Diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage, is a frequent complication of diabetes. It most commonly affects your hands and feet. At the OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, we use a variety of methods to treat this condition.

Diabetic neuropathy treatment options

• Medication management: We can work with your primary care provider to help manage pain through medication.
• Health psychology: Psychological treatments are an important part of pain management. Understanding and managing the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that accompany the discomfort can help you cope more effectively with your pain and can reduce the intensity of your pain. Pain psychologists focus on teaching you skills such as stress management strategies so you can engage in the activities which are most meaningful to you leading to an improved quality of life.
• Neuromodulation (spinal cord stimulation) may help in rare or severe cases, when other therapies are not effective. Spinal cord stimulation can affect the way your nervous system processes pain, helping reduce pain and hypersensitivity.
• Physical therapy (PT): Physical therapists specialize in working with your body's musculoskeletal and nerve systems. Even if you have been through a previous course of PT, we can help evaluate your body's alignment and movement patterns that cause you pain, and design a maintenance program to keep you strong.