Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Charleston SC

What is chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in Charleston SC? Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common complication of taking chemotherapy drugs. The nerves that end up getting damaged are the feet first then the hands. This happens typically within a month or two of ending chemotherapy if it did not happen during the treatment.

Symptoms and Progression

Symptoms can range from mild numbness and tingling to severe pain. It almost always affects both feet in a sock-like distribution as opposed to a stripe pattern that would be typical of sciatic pain. As a rule, Peripheral Neuropathy is a progressive condition. Sometimes it progresses slowly over the years and others more rapidly over months.

Factors Affecting Progression

Additional factors such as pre-existing metabolic conditions like diabetes can quicken the onset and speed up the progression of CIPN. Once symptoms start, they typically persist unless treated effectively.

Treatment Options in Charleston SC

The typical treatment aims to mask the pain through drugs like Gabapentin or Lyrica. Some clinicians even use spinal stimulators to try to numb the body's ability to feel the pain. For those who have sensation loss with no pain they are not candidates for pain killers. There are no medications or injections that will help reverse any of the underlying causes.

Regenerative treatment has been shown to be very effective in stopping and in some cases reversing the symptoms of neuropathy. Our approach is to help the body heal through cutting edge technology.