What Do If Someone You Love Has Neuropathy

2. Address Mrs. Thomas’s Physical pain and decline. Explore Mrs. Thomas’s attitudes and feelings about the use of narcotics. Some patient’s choose to forgo pain medications because they fear decreased alertness and want presence with family and friends. Non-narcotic and non-sedating medication options should be explored and discussed. Help Mrs. Thomas verbalize her fears about the medications. Explain the difference between addiction and dependence. Explore Mrs. Thomas’s openness to alternative methods of pain control such as visualization, music therapy, self-hypnosis and mediation. Encourage her to listen to her body by resting when needed and participating in life when she has the energy. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas both require education about palliative care options for management of symptoms associated with her disease.

Peoples beliefs and culture can also have an affect on the amount of pain they are feeling. This can be from a feeling that they do not want to make a fuss. It is important that you create as many opportunities as possible for people to express their pain and create a atmosphere where people know it is acceptable to say they are in pain for example:-

Explain, that diabetes is the most common cause of neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy is the most common form of diabetic neuropathy. Your feet and legs are often affected first, followed by your hands and arms.

Those who are diabetic may also be in risk of blindness (diabetic retinopathy) and nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy). Diabetic neuropathy can lead to numbness in hands and feet, foot ulcers, and eventual limb amputation (World Health Organization). Taking preventive steps can help to avoid many of the complications of diabetes.

Why are nerves often damaged in patients with diabetes mellitus, and what are some of the

Spinal cord injury is a sudden and devastating event for patients. The injury can be extremely debilitating and it may require a significant alteration in lifestyle post injury. P.R. has sustained a relatively high level (C6) spinal cord injury, which makes him very limited functional capacity. He will go through grieving process followed by anger for the loss of function and independence. This may be especially difficult for P.R. because he is a young man in his thirties who sustained a debilitating injury in a foreign country without any support from family and friends. Spinal cord injury has left P.R. unable to move his entire lower extremities and trunk muscles. He is unable to do the most basic activities, such as feeding and bowel movement without the help of a caregiver. For a young man who was active and completely independent, it is very difficult to accept this reality. It should also be noted that most of the nursing staff are females, which further damages his male ego for having total dependence.

The disease may cause similar changes in the blood vessels of the kidneys. This condition, called diabetic nephropathy, may lead to kidney failure. The nerves may also be affected by diabetes. This complication, known as diabetic neuropathy, can result in loss of feeling or abnormal sensations in different parts of the body.

This is difficult because you need to understand what the pain is and what the source of the pain is so that you can resolve the pain and provide a diagnosis, so if they can’t describe the pain you are unable to do so. You can be asking simple questions which may help you understand what sort of pain they are suffering, also by feeling where they claim the problem is and you can see from their reaction if it is painful, but not inflicting too much pain upon them. Using the communication cycle effectively will help.

7. Examine your feet. Diabetes-related nerve damage can mean that you might have minor injuries to your feet that you can’t feel. This can lead to infections and other complications. Check the soles of your feet daily. Put lotion on them at night to keep the skin in good condition. Wear comfortable shoes that fit correctly. Ask your doctor to examine your feet whenever you have an office visit.

Pain not only involves the physical reaction to damaged tissue, but also involves an emotional and cognitive response by the person experiencing the pain (Backer, 1994). A person's prior experience will influence how pain is managed. Pain is a signal that something is not

In addition, the traditional Medical Social Work model as defined by the National Association of Social Workers, outlines the comprehensive role of social workers with patients in hospitals and medical settings; this model also has value for the patients represented in the neurogenerative community (National Association of Social Worker , 2011). Even so, this definition does not include how to address many of the common service challenges that arise from assisting patient with prolonged complex neurodegenerative disorders, or the range of services needed outside an institutional medical setting.

People who have cancer, shingles, and diabetes are more susceptible to be Diabetic Neuropathy victims. They often experience the effects of this condition in their legs and feet, so it is very important for people with this condition to take care of their feet. Some of the symptoms are numbness, tingling, pain, and burning. Nerve pain varies in everyone with this condition. Some people may feel like they are walking on hot coals or sleeping with stabbing pains while other people may just not be able to feel their fingertips and it is like they are wearing gloves. People who have more severe cases often have trouble sleeping because they feel excruciating pain from the weight of their bodies on the bed and pain and burning just from the pressure from a blanket. Creams, sprays, and medications can help decrease the symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy, but in the end, it just comes down to living a healthy

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common microvascular complications in diabetes and can result in foot ulceration, ampuation and an impaired quality of life(Carrington AL, et al 2002,Boulton AJ,et al 2004). The reported prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy ranges from 16% to as high as 66%2 and its prevelance is believed to increase with the duration of diabetes and poor glucose control.(Boulton AJ.et al 2000) It’s accounts for 50–75% of non-traumatic amputations in diabetic patients.(Holzer SE, et al 1998, Boulton AJM, 1998,Malay DS, et al 2006)

The Total Neuropathy Score (TNS), initially was used to assess diabetic neuropathy, utilizes objective criterion, such as pin prick, with a subjective account of all neuropathic areas including sensory, autonomic and motor (Curcio, 2016). However, it is too time consuming for nurses to use routinely (Curcio, 2016). The Total Neuropathy Score – clinical version (TNSc) was recommended for broader use (Curcio, 2016). This abbreviated version which was developed is more sensitive than other tools including the NCI-CTCAE (Curcio, 2016). In a systematic review by Haryani et al. (2017) similar conclusions were realized. They analyzed nineteen studies and twenty CIPN assessment tools and determined that both the FACT/GOG-Ntx and TNSc were recommended (Haryani et al., 2017). Further, since CIPN is more subjective than objective in nature, utilizing the FACT/GOG—Ntx first, followed by a provider validation using the TNSc is suggested (Haryani et al., 2017).

Hospice is a component of palliative care. A person does not necessarily have to be dying in order to see a palliative care specialist. This is where the service is often underutilized in the hospital. In the 18 months I have been a nurse, I have cared for many patients with chronic illnesses who have dealt with symptoms that have severely impacted their quality of life. Most of the time, it seems as though the patient’s care providers are interested in treating the patient’s acute problems. My experience has been that the symptoms are often overlooked or are being treated in a manner that is to the dissatisfaction and discomfort of the patient.