Jul 21

What Is Diabetic Neuropathy?

Diabetic neuropathy is the damage to the nerves of the body in people who have diabetes. The condition develops gradually and worsens over the course of time. Susceptible people usually have high blood pressure, overweight, and high blood cholesterol. In addition, those who cannot control their blood sugar levels lean toward diabetic neuropathy.

Neuropathy can affect the nerves outside the skull, the ganglia, and the spinal cord. Also affected, the nerves which control the functioning of vital organs, like bladder, stomach, heart, and intestines. Additionally, it affects the nerves which control the periphery or outside of the body like the hands and feet. Finally, it affects the automatic functions of the body like digestion or your heart rate can develop problems. In fact, diabetic neuropathy can affect any part of the body. Pain Care Clinic of Idaho can help diagnose and treat your diabetic neuropathic problems. Simply call us at (208) 629-2492, we can assist you to recover or gain much improvement.

Types of Diabetic Neuropathy

Consider the four main types of neuropathy:

1. Autonomic neuropathy

This the second most common type of nerve damage. It affects the nerves which control involuntary actions of the body, such as sweat glands, digestive system, sex organs, bladder, and heart rate.  Neuropathy of the digestive system causes trouble swallowing, gastroparesis and constipation. Furthermore, it can cause erectile dysfunction in men and vaginal dryness in women. Neuropathy in the bladder can make it hard to empty the bladder fully. People with autonomic neuropathy can also have hypoglycemia causing heart palpitations and sweating which makes it hard to know when blood glucose levels are too low.

People with type 2 diabetes may have reduced blood pressure after standing from sitting, making them feel light-headed or dizzy.

2. Focal neuropathy

Damage occurs in groups of nerves or to one particular nerve, causing weakness of the area and is very painful. Focal nerve damage can affect the upper body, legs or head. This type of nerve damage disappears in weeks or months without leaving extensive consequences, unlike other types of nerve damage. Symptoms include: double vision, focus inability, pain in: stomach, lower back, chest, thigh, pelvic region, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

At Pain Care Clinic of Idaho–(208) 629-2492, we know exactly how to handle these kinds of challenges. Just put a call through to us and let our specialists handle the rest.

3. Peripheral neuropathy

This occurs when the nerves which detect temperature and touch are damaged. It affects the hands and feet. This is the most common type of diabetic neuropathy. Additionally, the mild to severe symptoms, occurring mostly at night, include: burning sensation, cramping or pain, numbness, insensitive to cold and hot temperatures. Also, muscle weakness and reflex losses can lead to changes in balance and mobility.  Nerve damage and poor blood circulation in people with diabetes makes it hard for wounds to heal. (Which causes more risk of complications from foot injuries.)

4. Proximal neuropathy

This is not common but seen in older adults with type 2 diabetes. It affects the legs, hips, and thighs. This type of nerve damage causes inability to stand after sitting without being helped. It is always painful.

Causes of Diabetic Neuropathy among People with Diabetes

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause Neuropathy.

Long time exposure to a higher level of glucose can damage the nerves, thereby causing neuropathy. High levels of blood fat called triglycerides and their toxic by-products can cause nerve damage. Good glucose control in type 1 diabetes people can lower nerve damage by 60%. In addition, controlling lipid levels can lower the cause of neuropathy in people with type 2 diabetes.

Other factors which cause diabetic neuropathy:

  • Smoking or alcohol
  • Vitamin B deficiency
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome – Mechanical or repetitive movement injury
  • High blood pressure
  • Low level of vitamin B12

Diagnosis of Diabetic Neuropathy

The specialists at Pain Care Clinic of Idaho–(208) 629-2492 will carry out a physical examination and foot examination for the following:

  • Knees and ankle reflexes
  • Responses of legs and feet to stimuli like touch, movement, temperature, and pain
  • Color changes
  • Changes in skin texture
  • Test to know thiamine and vitamin B1 levels
  • Finally, check of blood pressure, heart rate variability, and ultrasound.

If the physician suspects diabetic neuropathy, then, the patient will undergo diagnostic tests like Nerve Conduction Velocity test which record the speed of the induced signal in the nerves. Also Electromyogram, which records the electrical activity of the muscles.

Treatment of Diabetic Neuropathy

Especially relevant, managing cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and controlling blood sugar help prevent nerve damage. The treatment of diabetic neuropathy focuses on controlling the symptoms and reducing the pain.

Certain drugs can control diabetic neuropathy pain. These include anticonvulsant drugs, opioid-like drugs, and tricyclic antidepressants like serotonin-norepinephrine inhibitors.

Physical Therapy with drugs can reduce pain and the drug dependency. Physical therapists help people with muscle weakness and muscle cramps. They also reduce the burning sensation in the feet and legs. Electrical nerve stimulation can relieve foot ulcers and the feeling of stiffness.

People who use a prosthesis due to loss of a limb as a result of diabetic neuropathy can undergo Gait training. This ‘relearning’ how to walk helps to prevent foot complications. You can get Gait training from Pain Care Clinic of Idaho by calling (208) 629-2492. Additionally, topical lotions and supplements will also provide relief.

Our massage therapist at Pain Care Clinic of Idaho–(208) 629-2492 can offer regular massages which stretch the muscles. Exercises, such as aerobics or swimming, can maintain muscle strength. Additionally, patients can regain foot sensitivity using high-frequency sound waves to stimulate the tissue under the skin surface (called therapeutic ultrasound).

Prevention of Diabetic Neuropathy

Some tips to reduce the risk of diabetic neuropathy:

  • First of all, maintain a healthy weight for your height
  • Likewise, exercise regularly
  • Also, control fat levels and blood pressure via lifestyle and diet changes where necessary
  • Then, control blood glucose levels
  • Additionally, visit a physician regularly if you have symptoms of numbness and pain.

Half of the people with diabetes develop neuropathy. It affects the nerves of the feet causing pain and discomfort, which could lead to complications if left untreated. So, where can you get help? Visit us at Pain Care Clinic of Idaho, or call: (208) 629-2492 to discuss your diabetic neuropathy.


Jun 16

Have you ever turned to a search engine, typing in something like finding a pain clinic near me, to find some relief? When you have pain, you will look anywhere for relief. Thankfully, there are pain clinics all over the place, all with the intention of helping you feel better. It is very important that you find a nearby pain clinic. If you have to spend hours one way getting there, and double that when you go home, it can make going into a chore. This means you are not as likely to get the help you need, when you need it. This can increase your pain, and leave you struggling more than necessary. Finding local pain clinics should not be a chore.

Benefits of Having a Pain Clinic Near Me

Pain can hit out of nowhere. You can go from feeling fine to being miserable in a very short period of time. If your pain clinic is not nearby, you may not use their services to feel better. The problem with a pain clinic that is not nearby is that you will not go as often. The more often you go, the more managed your pain can be. If you take steps to keep your pain under control, it can keep the spikes from happening as much. This can mean that your pain shows up less frequently. Plus, it can also mean that when it does show up, it does not become as intense.

By seeking a nearby pain clinic, you work with professionals who understand the importance of managing your pain. You do not want to struggle for the rest of your life with pills as your crutch. There are times where pills can help, but do you really want to use them all the time? Chances are you want as much relief as you can get, as soon as you can get it. By keeping to a regular maintenance routine, you can keep your pain under control much more effectively. Imagine waking up one day and having your pain so well managed that you can live your life. Isn’t that your ultimate goal anyway?

What Kind of Relief Can a Pain Clinic Offer?

There are many benefits that come with visiting a pain clinic regularly. No matter what type of pain you are in, they have treatment options that can help. Some people find relief from pain from simple meditation. Others need more active treatments to help with their pain. It all depends on what is going on with you, and what is causing the pain you struggle with.

The first thing you are going to do when you find a local pain clinic is to get an evaluation. They will want to look over what is going on and figure out why. If the why is already known, they will want to find out what treatment options you have tried. They will track what worked and what did not, so they can help you come up with a treatment plan. The more specific you can be during this phase, the better.

Once your pain and pain causes has gone through the evaluation process, you will then get to try out different options. The more options you try, the more things you figure out either help or do not help with your pain. Once you have a few options that provide relief, they can help you set up regular appointments to come in and get those treatments done. This can help your pain stay down between visits. For some, a regular treatment routine can also provide them with long-term pain relief.

Pain Clinics Are the Best Place to Go for Neuropathic Pain

For those that struggle with neuropathy pain, management is crucial when it comes to keeping the effects under control. Since the pain can come and go at a moment’s notice, you need to have a plan. The best plan is one that manages your symptoms so that when the pain hits, you have a direct response. Part of the problem with neuropathic pain is that it can be difficult to treat. It can come with so many symptoms, you may not know what to do when it hits. You need experienced help to manage this type of pain before it takes away your quality of life completely.

By seeking out a local pain clinic, you can find out about what treatment options they have. Typically, neuropathic pain comes from problems with the messages being sent around the body. You may believe that you are in pain, when in fact, you are not. Your body is struggling to understand what your body actually feels. So, it simply interprets the signals as pain. The way to treat this is through options such as Scrambler Therapy.

You must go to a trained and experienced pain clinic if you want Scrambler Therapy. There are only a small number of places with the proper training on how to use this device effectively. What it does is retrain your body to properly recognize the signals being sent around. This way, when you actually have pain, your body will register it properly. When the sensation you feel is tingling or burning, your body will then understand what the sensation is. Scrambler Therapy is proven incredibly effective for many people when it comes to having long-term relief.

Where Can I Find a Pain Clinic Near Me?

Instead of turning to the internet and searching for a pain clinic near me, turn to the professionals here at the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho. We understand your pain. We also understand the importance of having help nearby. Call us and let us work with you to figure out the best treatment plan to manage your pain. That way, the next time your pain flares up, you have somewhere to go. Plus, we can also help come up with a management plan that can hopefully help keep your pain away. That is our specialty, and we are very good at what we do. Let us help you get your life back.

For more information, contact us here at the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho. Our number is (208) 629-2492. Reach out to us and let us be the answer you find the next time you feel the need to search for a pain clinic near me.


May 19

There are a lot of treatments that you can get to relieve back pain, and some of them are very effective when combined with spinal decompression therapy. Not all back pain options provide a lot of relief on their own. Some of them only provide minimal, temporary relief. However, when you combine them, the relief is greater, plus it lasts longer. There are many different issues that can cause back pain. Each of them needs their own type of treatment to get better. If you want to figure out which therapies will work best for you, then you need to reach out to us here at the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho for help.

Should You Give Spinal Decompression Therapy a Try?

When you have back pain that simply won’t go away, you may want to consider spinal decompression therapy. It is very effective at relieving pain for most people. It is especially effective if there are issues with the discs, such as them degenerating, or when a pinched nerve is the cause of your pain. However, those are not the only times that spinal decompression therapy is helpful. You can also get relief from things such as pain following a trauma or injury, pain following a surgery, and ailments like arthritis and diabetes.

What Benefits Can You Get from Spinal Decompression Therapy?

Spinal decompression therapy brings with it a lot of pain relieving benefits. First, when you slowly stretch out the spine, you can add up to 20% more space between each of the components within your spine. This means the area between your discs can grow up as much as 20%. This allows for more blood to flow through to those areas and allows for any pinched nerves to get relief. By having more blood flowing to that area, you get increased healing, plus decreased pain. Your body also gets extra oxygen in those spaces, which also boosts healing. When the area was thinner, it was much harder for your body to push blood in there. This could lead to throbbing pain, and a decreased blood flow, which then leaves you hurting more. Open spaces mean that your body is in less pain, and more readily able to heal.

A lot of people also get increased mobility following spinal decompression therapy. When the spine is able to be stretched out slowly, it can allow for things to realign themselves properly. This can make moving around less painful and give you back some of your missing quality of life. The more you can move around, the stronger those muscles are able to remain. This protects your spine and makes it harder for it to get injured all over again after it gets the chance to heal.

Does Spinal Decompression Therapy Work with Scrambler Therapy?

One of the more effective therapies for back pain is Scrambler Therapy. With this treatment, it allows your body to relearn how to process pain signals being sent around properly. When you struggle with chronic pain, your body can get the signals somewhat muddled. By getting Scrambler Therapy, your body learns to recognize when you are actually in pain, and when you feel something else.

By combining Scrambler Therapy with spinal decompression therapy, you can get a lot of relief. Your body learns to read pain signals properly, so you know what parts of your back hurt, and what are feeling another sensation. Then, you can add in spinal decompression therapy to help the areas of your back that do, in fact, hurt. It can be difficult for your back to heal up properly if it believes the entire surface is in pain. However, when your back knows what areas to target, the repair cells go to the right place, and you begin feeling better faster.

The Pain Care Clinic of Idaho Can Help

When relief is what you seek, then you want to come in and see us. Our highly skilled team of professionals can help you with your pain struggles. We can work with you to figure out what causes your pain, and then come up with a treatment plan that encompasses each type of therapy that provides you relief. Something as simple as combining multiple types of therapy could be the key to you getting relief. Don’t go through another day where pain rules your life. Call us today, and let us help guide you down the path to pain relief.

When you want to have a better quality of life, and bypass the daily struggles of back pain, we can help. Reach out to us here at the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho by calling (208) 629-2492 today. Let us figure out if you would benefit from options such as Scrambler Therapy and spinal decompression therapy.


Apr 21

When seeking different upper back pain treatment options, you need to find ones that will help relieve your pain. If you struggle with chronic upper back pain, it can quickly diminish your quality of life. There are many different options that you can turn to. However, not all of them are going to help. They depend on what caused your pain, and what you have already tried to do to alleviate your pain. Here are some of the best upper back pain treatment options to consider, and how they can help.

Touch Can Really Help Relieve Pain When Used as an Upper Back Pain Treatment

There are many different types of touch that can help as upper back pain treatment options. First, you have massage. This helps bring healing and extra oxygen and blood to the area that hurts. It can speed up healing, plus it can decrease how much pain you feel during that process. The more often you get a massage, the more of these benefits you can experience.

Next, you have physical therapy. This is a hands-on approach to teaching the muscle groups in your upper back how to function properly again. This is typically most effective after some type of an upper back injury. You will work with a physical therapist who can help you move your body purposefully. This teaches your body how to move in a way that will not aggravate the pain you already have. Plus, it can help strengthen the sore parts of your body, decreasing your overall pain.

You also have chiropractic manipulation. This is when you see a chiropractor to have the different parts of your upper back put back into their proper places. It is called an alignment. They take the different components of your back, such as your vertebrae and your discs, and put them into their rightful spots. A lot of people struggle with upper back pain due to misaligned parts of their spine. This can bring about quick relief. Plus, it can also become more effective over time if you keep getting alignments to keep everything in place.

Resting Can Both Help and Hinder Upper Back Pain

When you struggle with upper back pain, you may feel like resting. This is a good idea, to some extent. However, if you rest too much, it can actually increase your pain. When you first notice upper back pain, taking it easy is a good option. That way, you will not increase how much pain you have. It can also keep you from adding to the problem, leaving you in more pain. However, if you rest too long, it can actually leave you in more pain. Resting can cause your muscles to atrophy and leave you weaker than when you started. While you should rest, especially if you suffered some type of upper back injury, you must keep it to a short amount time. Resting for 2-4 days is fine, but for weeks on end could have negative results.

Some Therapies Are Effective Upper Back Pain Treatment Options

There are also some therapies that can be very effective upper back pain treatment options. One such therapy that we have found works incredibly well with many types of upper back pain is called the Scrambler Therapy. When you have Scrambler Therapy, it is a way to teach your body how to properly read pain signals, and how to manage them better.

Some types of upper back pain can actually come from problems with the nerves. Your body is trying to understand the signals being sent out by the nerves. However, there is a problem when it comes to deciphering the code. Scrambler Therapy helps your bodydecode the messages properly. That allows your body to realize that it is not actually in pain, but feeling another sensation. This could be something like tingling or a bit of numbness that your body misread.

Learning What Causes Your Back Pain Can Help Narrow Down the Most Effective Upper Back Pain Treatment Options

The best way to figure out which upper back pain treatment options will be best for you is to figure out what caused the pain in the first place. Knowing the cause of your pain helps figure out what things can work, and what things may make it worse. You obviously want to avoid anything that could worsen your back pain. If you randomly try treating it, without knowing the cause, it could make it to where your back pain gets worse instead of better.

When your upper back pain is serious, you need to make sure you get the right treatment to help. Reach out to us here at the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho and let us help. Call us today, at (208) 629-2492, and let us help you determine which upper back pain treatment options will work best for you.


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