Neuropathy

Neuropathy, also called peripheral neuropathy, is nerve damage that disrupts the signals between your brain and the rest of your body, most often producing numbness, tingling and burning pain in the hands and feet. It can come from diabetes, a pinched or injured nerve, certain medications or a vitamin deficiency, and the right treatment depends on finding the cause. At Core Medical Center in Blue Springs, our physician-led team evaluates what is driving your nerve symptoms and builds a non-surgical plan to calm the pain and protect your function.

In short: neuropathy is damage to the peripheral nerves that causes numbness, tingling, burning and weakness, and it is best managed by diagnosing the underlying cause and treating it with a combination of medical care, pain management and therapy.

What Neuropathy Is

Your peripheral nerves carry sensation and movement signals between your spinal cord and your limbs, organs and skin. When those nerves are damaged or irritated, the signals get scrambled, which is why neuropathy can feel like numbness in one moment and electric, burning pain the next. It commonly affects the feet and hands first because the longest nerves are the most vulnerable, then spreads toward the center of the body if the cause goes unaddressed.

Neuropathy is a symptom of something else, not a stand-alone diagnosis. That is why a careful workup matters: the path to relief runs through identifying the source.

Common Causes

Peripheral neuropathy has many triggers, and more than one can be at play at once. The most common causes we evaluate include:

• Diabetes and high blood sugar, the leading cause of neuropathy, which gradually damages the small nerves of the feet and hands (diabetic neuropathy)
• Nerve compression or injury, including a herniated disc, repetitive strain at work, or trauma from an accident
• Chemotherapy, certain medications and toxin exposure, which can be toxic to nerve tissue
• Vitamin deficiencies, thyroid disorders and autoimmune conditions that interfere with how nerves are nourished and repaired

For federal employees, nerve injury linked to the job can fall under federal workers’ compensation, which our OWCP Doctor service documents and treats.

Symptoms

Neuropathy symptoms usually build slowly and follow a recognizable pattern. Watch for:

• Numbness or reduced sensation in the hands and feet, sometimes described as wearing invisible gloves or socks
• Tingling, prickling or a pins-and-needles feeling that comes and goes
• Burning, sharp or electric-shock-like pain, often worse at night
• Weakness, poor balance and a higher risk of falls as the nerves controlling movement are affected

Because reduced sensation can hide cuts, blisters and pressure sores (especially in the feet), neuropathy is worth taking seriously even when the pain feels mild.

Treatment Options

There is no single fix for neuropathy, so we start by pinning down the cause and then layer treatments that match it. At Core Medical Center, your care may draw on:

• Neuropathy Treatment to address nerve pain and support nerve recovery with a targeted, non-surgical program
• Pain Management led by Dr. Paul Doskey, our board-certified anesthesiologist, to control burning and shooting pain without relying on long-term medication alone
• Advanced Diagnostic Testing to map where and how the nerves are affected and to uncover contributing conditions
• OWCP Doctor care when the nerve injury is connected to federal employment

Because our medical, therapy and rehabilitation teams share one building in Blue Springs, your diagnosis and your treatment plan stay connected from the first visit forward.

When To Seek Care

See a provider sooner rather than later if numbness or tingling is spreading, if burning pain is disrupting your sleep, or if weakness is affecting your balance and walking. Early evaluation gives you the best chance to slow the nerve damage and protect your daily function, and it helps catch treatable causes like blood sugar or vitamin issues before they progress.

If neuropathy symptoms are getting in the way of your day, our Blue Springs team serving the Greater Kansas City metro can help you find the cause and a plan. Same-week appointments are typically available, so book a visit and bring any recent lab work or imaging with you.