Peripheral neuropathy, the numbness, tingling, and burning that typically affects the feet and hands, is difficult to treat because most approaches manage symptoms rather than support nerve function. Class IV Laser Therapy is used at OKC Pain Relief specifically because photobiomodulation may help the nerves themselves begin to function better.
Peripheral neuropathy is damage or dysfunction in the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Diabetes drives most cases we see. Chemotherapy, nerve compression in the spine, and cases with no identifiable cause make up much of the rest. Symptoms start small, a tingle in the toes, and can progress to burning pain and numbness deep enough to throw off balance and make stairs feel unsafe.
The usual prescriptions, gabapentin and duloxetine, work on the pain signal. They quiet what you feel without changing what the nerve is doing. That trade is fine for a patient whose symptoms are mild and stable. It is a poor deal for a patient whose nerve keeps degrading underneath a dulled signal and who pays for the relief with grogginess and weight gain.
Class IV laser therapy aims at the nerve itself. The wavelengths reach nerve tissue and have been studied for nerve fiber regrowth, better mitochondrial output inside nerve cells, and lower neuroinflammation. How far that goes depends on the cause and how long the nerve has been failing. Compression-related neuropathy and early diabetic neuropathy respond best. Long-standing severe nerve loss responds least. When spinal compression is feeding the symptoms, spinal decompression therapy treats the mechanical cause while the laser works on the nerve. Individual results vary, and your evaluation will tell you which category you fall in.
If disc compression in the spine is contributing to nerve symptoms, spinal decompression therapy may also be appropriate alongside laser therapy.
Class IV laser therapy is the primary treatment for neuropathy at OKC Pain Relief. The laser is applied along the nerve pathway, for foot neuropathy, this typically includes the lumbar spine, sciatic nerve course, and the foot itself. Treatment frequency and dose are determined based on symptom severity and the underlying cause.
Learn MoreFor compression-related neuropathy, where disc herniation or spinal stenosis is compressing nerve roots and causing peripheral symptoms, spinal decompression addresses the mechanical cause. Freeing the nerve from compression allows it to recover, and the combination with laser therapy can accelerate that process.
Learn MoreWhen neuropathy has a soft-tissue compression component, such as a tight muscle or connective tissue structure pressing on a peripheral nerve, shockwave therapy targets that surrounding tissue directly. It's particularly relevant for neuropathy in the feet and lower leg where local tissue tension is contributing to nerve irritation. Individual results vary.
Learn MoreA free consultation lets us evaluate your neuropathy presentation and tell you whether laser therapy, decompression, or a combination is appropriate for your situation.
Individual results vary. Treatment is recommended only after clinical evaluation.