Līva Tiesnese

A 2025 neuropathy update: What does every family needs to know about numb feet and other body parts? One of every hundred people will develop neuropathy. Neuropathy refers to injury or dysfunction of peripheral nerves that carry sensory, motor and autonomic information throughout the body. Michelle Mauermann and colleagues describe in a new paper in JAMA the latest advances in diagnosing and treating neuropathy. Key Points: - Peripheral neuropathy affects about 1 percent of adults worldwide and usually presents in a length dependent pattern starting in the toes before moving upward. - Diabetes remains the leading cause of neuropathy and many folks also develop neuropathy from nutritional issues, alcohol use, medications or genetic factors. - First line medications for neuropathic pain include gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine and amitriptyline, however pain relief is frequently incomplete. My take: Many diseases include neuropathy (numbness or sensory loss) as a feature. Also, it is possible to have neuropathy + another disease. It is also possible to take too many vitamins like B6 and to develop a neuropathy from the vitamins. I love this review article, and these 5 points resonated w/ me: 1- Recognize early symptoms such as numbness, tingling or burning in the toes before it spreads. 2- Understand that diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, alcohol use, and certain medications are frequent culprits. 3- Know that B12 levels, glucose measures and monoclonal protein testing are key starting labs for figuring out the cause. 4- Realize that pain therapies help many folks, however they rarely remove symptoms completely. 5- Remember that foot care, safe shoes and daily skin checks can prevent dangerous complications. cutt.ly/5tyBshsU @ACPIMPhysicians @FixelInstitute @ParkinsonDotOrg @JAMANeuro @JAMA_current