Neuropathy is nerve damage that causes pain and numbness in the feet and hands, it can eventually lead to falls, infection, and amputation. According to a study recently published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, neuropathy is very common and underdiagnosed.
“More than one-third of people with neuropathy experience sharp, prickling or shock-like pain, which increases their rates of depression and decreases quality of life,” said study author Melissa A. Elafros, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “People with neuropathy also have an increased risk of earlier death, even when you take into account other conditions they have, so identifying and treating people with or at risk for neuropathy is essential.”
