Diabetic Neuropathy Mystery Solved

Oxygen starvation may be the key

Emerging research confirms that some forms of foot pain from peripheral neuropathy may be caused by anoxia, or lack of oxygen. This can be the result of poor blood circulation, impingement of sciatic nerve (piriformis entrapment syndrome) or its local blood supply, too much glucose in the blood (diabetic peripheral neuropathy) displacing oxygen, or toxic chemicals (chemotherapy, pesticides, cleaning solvents) creating excessive free radicals that negate available oxygen.

When the nerve cell is deprived of oxygen, it contracts, making itself smaller to conserve oxygen and this enlarges the gap (synaptic junction) between nerve cells. Nerve cells do not come into contact with one another. A nerve impulse must jump across this gap. When the gap gets too big, the electrical nerve impulse cannot make the transition across this gap, and nerve function is impaired.

When prescription pain killers such as Neurontin (Gabapentin), Cymbalta, Lyrica, amitriptyline, oxycodone, etc. are administered, they do nothing for the peripheral nerves in your legs and arms, but they do numb the nerve roots at the level of the spine. In this way, the dysfunctional peripheral nerve signals cannot reach the central nervous system (brain) thus these dysfunctional nerve signals are not perceived as pain. As with most medications, after a while the body accommodates to the current dosage, the dosage is periodically increased. This can reach a level whereby numbness in the extremities is experienced as well as fuzzy thinking and loss of proprioception (knowing where your feet are in time and space). These symptoms can mimic Alzheimer's and compound your medical situation.

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