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Publication date: April 25, 2012
Peripheral nerves carry information from the brain. They also conduct signals from the spinal cord to the rest of the body. means that these nerves are not working properly. Peripheral neuropathy can be damage to a single nerve. It could be damage to the nerve group. It can also affect nerves throughout the body.
Causes
Nerve damage is very common. There are many kinds and reasons. Often, the cause cannot be found. Diabetes is the most common cause of this type of nerve problem. This happens when you have high blood sugar levels for a long time. Other medical problems that can lead to neuropathy are:
Drugs and toxins can cause nerve damage. One example is alcohol abuse. Glue, lead, mercury, and solvents can cause nerve damage. Medicines that treat infections, cancer, seizures, and high blood pressure can cause nerve damage. Pressure on nerves in a part of the body may be the cause. An example is carpal tunnel syndrome. A broken bone or other injury can lead to nerve damage. Being exposed to low temperatures for a long period of time can also lead to the condition.
Symptoms
The symptoms depend on the nerves that are damaged. Symptoms depend on whether the damage affects one nerve, multiple nerves, or the entire body.
Pain and numbness
Or in the hands can be an early sign of nerve damage. These feelings often begin in the toes and feet. You may be in deep pain. It often occurs in the feet and lower legs. You may lose sensation in your legs and arms. Because of this, you may not notice when you step on something sharp. You may not feel touch, hot or cold.
muscle problems
Nerve damage can aggravate muscle control. It can also cause weakness. You may notice trouble moving parts of your body. You can fall, trip your toes. Performing tasks such as buttoning up shirt buttons can be difficult. You may also notice muscle twitches or cramps. Your muscles may become smaller in size.
Problems with body organs
People with nerve damage may have trouble digesting food. You may feel full or bloated, heartburn after eating. Sometimes you may vomit food that is not digested well. Some people have trouble swallowing. Damage to the nerves in your heart can make you feel dizzy or faint when you stand up. Angina is chest pain - a warning for the development of heart disease and a heart attack. Nerve damage can "hide" this warning sign. You must learn to recognize other signs of a heart attack. This is sudden fatigue, sweating, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting.
Other symptoms of nerve damage.
Men may experience erection problems. Women may have problems with vaginal dryness or orgasms. Urine leakage may occur. You cannot tell when the bladder is full. Some people are unable to empty their bladder.
Treatment
By treating the causes of nerve damage, if known, remedies can improve symptoms. People with diabetes must learn to control their blood sugar levels. If you drink alcohol, stop drinking. Replacing the vitamin as well as making other changes to your diet can help. You may need surgery to stop nerve damage. You may need to learn how to exercise for muscle strength and control. Wheelchairs, braces, and splints can improve movement or enable the use of arms or legs with nerve damage. Wear shoes at all times to protect your feet from injury. Before putting on shoes, always check your shoes for rocks, nails, or rough areas that could hurt your feet. Check the temperature of the bath water with your elbow before putting your feet in the water. Avoid pressure on areas with nerve damage. Medications can help relieve pain in the legs and arms. They usually do not return the loss of feeling. You can take pain pills. Medicines used to treat other conditions, such as epilepsy or depression, can also help manage pain. Use the lowest dose to avoid side effects. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist.
The syndrome of neuropathy leads to destabilization of the work of various organs, including the lower extremities of a person.
When conducting various medical studies, it was found that neuropathy has the following number of causes:
Lifetime diseases include:
Children's neuropathy manifests itself quite early. Even in infancy, the baby may show the first signs of the presence of the disease. Young children suffering from neuropathy are always restless, do not sleep well, often wake up and twitch in their sleep.
Older children suffering from neuropathy differ markedly from their peers in excessive pallor, lethargy, lack of appetite, and fatigue. Very often, neuropathy in schoolchildren is expressed by the instability of the psycho-emotional state. The child's mood often changes, his noticeable modesty can be abruptly replaced by excessive aggression. Quite often, the process of growth and development, along with proper parenting, helps smooth out the symptoms of neuropathy.
The manifestation of the first signs of leg neuropathy directly depends on which nerve was damaged. In cases of damage to the sensory nerve fibers, the patient begins to feel numbness or decreased sensitivity in the legs, and sometimes there are sensations of tingling or tightness. With damage to the motor nerves, excessive weakness in the muscles appears, which over time is accompanied by convulsions or atrophy. The defeat of the autonomic nerve fibers provokes excessive dryness of the skin of the lower extremities, which is fraught with the development of various suppurations. All this eventually leads to severe wound healing and gradual death of the skin.
Burning pain and numbness in the limbs are considered to be the main symptoms of the disease, while swelling, spasms, partial paralysis, a feeling of "goosebumps", and difficulty in movement are considered to be concomitant symptoms of neuropathy.
The so-called neuropathy of the legs is divided into varieties:
Neuropathy of the peroneal nerve is characterized by pinching of the nerve endings in the outer part of the knee joint. The main causes of the disease include injuries and anatomical features of the structure of the knee joint.
Neuropathy of the tibial nerve is accompanied by a violation of the vital functions of the posterior surface of the leg, sole, plantar surface of the fingers, as well as complete or partial atrophy of the posterior muscle group of the leg.
Sensory neuropathy of the lower extremities is characterized by a complete or partial loss of sensation.
Timely diagnosis and elimination of the underlying disease are the most important factors in the successful treatment of lower extremity neuropathy.
At the beginning of the process of treating the disease, the doctor needs to find the main cause that led to the disruption of the nervous system. To do this, doctors carefully study all the signs of neuropathy in a patient in order to exclude other diseases among them. In the process of studying the symptoms of neuropathy, the doctor conducts an external examination, finds out the genetic predisposition of the disease, checks the state of the patient's reaction.
For the diagnosis of neuropathy in modern medicine, the following methods are used:
On the basis of the analyzes carried out, the main cause of the occurrence of neuropathy of the lower extremities is established.
The most effective treatment for neuropathy is a combination of medication and physiotherapy. The primary task of the doctor in the treatment process is to eliminate the root cause of the development of the disease. Namely, if neuropathy arose against the background of intoxication, a complete cleansing of the body should be carried out, as a result of beriberi, it is necessary to resume the full nutrition of the patient, etc. The main drug therapy for neuropathy of the lower extremities consists of neurotropic, painkillers and vitamin preparations. Painkillers are prescribed in cases of severe pain.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are widely used in the treatment of neuropathy of the lower extremities. For neuropathy, use:
In the process of treatment, it is important for the patient to carefully follow all the doctor's instructions and constantly examine the affected limbs for cracks, cuts and wounds. In cases of detection of skin lesions, the leg will require maximum rest. For this, crutches or special unloading shoes are used, and the damage is treated with antiseptics.
The success of the treatment of neuropathy primarily depends on the underlying cause of the disease. If neuropathy was provoked by the development of another disease, then the result of the recovery will be successful. And in the presence of a genetic predisposition to neuropathy, it is not necessary to count on a quick and successful recovery. In such cases, the disease is difficult to treat and proceeds in more complex forms. Despite this, doctors constantly say that you should be attentive to your health, lead a correct lifestyle and consult a doctor in a timely manner.
Comments and reviews:
With regard to heredity, I would also add the option when close relatives are ill with diabetes, and for acquired ones, they have undergone surgery. I had just such a case - my grandmother was sick with diabetes, and I myself had an operation on the Achilles tendon. Received polyneuropathy in the operated leg. Cured, oddly enough. medically. Actovegin helped - a 6-month course and vitamins B. True, after removing the plaster and exercise therapy, and physiotherapy was also completed.
Polyneuropathy is a generalized group of diseases caused by various stimuli, but having one thing in common - a violation of the central nervous system and affected nerves throughout the body. This ailment destroys the nerve endings in the limbs, as a result of which motor skills are disturbed, muscles lose their tone, muscle sensitivity decreases, and blood circulation is disturbed. Most often, the legs are affected, it is in the feet that the first symptoms of the disease occur.
Neuropathy of the lower extremities develops gradually, slowly rising from the feet above. Often, with complaints of discomfort in the feet, numbness and discomfort, patients are in no hurry to see a doctor, expecting that these are temporary symptoms that will soon pass and do not entail serious consequences. But after the initial symptoms, severe numbness appears, the muscle reflex and motor skills are lost, which require the immediate intervention of specialists.
There are several classifications of the disease, which have different symptoms and treatment, differ in the nature of the damage, etc. But most often they use the classification according to the etiology of the progression of the disease:
Also, polyneuropathy of the lower extremities is divided according to the principle of localization of the lesion:
There is another division into species, taking into account the affected area:
There are quite a few reasons for the onset of the disease, as a result of which a person is looking for drugs to treat this ailment, spending strength and health. These include:
Neuropathy of the lower extremities is accompanied by various symptoms. For some, they are pronounced, for others they are not so severe and do not entail serious consequences. But in all cases, pain is an important indicator. The patient may not feel it due to loss of sensation in the legs, but its presence is an important signal for decisive action.
The disease is characterized by pain and numbness of the legs. In some cases, pain sensations appear exclusively at night, a person does not sleep well because of this, irritation appears. Some complain of loss of sensitivity, the person does not even feel the touch of the skin. But there are also reverse cases, when any contact, even with clothes, becomes unbearable. If the level of sugar in the body is elevated, the course of the disease is aggravated, namely when diabetic polyneuropathy occurs.
Quite rarely, a complete absence of motor motor skills is manifested, in general, the patient may experience muscle weakness, pain when walking. Due to muscle damage, the foot is deformed, the skin can be damaged.
There are cases when the disease is asymptomatic. A person loses the sensitivity of the limbs, which he does not notice. This is dangerous, because you can unknowingly hurt yourself by injuring your leg, injuring your foot or lower leg.
Diabetic neuropathy, the symptoms of which are almost the same as the rest of the symptoms of various types of pathology, depends on the level of sugar in the blood. The higher it is, the more severe the symptoms. As a result of this disease, another neuropathy can develop that can damage the nerves of other organs of the human body. This can lead to gastric obstruction, hypotension, myocardial infarction and other pathologies.
Since neuropathy has a number of symptoms similar to other diseases, it is necessary to carefully approach the diagnosis of the patient, to exclude the most common diseases. The specialist should carefully listen to the patient's complaints, with the help of an examination, identify external manifestations of symptoms, study the medical record and the history of chronic diseases. It may be necessary to ask about hereditary pathologies, which also take place.
In addition, instrumental diagnostic methods are used to accurately identify deviations:
A preliminary examination, these studies will help to draw up a complete clinical picture, make a correct diagnosis and prescribe an effective treatment.
Treatment of neuropathy of the lower extremities occurs not only by eliminating pain, but also by eliminating the main cause that provoked this ailment.
In case of drug poisoning, the attending physician must cancel all drugs and prescribe a course of B vitamins. Due to intoxication with heavy metals, salts or other dangerous substances, detoxification therapy is urgently carried out, aimed at cleansing the body from the harmful effects of substances.
How is alcoholic neuropathy treated? A drug or a group of drugs is prescribed that works comprehensively to eliminate symptoms. But the treatment will not give results if you do not completely abandon the addiction.
If the disease is a consequence of an infectious disease, a virus, an antiviral agent and a course of antibiotics are needed. In the presence of pain, a course of analgesics and neurotropic drugs is prescribed.
Antidepressants are prescribed to calm the nervous system of a person, bring the state of mind back to normal.
In addition to drug treatment, there are alternative methods that must be carried out in combination with drug therapy. Physiotherapy will help restore motor skills, cheer up, distract from sad thoughts and just bring the body into tone. Recovery is a complex process that requires patience and a long time, but you must strictly adhere to the doctor's instructions.
Physiotherapy consists of the following procedures:
In the alcoholic form of the disease, a special device is used to purify the blood, which will significantly speed up the healing process.
For effective treatment, one method of treatment cannot be chosen. Only a complex of procedures and medication courses will help to achieve positive results. During this period, you can resort to the help of folk advice, because treatment with folk remedies will definitely not harm the body.
When choosing herbs, you can stop your attention on the root of burdock, hazel, dill. Decoctions of herbs based on them should be drunk in a course of about 2 weeks. You can resort to other folk tips and try to relax the body in a dill bath. There are miraculous tips for applying clay compresses to a sore spot. At night, it is best to rub the feet and lower leg with camphor oil or turpentine.
But it is important to remember that not one folk remedy will not be effective without complex treatment. There is no alternative to medical treatment in this case.
The patient should not delay going to the doctor, otherwise the disease process can develop into a chronic form and cause great harm to the body. The complications that can result from ignoring the problem are very dangerous. If treatment is not started in time, the muscles of the legs can atrophy, get into a terrible shape, lose sensitivity and the person will remain disabled due to the inability to move independently.
If the slightest signs appear, you need to consult a doctor and this step will be the best prevention of the disease, because it is not always possible to stop the irreversible process of negative consequences. Timely appeal for help will shorten the rehabilitation period and will not cause significant harm to the body.
Do not engage in self-diagnosis and treat yourself. A person without the appropriate education can misdiagnose himself and only waste his energy and precious time when the disease progresses more and more.
The information on the site is provided for informational purposes only, does not claim to be reference and medical accuracy, and is not a guide to action. Do not self-medicate. Consult with your physician.
As a result of degenerative processes, compression or direct trauma in the distant nerve fibers of the lower extremities, a disease such as neuropathy may develop. Under the influence of provoking factors, the disease can develop at a fairly young age. The course of the disease without appropriate treatment leads to limited mobility and even loss of ability to work.
Pathological processes in nerve fibers occur against the background of concomitant diseases, rarely develop as an independent disease. The most likely causes of neuropathy include the following factors:
Sometimes a neurologist makes a diagnosis of idiopathic neuropathy, this term means that it was possible to find out the exact cause of the disease.
Lower extremity neuropathy can affect all fibers (polyneuropathy) or damage one specific nerve (mononeuropathy). Determining the type of disease allows you to correctly draw up an effective treatment regimen and determines the further prognosis.
Most often, the peroneal nerve is pinched in the area of the outer part of the knee joint when sitting for a long time with one leg crossed. Increases the chance of developing nerve damage concomitant diseases of the internal organs. Neuropathy is manifested by a violation of the dorsiflexion of the fingers and the foot as a whole. The foot begins to hang down, the patient cannot lean on the heel while walking, "slaps" the feet. Sensory disturbances occur on the lateral surface of the lower leg and foot.
With this pathology, the plantar flexion of the foot is disturbed, attempts to turn it inward fail. The patient cannot stand on his toes, while walking he leans on his heels. Over time, a special position of the fingers is formed, in which they are bent like the claws of a bird. Sensitivity is disturbed on the back and front surface of the lower leg, along the foot. Sharp, burning pains periodically occur in these areas.
Below is an excerpt from the Living Healthy program that addresses tibial nerve pathology:
Neuropathy of the femoral nerve may be due to its compression at the exit site in the region of the inguinal ligament. The defeat of the fibers begins with the appearance of a feeling of numbness, stiffness at the time of movement in the middle third of the thigh. Over time, pain in the groin area joins, which radiates along the front surface of the thigh. Perhaps a violation of pain, temperature and tactile sensitivity along the femoral nerve. If left untreated, atrophy of the thigh muscles can occur.
Pain in the legs can also be observed with multiple sclerosis. General information about this disease.
Clinical manifestations of the disease depend on the stage of the pathological process, on the site of nerve damage. Symptoms are divided into main and concomitant. The main signs of neuropathy of the lower extremities are usually attributed to:
Accompanying signs are represented by a whole range of symptoms, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the following conditions:
All symptoms usually develop on two limbs at once, a long course of the disease leads to muscle atrophy. Violation of sensitivity in the sole provokes the appearance of calluses and wounds that quickly affect the deeper layers of the skin, leading to the formation of non-healing ulcers.
Neuropathy of the lower extremities is divided into acute, slowly progressive, recurrent and chronic. Acute neuropathy develops in a few days, all symptoms are pronounced, this form is typical for poisoning, nerve compression, injuries. The slow development of the disease often occurs over several years and is detected in diabetes mellitus or hereditary damage to nerve tissues.
Repeated exposure to a provoking factor again exacerbates the course of polyneuropathy and exacerbates all signs.
Some dystrophic changes in nerve fibers are characterized by a cyclical manifestation of symptoms - pain can worsen at night, in certain seasons of the year.
The diagnosis is made after collecting an anamnesis, clarifying complaints, examining, determining the degree of violation of tendon reflexes. During the examination, it is necessary to identify the cause of neuropathy, which may not be an easy task. Violation of the conduction of impulses is determined using electromyography - a device that detects the activity and speed of the signal passing through the nerve cells. Sometimes the doctor may decide to conduct a nerve biopsy, this study allows you to accurately determine the type of violation.
The treatment regimen is based on the identified cause of the disease.
The most important thing in therapy is the elimination of the provoking factor, so it is necessary to treat the underlying disease, exclude alcohol, remove toxins from the body, control glycemia in diabetic neuropathy.
Medicines that can alleviate the patient's condition include:
The positive effect is enhanced if physiotherapy, special gymnastics, acupuncture, massages are used together with medicines.
The prognosis for treatment depends on the causative factor and the stage of neuropathy. Elimination of the cause leads to a complete cure. A severe course occurs if the disease is genetic in nature or detected at the stage of significant damage to nerve fibers. The main preventive measures are: timely treatment of all diseases, the absence of bad habits, good nutrition.
How we save on supplements and vitamins: probiotics, vitamins intended for neurological diseases, etc. and we order on iHerb (link $5 discount). Delivery to Moscow only 1-2 weeks. Much is cheaper several times than to take in a Russian store, and some goods, in principle, cannot be found in Russia.
During a hip arthroplasty operation, the femoral nerve was damaged. Question: What is the optimal time to conduct electroneuromyography?
I have numbness and compresses my arms, legs, torso in a circle and around my mouth and throat. What could it be
The term "polyneuropathy" combines a number of pathologies caused by various reasons, but in which there is a violation of the normal functioning of the peripheral nervous system.
Most often, the disease affects the legs and arms, reducing the performance of muscles, worsening blood circulation in the limbs, reducing their sensitivity. The consequences of polyneuropathy are very dangerous, because. can lead to partial or complete loss of sensation in the limbs or to complete immobilization of the affected areas.
Polyneuropathy most often affects the lower and upper extremities, while the more neglected the pathology is, the greater the likelihood of complete paralysis.
Translated from Greek, polyneuropathy means "suffering of many nerves." The causes of the pathology are diverse - almost any factor that at least once had a negative effect on the peripheral nervous system can cause polyneuropathy.
Since the vital activity of the organism depends on the transmission of commands by the nerve endings to the brain, with the development of polyneuropathy, a violation of the sensitive and motor function of the limbs occurs.
Important! Polyneuropathy of the lower extremities is more common, because. The legs carry more weight than the upper body.
With polyneuropathy, small nerves are usually affected, because. their myelin sheath is thin, and it is easier for harmful substances to enter the nerve. Therefore, polyneuropathy of the upper and lower extremities most often occurs - damage to the feet and hands.
Usually, when determining the diagnosis, the patient does not simply write the word "polyneuropathy of the legs or arms", some definition is necessarily added to it, which depends on the type of disease. The international classification of diseases includes several varieties of polyneuropathy (ICD code - G60-G64), which differ in localization, degree and area of damage, and causes.
If the peripheral nervous system has ever failed in the past, then there can be a lot of reasons for the occurrence of polyneuropathy.
Nerve fibers can be divided into several types - motor, autonomic, sensitive. Depending on which nerve damage prevails, polyneuropathy is also classified:
Motor (motor). The normal state of the muscles deteriorates, which leads to a failure in their work: muscle weakness, convulsions, muscle atrophy and hypotrophy occur. The symptoms spread from the bottom up and can lead to a complete loss of movement.
In its pure form, these forms can be found quite rarely; sensory-vegetative, motor-sensory and other mixed types of the disease are usually diagnosed.
Polyneuropathy affects the nerve fibers, which consist of axons and myelin sheaths. Depending on the lesion, there are:
In its pure form, these types do not exist for long: with damage to the axon, a demyenilizing disorder gradually joins, and with demyelination, the axonal type.
Depending on the localization, distal and proximal polyneuropathy occurs: with the distal, the parts of the legs located below are primarily affected, with the proximal, the parts of the limbs located above.
In order for the treatment of polyneuropathy to give results, it is necessary to identify the causative factor that causes it.
Why does polyneuropathy of the upper limbs and legs occur:
Note! Polyneuropathy is often caused by diseases in which the body accumulates harmful substances that adversely affect the nervous system.
The primary varieties of the disease include a hereditary form of polyneuropathy and an idiopathic form (Guillain-Barré syndrome). The etiology of these forms is not fully defined, which makes the treatment of diseases somewhat difficult.
Secondary forms of polyneuropathy of the upper and lower extremities include types that have arisen as a result of infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, poisoning, pathologies of the kidneys and liver, disorders of the endocrine glands, tumors of various types.
Polyneuropathy has a rather characteristically pronounced clinical picture. The main symptom of the disease can be considered the symmetry of the lesion of the lower and upper extremities, because. pathogens circulate in the blood.
The most common signs of the disease:
The vegetative symptoms of the disease include the appearance of a feeling of chilliness, weakness in the fingers, circulatory disorders (marble color of the limbs, poor wound healing, etc.), hot flashes.
Diabetic polyneuropathy of the lower extremities causes the following clinical picture:
Alcoholic polyneuropathy develops gradually, its symptoms appear due to the toxic effects of ethanol on the central nervous system and metabolic disorders in the nerves:
Polyneuropathy can also occur due to excessive alcohol consumption, as a result of which the central nervous system is poisoned by ethanol.
Polyneuropathy does not always occur gradually: in the acute form, the symptoms can develop within a week, in the subacute type - the manifestations increase for about a month, in the chronic form - the disease can develop for years.
Before the direct treatment of polyneuropathy, its diagnosis is carried out, in which the manifestations of the disease are analyzed, and its cause is established, in order to dismiss the pathologies that manifest similar signs.
How is the diagnosis carried out:
Since polyneuropathy is not an independent disease, its main treatment will be aimed at eliminating the factors that led to the onset of the disease. However, therapeutic measures should be carried out in a complex manner in order to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of polyneuropathy simultaneously with the main treatment.
Drugs are prescribed depending on the type and variety of the disease, as well as the stage of polyneuropathy and the severity of its symptoms:
When treating polyneuropathy, it should be understood that it is impossible to cure the disease with drugs alone. A significant role in the treatment of the disease is played by the correct regimen, nutrition, rehabilitation measures, as well as special care and constant care for the patient.
Physiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of polyneuropathy, especially if the disease has a hereditary or chronic form.
The following procedures are carried out:
Massage with polyneuropathy helps to strengthen muscles, improves and stimulates their performance. Due to this, motor functions recover faster, the risk of muscle atrophy is significantly reduced. However, it should be borne in mind that in acute forms of the disease, massage should not be performed.
Note! With toxic, and especially alcoholic polyneuropathy, treatment procedures are carried out only after blood purification, performed in stationary conditions.
Physical therapy exercises can be carried out both independently at home and under the guidance of a doctor. They help to stimulate the work of the muscles, which allows you to partially or completely restore the efficiency of the limbs.
Polyneuropathy of the lower extremities is well treated with foot baths: 100 grams of vinegar and table salt (300 g) dissolve in water (3 liters), put water into the bath for a minute every day for a month.
If you do not seek medical help in time, the disease can lead to serious complications.
First of all, polyneuropathy can develop into a chronic form that is not completely curable. Over time, a person completely ceases to feel his limbs, and the muscles come into such a shape that a person can become disabled, because. his ability to move was completely impaired.
Important! It is possible to completely cure polyneuropathy with such types of diseases as infectious, alcoholic, toxic. In the diabetic form, it is only possible to partially reduce the symptoms of the disease.
In severe forms of the disease, in violation of the functioning of the nerves that are responsible for the work of the heart, severe arrhythmia may occur, which can be fatal.
In the diabetic form, secondary infection, septic complications, and poor wound healing are possible.
With adequate treatment started in time, the prognosis of the disease is very favorable, but it is still better to prevent the disease than to treat it for a long time, suffering from unpleasant symptoms.
It is impossible to prevent polyneuropathy, but it is possible to significantly reduce the risk factors for its development: give up alcohol, cure infectious and viral diseases in time, monitor the quality of food consumed, and limit contact with chemical toxic compounds.
Neuropathy of the lower extremities treat neurological diseases. When pathology develops, an inflammatory process occurs in the nerve nodes. Often inflammation occurs in the hip and knee area.
The patient with neuritis feels intense pain, numbness, goosebumps and loss of sensitivity. In order not to start the disease, you need to contact a medical institution in a timely manner.
The specialist will prescribe a diagnosis and complete treatment. Pathology provokes the development of serious consequences of the lower extremities.
There are a huge number of reasons for the development of neuritis of the legs, and in order to identify them, it is necessary to undergo a study. Inflammation of the nerve endings occurs and this leads to a pinched nerve.
Neuropathy of the lower extremities has the following causes of development:
Most often, neuropathy of the lower extremities develops in the upper part of the leg on the thigh. The inflammatory process can begin with the feet and the signs may not be noticeable, since there is no pain. Violation of blood flow and working capacity of the limbs does not occur immediately, but over time.
In order not to start the disease, it is necessary to regularly undergo preventive examinations. If you are concerned about even a slight pain, then you should immediately go to the doctor. If the disease is started, then complications cannot be avoided.
The inflammatory process in neuropathy of the lower extremities does not occur immediately. At first, there is no pain syndrome and circulatory disorders. The disease can affect any area of the legs. It can be, both in the hip, knee joint, and in the foot, finger, lower leg. Signs can appear in the form of numbness, pain, muscle weakness.
With neuritis of the legs, the following symptoms occur:
The first manifestations of neuritis of the legs depend on which nerve node is affected. If damage has occurred, then most often the patient may feel a violation of sensitivity and a feeling of squeezing.
Therapy is carried out only by a doctor, since it is not recommended to treat the pathology on your own. If you start the disease, then irreversible consequences will develop. In order to avoid complications, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner and not to self-diagnose.
If the neuropathy of the lower extremities is detected in time, then this will help to cure the neuritis of the legs quickly and without consequences. First of all, a comprehensive examination is carried out and only then treatment is prescribed. The specialist first conducts a spring examination and clarifies what symptoms bother the patient. He checks for reflexes of the knee joint and sends for diagnostics.
An analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid may be prescribed, this makes it possible to recognize the antibodies that appear in neuropathy. Highly specialized studies are needed in order to identify various malignant tumors, diseases of the blood, heart and vascular system.
To confirm an accurate diagnosis, a specialist may prescribe computed tomography. This procedure will help the doctor to obtain information about the state of internal organs, muscles and bones. magnetic resonance imaging used to determine the size of muscle tissue, as well as what exactly can put pressure on the nerve endings.
Electromyography It is carried out using a needle, it is injected into the muscle to measure the electrical activity of the muscle fibers. This method makes it possible to find out the state of the nerve nodes and the cause of muscle damage. A nerve biopsy is also performed for this, nerve tissue is taken from the patient. The procedure is rarely prescribed, as it can further worsen the patient's condition.
If you consult a doctor in time, this will help to avoid a number of serious consequences. If the symptoms are ignored, this can lead to violations of the extension and flexion of the knee joint. The disease can turn into chronic pain. It often happens that the patient partially loses the sensitivity of the lower leg and foot.
Therefore, at the first slight pain in the lower extremities, you need to visit a medical facility. The specialist will conduct a thorough examination and send for a comprehensive study.
If an exacerbation of the pathology occurs, then the patient must be treated in the hospital. You may even need to adjust your breathing and swallowing. For this, an oxygen mask and intravenous nutrition are used. The doctor may also prescribe painkillers to treat neuropathy of the legs. If the drugs do not bring any result, then most likely antidepressants will be used.
Also read about neuropathy or. As well as the danger of occurrence.
Most often, the pathology develops due to diabetes and various injuries. In order to avoid consequences, it is necessary to visit a medical facility in a timely manner. The doctor will first of all direct you to undergo a comprehensive examination. Then he will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment. We must not forget that the sooner therapy is started, the fewer complications will be.
The work of the organs and systems of our body is regulated by nerve impulses - signals coming from the brain. "Outgoing" and "incoming" impulses are transmitted through the nerves, as if through wires. Damage to the nerves disrupts this connection and can cause serious malfunctions in the body. After all, along with a violation of nerve transmission in the affected area, there is a deterioration in cellular nutrition and blood supply.
A condition characterized by damage to nerve fibers and accompanied by a violation of the conduction of a nerve impulse along a nerve fiber is called neuropathy (neuropathy) .
If one nerve is affected, we are talking about mononeuropathies if there is multiple symmetrical damage to the peripheral nerves (for example, when the process covers both lower and / or upper limbs at once, etc.) - about polyneuropathy . The pathological process can cover both cranial and peripheral nerves.
Damage to the peripheral nerve trunks, which are based on the infringement of the nerve increased as a result of inflammation and swelling in the muscle-bone tunnel, are called tunnel syndrome (there is also a name compression-ischemic neuropathy ).
There are dozens of tunnel syndromes, the most famous of which is carpal tunnel.
In 30% of cases, neuropathy is considered idiopathic (that is, arising from unknown causes).
Otherwise, the causes of the disease can be divided into internal and external.
Causes associated with various internal pathologies:
External factors that provoke the development of neuropathy include:
Often the cause of nerve damage is a hereditary factor. In such cases, the disease can develop autonomously, without any additional harmful effects.
Neuropathy is a very serious disease that needs qualified diagnosis and adequate treatment. If you are concerned about any of the following symptoms, contact your !
Depending on the localization of the disease, there are neuropathies of the upper, lower extremities and cranial nerves, for example:
It can develop as a result of a viral infection, hypothermia, unsuccessful dental intervention, depression, pregnancy and childbirth, and also due to a neoplasm. Signs of the disease are: weakening of the muscles on the part of the affected nerve, salivation and lacrimation, the inability to completely close the eyelids.
Caused by various reasons (maxillofacial operations, dentures, difficult childbirth, heredity) damage to the nerve endings of the gums, upper and lower lips, chin. Patients complain of severe facial pain from the affected nerve, radiating to the upper and lower jaws, which are not relieved by analgesics. There is also discharge from one nostril, lacrimation and redness of the eye.
It often occurs against the background of the so-called "sleep paralysis", i.e. nerve compression due to the incorrect position of the hand. It occurs in people who use drugs or alcohol. It also progresses with the hand, bursitis or. It is manifested by a violation of the dorsiflexion of the hand (the hand hangs), numbness of the thumb and forefinger, pain can occur along the outer surface of the forearm.
The defeat of this area of the upper limb can occur with sprain, gout, neoplasm, as well as in case of nerve compression. It is manifested by severe pain (as well as numbness and burning) in the forearm, shoulder, hand, thumb, index and middle fingers.
The cause of this ailment may be traumatic (, tear and rupture) or other damage to the ulnar nerve (for example, caused by bursitis,). It is manifested by numbness of the first and half of the fourth fingers, a decrease in the volume of the hand, and a decrease in the range of motion.
Usually it becomes the result of a serious injury or disease (knife or gunshot, hip or pelvic bones, oncology). It is manifested by pain on the back of the thigh, lower leg, buttocks from the side of the nerve lesion.
It can develop due to excessive physical overload, tumors in the pelvic area, hypothermia, and also due to the use of certain drugs. Symptoms - the inability to bend forward, pain in the back of the thigh, numbness of the lower leg.
Occurs on the basis of, and other injuries, as well as due to tunnel syndrome, wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes. Manifestations: impossibility of dorsiflexion of the foot, cock's gait (the patient cannot bend the foot "on itself").
The variety of types of the disease explains a huge number of specific manifestations. However, one can single out the most characteristic signs of neuropathy :
Mononeuropathies extremities are never accompanied by cerebral symptoms (nausea, vomiting, dizziness, etc.), cranial neuropathies can manifest with similar symptoms and, as a rule, accompany more serious diseases of the nervous system of the brain.
Polyneuropathies are manifested by a violation of sensitivity, movement, vegetative disorders. This is a serious pathology, which initially manifests itself in the form of muscle weakness (paresis), and then can lead to paralysis of the lower and upper limbs. The process can also cover the trunk, cranial and facial nerves.
When diagnosing neuropathy, the doctor is given primary information by questioning and examining the patient, as well as by palpation, checking the sensitivity and motor activity of the affected area.
