Can Neuropathy be cured?

Good evening @brklimeks, As far as I know, idiopathic means that there is no known or identifiable cause for neuropathy. My neurologist scheduled appointments with other clinicians to make sure he wasn't missing a succinct and identifiable reason for my small fiber neuropathy. That might be a rheumatologist or an orthopedist. In my case and after an MRI of my brain and quite a few tests, compiled with responses from the other clinicians, he diagnosed my situation as idiopathic.

Since then I have learned that my case would probably be designated trauma-based either from injuries or surgeries.
I think I was notoriously careless or just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many of my hospital stays were from car accidents and activity injuries. I spent three days in an inverse sling over the hospital bed after a fall from my horse. Forty years later I had titanium blocks placed in my cervical spine to try to eradicate the pain.

Have you fallen or been injured in activities like horseback riding or mountain climbing? i recall being jumped on by someone from a raft at the ocean. I spent 6 months in a body cast for that one. My conclusion is that all injuries to the components of our body leave their mark. Surgeries that put us back together by replacing or fixing bones, muscles, and tissue leave their mark. Then as we age those earlier traumas begin to speak rather loudly.

Can you recall injuries that may have something to do with how your body functions today?

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

Unfortunately, as of today, there is no cure for neuropathy. I was disappointed and a bit scared when I learned that although it is progressive, there is no way to bring it to an end. Some research is being done with nerve regeneration....since they take so long to heal but not in the near future.

What is happening that can help are the development of medications and treatments that can mitigate the symptoms of neuropathy. My #1, cannot live without, is MFR, myofascial release therapy. When the fascia in your body becomes restricted and stuck, pain erupts. I now have two sessions a week and may need more as my neuropathy progresses. The second thing that can work is a solid medical cannabis program with different dosages at different times during the day. For me, a morning pick me up starts my day, and an afternoon, relax and rest calms me down, and then another dosage type before bedtime ensures restorative sleep.

Since you have been living with PN for 30 years, how have you handled it? What do you need now that would make your quality of life better?

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

@catstx, Like most members on Connect I have no medical background or training but everything I've read says there is no cure for neuropathy. That said, I think it really depends on the cause of your neuropathy. I've had idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy for close to 30 years myself and while my feet feel a little better than they did a few years ago, I think it's due to more than just the supplements I take. It's also dependent on staying hydrated, eating healthy and getting some sort of exercise in your daily schedule. The best thing you can do is learn as much as you can about your specific type of neuropathy and most likely cause and work from there on what makes your symptoms better. Here's a little background information.

"Is there any hope for neuropathy? -- No medical treatments exist that can cure inherited peripheral neuropathy. However, there are therapies for many other forms. Mar 27, 2019" --- Peripheral Neuropathy Information Page: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Peripheral-Neuropathy-Information-Page

-- Neuropathy Commons: https://neuropathycommons.org/
-- Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy: https://www.foundationforpn.org/

You might find the following discussion helpful:
-- Member Neuropathy Journey Stories: What's Yours?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/member-neuoropathy-journey-stories-whats-yours/

Good evening Nancy, @banksnc49, Hi there. Yes, you did not see neuropathy listed because it is not been blessed by the appropriate officials. However, it is blessed by folks with neuropathy far beyond any other PT program. That is why it is called a treatment. I began MFR 5 or so years ago right after my diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy. I am not one to get excited about treatments like this but I totally trusted the therapist who recommended it. I had known her for at least 15 years and appreciated her bringing her new MFR skills to my attention.

When I was living in both MN and CA, she found an MFR therapist for me here in MN. In part, because of her, I moved to MN lock, stock, and barrel. As you may know, neuropathy is a progressive condition. Last year, I began receiving MFR twice a week. I already know that sometime soon in my future, another session every week will be necessary.

Sometimes as she continues to release fascia restrictions throughout my body, I worry about folks who post on Connect about the neuropathic pain they cope with every day. MFR is the only answer for me to be able to live a somewhat normal life. Sometimes the restriction release can be momentarily painful. And then the "Ahhhh" happens and it is gone. Sometimes I don't feel the full benefit of an MFR treatment until the next day. And then again there is the "Ahhhh". Right now they are working on the after-surgery pain from a recent total knee replacement. My PT at the orthopedic center, when noting the discomfort said, "I think your MFR therapist can help you get rid of the pain you are having today in your knee". I went there right away and today I have absolutely no knee pain.

So MFR is not just for neuropathy. Chronic pain, surgical pain, accident pain. Any situation that causes the fascia to become layered and restricted will benefit from this type of therapy.

Where do you need help the most?

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

No MD has ever said I have neuropathy (peripheral). When I talked to my internist about how going barefoot doesn't feel good, she explained that the fat in your soles leaves and so I don't have "cushions" anymore and that it is not uncommon with older people. That's the extent of dialogue I've had with an MD about my symptoms. If I want to talk more with a doctor about what I have, is there any particular type of MD e.g. neurologist, that would seem appropriate? Perhaps it was at Mayo that I recently read that you can get injections of fat in your feet to feel better there. Know anything about that?

Good evening Nancy, @banksnc49, Hi there. Yes, you did not see neuropathy listed because it is not been blessed by the appropriate officials. However, it is blessed by folks with neuropathy far beyond any other PT program. That is why it is called a treatment. I began MFR 5 or so years ago right after my diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy. I am not one to get excited about treatments like this but I totally trusted the therapist who recommended it. I had known her for at least 15 years and appreciated her bringing her new MFR skills to my attention.

When I was living in both MN and CA, she found an MFR therapist for me here in MN. In part, because of her, I moved to MN lock, stock, and barrel. As you may know, neuropathy is a progressive condition. Last year, I began receiving MFR twice a week. I already know that sometime soon in my future, another session every week will be necessary.

Sometimes as she continues to release fascia restrictions throughout my body, I worry about folks who post on Connect about the neuropathic pain they cope with every day. MFR is the only answer for me to be able to live a somewhat normal life. Sometimes the restriction release can be momentarily painful. And then the "Ahhhh" happens and it is gone. Sometimes I don't feel the full benefit of an MFR treatment until the next day. And then again there is the "Ahhhh". Right now they are working on the after-surgery pain from a recent total knee replacement. My PT at the orthopedic center, when noting the discomfort said, "I think your MFR therapist can help you get rid of the pain you are having today in your knee". I went there right away and today I have absolutely no knee pain.

So MFR is not just for neuropathy. Chronic pain, surgical pain, accident pain. Any situation that causes the fascia to become layered and restricted will benefit from this type of therapy.

Where do you need help the most?

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

What does MFR stand for?

The only thing that really helped me was a steroid shot I got for my knee. I helped my whole body. I was mostly without pain for two months and it started to come back slowly but had two more months of tolerable pain. It’s back and draining once again.