Diabetic Neuropathy: 5 Ways to Slow Nerve Damage Progression

Nerve damage, or neuropathy, affects up to half of all people with diabetes. As progressive nerve damage occurs, pain, numbness, and health complications develop. However, you can take steps to protect your nerves and slow or prevent ongoing neuropathy.

Our Alliance Spine and Pain Centers team specializes in helping people overcome diabetic pain caused by neuropathy. We also focus on preventive care, including offering strategies to help you control diabetes and prevent ongoing nerve damage.

How diabetes damages nerves

When you eat carbohydrates, they break down into sugars like glucose and enter your bloodstream. The surge after you eat causes blood sugar to rise above the healthy range. When blood sugar rises, the pancreas releases insulin, a hormone responsible for removing excess sugar and restoring healthy levels.

People with diabetes have high blood sugar because their pancreas doesn’t release insulin or their body doesn’t respond to the hormone.

High blood sugar gradually damages blood vessels and nerves, causing diabetic neuropathy. Sugar may cause neuropathy by getting inside nerve cells and injuring or killing them.

Additionally, blood vessel damage causes nerve death by depriving the nerves of oxygen and nutrients. The longer your blood sugar remains elevated, the more nerve damage you develop.

Health complications

Diabetic neuropathy can lead to many health complications, depending on which nerves are affected. However, the nerve damage typically begins in your feet.

At first, neuropathy causes tingling and pain. If the nerve damage keeps progressing, you’ll lose sensation in your feet.

The loss of sensation can lead to diabetic foot ulcers, the most common complication. These sores can develop from a tiny cut or pressure from your shoes or walking. They don't heal on their own; they keep enlarging, putting you at risk of skin and bone infections.

Advanced infections due to diabetic neuropathy and diabetes-related blood vessel problems are why diabetes is responsible for 80% of all lower-limb amputations.

Diabetic neuropathy can also affect other nerves, including those essential for your organs. You could develop problems in the digestive tract, bladder, heart, and kidneys.

How to prevent progressive nerve damage

Here are five steps you can take to slow the progressive nerve damage caused by diabetes:

1. Control blood sugar

It’s crucial to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range. Preventing high blood sugar is the only way to stop or slow nerve damage. The three primary ways to manage your blood sugar are:

Follow a healthy meal plan

Eating a nutrient-rich diet is essential, but you also need to monitor your carbohydrates and be careful about the types of carbs you eat. Avoid foods with added sugars and focus on getting complex carbs and fiber from foods such as beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.

Get regular exercise

Exercise does more than protect your overall health and strength; it also lowers blood sugar.

Take medications as prescribed

People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin. Those with type 2 diabetes may need medication to control diabetes if lifestyle changes don’t help or if their blood sugar is dangerously high.

2. Monitor your blood sugar

Your healthcare provider lets you know if you need to monitor your blood sugar daily. It depends on factors like what type of diabetes you have and if your blood sugar remains well controlled.

3. Manage chronic diseases

Your risk of neuropathy and progressive nerve damage increases if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Both conditions damage your blood vessels, magnifying the effect of high blood sugar and accelerating the pace of nerve damage.

4. Avoid or limit alcohol and smoking

Alcohol disrupts blood sugar, making it harder to control. Drinking too much also directly damages nerves, magnifying diabetic nerve damage. Excessive alcohol use can also lead to deficiencies in vitamins that are essential for healthy nerves, increasing the risk of damage.

Smoking also damages blood vessels, causes inflammation, and reduces blood flow to nerves. As a result, it can worsen or speed up diabetic nerve damage.

5. Maintain a healthy weight

Your weight affects your body's ability to regulate blood sugar. Additionally, excess fat promotes inflammation and blood vessel problems, which can worsen nerve damage.

Need help with diabetic nerve pain?

If you’re already experiencing the tingling or pain of diabetic neuropathy, our experienced team at Alliance Spine and Pain Centers can help with innovative therapies that relieve your symptoms.

We have more than 20 convenient locations and easy appointment scheduling, so call the nearest office or send a request online for help with diabetic neuropathy.