Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms

Peripheral Neuropathy symptoms usually start with numbness, prickling or tingling in the toes or fingers. It may spread up to the feet or hands and cause burning, freezing, throbbing and/or shooting pain that is often worse at night.

The pain can be either constant or periodic, but usually the pain is felt equally on both sides of the body in both hands or in both feet. Some types of peripheral neuropathy develop suddenly, while others progress more slowly over many years.

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy often include:

• A sensation of wearing an invisible “glove” or “sock”
• Burning sensation or freezing pain
• Sharp, jabbing, shooting, or electric-like pain
• Extreme sensitivity to touch
• Difficulty sleeping because of feet and leg pain
• Loss of balance and coordination
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle cramping/twitching
• Difficulty walking or moving the arms
• Unusual sweating
• Abnormalities in blood pressure or pulse
• Constipation
• Digestion difficulties
• Diarrhea
• Excessive sweating
• Weak, heavy-feeling arms and legs (sometimes it may feel like your Legs or arms “lock” in place)
• Regularly dropping things from your hands
• A buzzing or shocking sensation
• Thinning of the skin
• Loss of balance and co-ordination
• Improper gait (if in lower limb)

Symptoms like experiencing weakness or not being able to hold something, not knowing where your feet are, and experiencing pain that feels as if it is stabbing or burning in your limbs, can be common signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may depend on the kind of peripheral nerves that have been damaged. There are three types of peripheral nerves: motor, sensory and autonomic. Some neuropathies affect all three types of nerves, while others involve only one or two. The majority of people, however, suffer from polyneuropathy, an umbrella term for damage involving many nerves at the same time.