Neuropathy
There are many causes of neuropathy, also known as neuritis, which results from damage to, or dysfunction of, the peripheral nervous system. Neuropathy can cause numbness, weakness and stabbing or burning pain – symptoms that may worsen if not treated early. About 8% of people who report chronic pain suffer from neuropathy, which affects about 20,000 people in the U.S. and 15 million in the U.S. and Europe combined, according to the American Chronic Pain Association.
Neuropathic pain symptoms depend on the type and location of nerve injury. Some people may experience temporary numbness, tingling, and pricking sensations, sensitivity to touch, or muscle weakness. Others may experience more extreme symptoms, such as burning pain (especially at night), muscle wasting, paralysis, or organ or gland dysfunction. Peripheral neuropathy symptoms in particular most often start in the extremities and travel toward the trunk.
 Read more about neuropathy, neuropathic pain, and painful peripheral neuropathy:
. . . Once neuropathy has developed . . . early treatment can improve outcomes . . .
Reviewed April 2, 2012
Jaimie M. Henderson, MD
Director-at-Large, International Neuromodulation Society, 2011 - 2014
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, and, By Courtesy, of Neurology and Neurological Sciences; Robert and Ruth Halperin Faculty Scholar; Director, Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery; Co-Director, Neural Prosthetics Translational Laboratory; Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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