripheral Neuropathy: common questions
Can neuropathy be reversed?
It depends on cause and duration. Neuropathy driven by compression, inflammation, or a nutritional deficiency often improves substantially when the cause is addressed. Long-standing damage from years of uncontrolled blood sugar is harder, though symptom improvement is frequently still achievable. We set expectations honestly after evaluating you.
How many laser sessions will I need?
Neuropathy protocols are longer than most, typically 12 to 20 sessions with fairly high frequency early on. We reassess at set checkpoints, and if we are not seeing measurable change we will tell you rather than continuing indefinitely.
Should I keep taking my neuropathy medication?
That is your prescriber's decision, not ours. We never advise stopping a prescription. Some patients find they need less over time, and that conversation belongs with the physician who prescribed it.
