Taking Control of Your Diabetic Neuropathy [infographic]

When you have diabetes, many aspects of your everyday life can change. Here at Complete Rehab, we want to help you with a common issue that often accompanies diabetes: diabetic neuropathy. When you have diabetic neuropathy, a side effect of your diabetes can be degradation of nerves, particularly in your extremities. This can be painful or sometimes numbing, leading to a host of other issues. Here are a few things you can do to take control of your diabetic neuropathy:

• Manage your diabetes. It is critical that you manage your diabetes in order to slow or stop the possibility of diabetic neuropathy. This means eating right, exercising, checking and controlling your blood sugar, and working with your doctors to get the right medications.
• Check your feet and extremities regularly. Some forms of neuropathy numb your nerves, blocking the signal of an injury. Check your feet, legs and extremities often for signs of damage like cuts, scrapes, infections or other issues and work with your doctor for treatment options.

• Keep your scheduled doctor’s appointments. You need to become a partner in care with your doctor. Keep them up-to-date on your symptoms and be honest about your care regimen so they can give you the best steps of subsequent treatments.
• Don’t assume that you need to live with pain. Diabetic neuropathy can include tingling, numbness or even pain. Do not assume that these are side-effects that you need to live with, as we can help to lessen or even reverse your symptoms.
• Understand your options. Working with your doctor is the first step to wellness. Don’t forget that you have the right to work with care practitioners like ours as well to treat your neuropathy symptoms.
• Seek appropriate care. Ask your doctor about care options that would work for you. This could include everything from working with a dietician to speaking with our neuropathy experts.

We would love to answer any other questions that you might have about diabetic neuropathy. To learn more or to make an appointment, please give us a call today.