Damage to the peripheral nervous system can result from a direct injury suffered in a fall, auto accident, or another traumatic event. You may also develop persistent pain of neuropathy from underlying health conditions like:

• Diabetes
• Infections
• Metabolic disorders
• Exposure to toxins

Depending on which area of the peripheral nervous system is affected by damage, you can experience a wide range of symptoms and types of pain.

There are three types of nerves that make up your peripheral nervous system: the sensory nerves that provide sensation in your body, the motor nerves that control your muscle movements, and the autonomic nerves that control functions, like heart rhythm and blood pressure.

Damage to any of these nerves can cause symptoms like:

• Poor balance
• Muscle weakness
• Sharp, burning pain
• Lack of coordination
• Extreme sensitivity to touch

You may also experience changes in your bowel or bladder function or develop chronic digestion problems. If you have persistent muscle weakness or pain that affects your mobility, you should schedule a diagnostic consultation with Dr. Ali at Complete Pain & Spine Institute as soon as possible.

To determine which treatment is right for you, Dr. Ali reviews your medical history and performs a physical exam of the area where you have pain or other symptoms of neuropathy. Dr. Ali may recommend minimally invasive treatments to address the nerves causing your pain. This may include injections of anesthetic medications in the area of the affected nerves.

Dr. Ali also offers radiofrequency ablation, a procedure where he destroys the damaged nerve with heat to prevent pain signals from traveling to your brain.

For some with chronic neuropathy pain, Dr. Ali can recommend medical marijuana. As a registered physician for medical marijuana in New Jersey, he can determine if you meet the criteria for using cannabis or cannabinoids to ease neuropathy-related pain and help you register with the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program. Dr. Ali can also work with you on lifestyle changes and at-home exercises to help you improve your overall health and your mobility to better cope with the chronic pain of neuropathy.

If you can’t find relief from neuropathy symptoms, schedule a consultation with Dr. Ali today. You can book an appointment online or by calling Complete Pain & Spine Institute.