Do you feel numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness in your arms, legs, hands, or feet? You might be experiencing peripheral neuropathy and wondering what the best neuropathy treatment is. Maybe you found this blog while searching for things like:
- How does neuropathy occur?
- Will neuropathy go away?
- Where does neuropathy start?
- What to do when neuropathy gets worse?
- Can neuropathy be reversed?
- What are neuropathy exercises?
- What’s the link between diabetes and neuropathy?
If so, you’re in the right place. Let’s break this down.
What is Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy affects the nerves that branch off your brain and spinal cord. Here’s what the term means:
- Peripheral: away from the center (in this case, away from the brain and spinal cord)
- Neuro: relating to nerves
- Pathy: disease
These nerves travel down your arms and legs to your hands and feet. That’s why symptoms often show up in those areas.
Where Does Neuropathy Start?
One of the most common causes of peripheral neuropathy is joint misalignment—especially where nerves pass through the spine.
Each spinal bone (vertebra) stacks on top of the next. Nerves exit the spine through openings called intervertebral foramina. If these nerves get irritated anywhere along their path—from the spine to the fingertips or toes—symptoms like burning, pins and needles, or weakness can occur.
Here are some possible causes of nerve irritation:
- Joint misalignment
- Spinal stenosis
- Nerve entrapment
- Repetitive strain
- Diabetes or alcoholism
My focus is on neuropathy caused by postural imbalances, misalignments, and nerve entrapments—because that’s where Postural Neurology and Functional Movement shine.
Neuropathy and Posture: What’s the Connection?
It’s a myth that neuropathy only affects older people. Most people wait until they’re in serious pain before seeking help, which often means damage has already progressed. But thanks to today’s tech-heavy lifestyle, I now see younger patients—some in their 20s and 30s—with symptoms I used to see in those over 60.
Poor posture creates instability in the joints, muscles, and nerves. It’s like hanging a door crooked on its hinges—there’s wear and tear where it shouldn’t be. Over time, this wear shows up as:
- Joint space narrowing
- Bone spurs (osteophytes)
- Thickened ligaments
- Misalignments
- Stenosis
Even without a bone spur, thickened tissue or tight spaces along the nerve pathway can trigger symptoms. This process doesn’t happen overnight. It builds slowly with repetitive poor posture, long hours of sitting, and lack of movement.
How Does Neuropathy Happen?
While injuries like falls or accidents can start the process, a sedentary lifestyle is just as harmful. Sitting for hours each day shrinks the parts of the brain responsible for keeping you upright. That’s negative neuroplasticity—your brain adapts to the unhealthy behavior you repeat.
So what happens? Your brain stops telling your body to sit up straight. Your posture collapses. Joints compress. Nerves get pinched.
Watch this video to understand the brain’s role:
And this one on Stenosis:
Overuse injuries from poor ergonomics—like bad desk setups—also contribute. That’s why I recommend this 5-minute ergonomic checklist to assess your workspace. Small changes now can prevent big problems later.
Best Neuropathy Treatment & Pain Relief
Most people are satisfied when their symptoms fade with minimal effort or medication. That’s not good enough. Pain doesn’t just show up or leave without a reason. If you don’t know what caused it, you’re not in the clear.
Neuropathy is the result of years of imbalance and poor movement. And here’s the key: Your nervous system learns from repetition. If you’ve been moving wrong for years, your brain’s map of how to move—called the homunculus—has changed.
So just treating the pain or adjusting one joint won’t fix the root cause. It’s like trying to fix a bad orchestra performance by yelling at one musician. Movement involves the whole system—brain, nerves, muscles, and joints.
That’s why Postural Neurology and Functional Movement are critical. Watch these videos to understand why:
When combined with ergonomic corrections and soft tissue work like Active Release Technique (ART), these methods can provide lasting relief. Not just for now—but for the long haul.
Healing is a lifelong process. Don’t expect one round of treatment to fix it all. Health is a commitment, not a one-time event.
Diabetes and Neuropathy
Diabetes is often linked to neuropathy. But here’s the truth: Unless you were born with Type 1 diabetes, your body canimprove. Type 2 diabetes isn’t really about insulin deficiency. It’s about poor signaling between insulin and leptin—hunger and fullness hormones.
Blood sugar spikes and crashes stress your nerves over time. The best solution? Diet and movement.
Explore your Metabolic Typing to learn what diet works for your body. Nutrition advice shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. What helps one person may harm another. Metabolic Typing helps you stop guessing.
Alcohol and Neuropathy
Alcohol can also trigger neuropathy. It depletes your body of B vitamins, which nerves need to function and repair. Over time, this leads to nerve damage and symptoms.
The Bottom Line
If you’re dealing with neuropathy and medications haven’t helped, there is hope. You don’t have to live in pain.
The best neuropathy treatment isn’t just about dulling the symptoms. It’s about fixing the cause—your posture, your movement, your habits.
You are the Designer and Director of your life. It’s never too late to take the reins. Contact us!
– Dr. Shakib