There are many different types of neuropathy. Each has it's own pathology. Even though different types of neuropathy cause different damage to the nerves, they all share a common nerve defect that is responsible for the burning, numbness and other neuropathy symptoms. I'm going to give you a very short, quick lesson in neurology which is the study of the brain and nerves. When you think of how nerves work, they are very similar to wires. They carrying electrical signals. These electrical impulses are coded. Readers who are my age or older will remember Morse Code. Nerves carry their signals in much the same way this code was used to send messages. The coded messages travel from different parts of the body to the brain, where the brain decodes and interprets them. The most basic cause of neuropathy symptoms has to do with the inability of damaged nerves to carry correctly coded electrical signals from the feet to the brain. When normal communication is disrupted, the brain feels bad sensations like pain or burning instead of normal sensations.
In long standing neuropathy the brain "feels" these abnormal sensations even after the nerves in the feet are healed. Now we have to remember that in neuropathy, usually the cause of the nerve damage is on-going. This means that more and more nerves become damaged, more and more incorrectly coded signals reach the brain and the brain misinterprets these signals. So if you understand that the symptoms of neuropathy are related to miscommunication between the brain and the feet, you'll understand how we attempt to change it back to normal. What makes neuropathy so difficult to treat is the fact than nerves are much more easily damaged than they are healed. Most doctors, myself included were taught in school that nerves can't heal. This is why you really need to see a doctor who is experienced with the treatment of neuropathy. They also, because of their training, believe that neuropathy is always progressive and there are few, if any, real treatment options.
Thankfully more recent research shows that our old understanding of neuropathy, is out dated and simply wrong. We can, under the right circumstances, promote nerve healing. The communications between the feet and the brain can be improved by a number of alternative treatment approaches. For the neuropathy patient this means less pain, less numbness, less tingling and better function. Now please understand what I just presented to you is an incredibly complex concept, the pathology of neuropathy, in a greatly over simplified way. If you remember anything from this article, I want you to remember that any doctor that tells you there is nothing that can be done to help your neuropathy, isn't up on the latest scientific data.
There are ways to improve nerve function. Research on some of the techniques we use for our neuropathy patients suggests that many of them may even stimulate nerve re-growth and repair. But the most important thing I want you to remember is that while improving neuropathy is possible, it never is easy. Also remember that there is no one single treatment that improves neuropathy. The most effective neuropathy treatment programs require several different treatment techniques working together. So now let me tell you how we help hundreds of neuropathy patients using a neuropathy treatment program that we developed over the last 20 years. Let me show you a privileged glimpse of our comprehensive neuropathy treatment program.
The application of low powered laser light to the treatment of various human conditions has been around for a long time. Recent research suggests that it might have application in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. Studies seem to indicate that various types of low level or cold lasers may increase cellular metabolism and tissue repair. Laser are frequently used in dermatology to resurface aging and injured skin. The rejuvenating effects of laser therapy in these types of conditions has been well documented. Could this same rejuvenating affect of laser be used to repair nerve damage in hands and feet? Measurable improvement in nerve function has been reported after a series of laser treatments. Tests known as nerve conduction velocity or NCVs can measure the speed at which nerves carry their signals. Nerves carry their signals in a very tight range. Not too fast, not too slowly. If the nerve slows down, it is a good indication that it is sick.
Often the first sign of neuropathy is seen as slowing in the nerves as measured on these nerve conduction tests. These tests are also used to determine if nerves are getting worse, staying the same or getting better. If the speed of the nerve is staying about the same, the neuropathy is stable, if the nerve speed is getting faster compared with previous tests, the body is repairing the nerve cells. If however, the test show the nerves are slowing down even further, this means the neuropathy is getting worse. So you should see that these tests can be used as a way to tell if the patient is getting better or not. They also tell us if a treatment is working or not. Scientists using these tests have studied the effects of laser light on nerve cells. What they reported was promising news for patients suffering from neuropathy. Repeated application of laser over damaged nerves improved their nerve speed; the body was repairing the damaged nerves. And of course the patient's tingling and other signs of neuropathy were relieved.
There are a number of animal studies that show that laser not only improves nerve speed, but also promotes nerve regeneration. After a series of laser treatments, researchers looked at the nerves under a microscope. They saw signs that the damaged nerves were sprouting roots, just a a plant clipping placed in water. If the same thing happens in human nerves exposed to laser, it means that laser may be an essential tool in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy.
I was first introduced to the healing power of low level laser when I was studying at the Russian People's Friendship Medical School in Russia. Russian scientists have pioneered the use of laser technology for the treatment of human disease. I have been using various forms of low level laser therapy with my own patients and finding great results with shingles, skin disorders, with neuropathy pain and diabetic ulcers. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words so rather than tell you about the results a laser can produce, let me show you. specialist-pages.com/neuropathy/results.html Results
Based on other research, it appears that low level laser therapy can also raise the levels of certain neurotransmitters. Laser therapy seems to raise the level of a specific chemical called GABA (known as a neurotransmitter) in the nervous system. One the functions of GABA is to block nerves that carry pain signals to the brain. This would be theoretically very helpful in patients with neuropathy..
Thus low level laser therapy can be used by neuropathy patients to increase function and possibly even cause repair and regeneration of the nerve cells. It may also increase the levels of pain-suppressing GABA in the nervous system. When combined in a comprehensive neuropathy treatment program, laser can be extremely beneficial for patients suffering from neuropathy. Great news for neuropathy patients.
Vern survived almost a century, but at age 90 he got some bad news, they were going to cut his toes off. Vern is a spy 90 year old. His doctor recommended a terrible treatment, amputation. He developed diabetic ulcers and despite aggressive treatment of his peripheral neuropathy they would not heal. The next step: The toes had to come off. But Vern's daughter was a patient in our office and as a last resort, Vern tried a special neuropathy treatment I first learned about in Russia. As an alternative to amputation, I combined some Chinese herbs with low level laser therapy. They reduced his pain from a score of 10 to 2 and best of all, they saved Vern's toes! The surgery was canceled.
Dr. Kukurin has received post-graduate education from a number of leading medical schools including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic, UNICO and the Russian People's Friendship University in Moscow. He has a keen interest in diseases of the nervous system, like peripheral neuropathy, movement disorders, spinal stenosis and headaches. He is a former faculty member of the Post-Graduate Neurology Department of Parker College. He has published several textbooks including "Integrative Neurology: Hope and Help for People Suffering From Neuropathy" that contains over 300 scientific references for the treatment of neuropathy through the use of specialist-pages.com/neuropathy Integrative Neurology and Alternative Medicine techniques like acupuncture, laser therapy, herbal and nutritional medicines. The techniques for treating the nervous system that Dr. Kukurin has pioneered have been chosen for inclusion at scientific conferences held at Johns Hopkins Medical School and through the Peripheral Nerve Society, an international organization devoted to the scientific study of diseases of the nerves, like neuropathy.
Dr. George Kukurin holds a license to practice chiropractic medicine in the states of Arizona, Pennsylvania and California. He is also licensed to practice acupuncture by the state of Arizona. Dr. Kukurin is a Diplomat with the American Chiropractic Academy of Neurology (DACAN). To attain this prestigious status he was required to attend an approved three year post-graduate program in neurology, which is the study of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. He completed his post-graduate neurology training through the Parker College in Dallas Texas. Upon completion of this training, Dr. Kukurin had to pass a two-day long rigorous board examination. He scored in the upper 5% of his class on these examinations, obtaining a 100% perfect score on the clinical portion of the testing.
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