What Factors Contribute to the Variability of Pain in People With Neuropathy?

Neuropathy can be a crippling condition that affects daily living and quality of life. Many factors contribute to why, where, and how intense neuropathy pain is. Educating patients on these factors so they can take action to relieve some of their pain can make all the difference in their daily lives. Keep reading to learn what factors contribute to the location and intensity of neuropathy pain.
Akshaya Srivatsa

Akshaya Srivatsa

CEO/Co-Founder of Carebetter

Type of Neuropathy, Individual Pain Thresholds, Genetics, Overall Health, and Lifestyle

The variability in pain location and intensity among individuals with neuropathy is influenced by various factors. Firstly, the type of neuropathy plays a pivotal role—whether it’s peripheral, diabetic, or focal neuropathy.

Secondly, individual pain thresholds, genetics, and overall health contribute to the diverse pain experiences. Lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and stress levels can exacerbate or alleviate neuropathic pain.

Intensity of Misalignment, Age of the Patient and the Symptom Duration

Severity can be attributed to the intensity of the misalignment, age of the patient and the length of time they have been experiencing the symptoms.

Each level of the spine is associated with certain dermatomes or regions of the body. For instance, the most common neuropathy we see is in the feet. In this case, the L5 nerve root is most commonly associated with the top of the foot.

When the bottom of the foot is a problem, we can often see an issue with the S1 nerve root. If there is a considerable amount of arthritis at the L5/S1 nerve level, oftentimes the severity of pain is rather high and it usually will encompass the entire foot.

Dr. Walker Porterfield

Dr. Walker Porterfield

Chiropractor at

Jade Wang

Marketing Director of .

Neural Plasticity, Complex Interplay of Neurotransmitters and Signaling Pathways

Neural plasticity, wherein the nervous system adapts and changes over time, contributes to the shifting pain locations and intensities in neuropathy. Additionally, the complex interplay of neurotransmitters and signaling pathways in the peripheral and central nervous systems influences the diverse pain experiences.

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