I have Peripheral Neuropathy and am experiencing what feels to be tightness in my feet, which is causing extra pain. I have heard that tendons can begin tightening with neuropathy, is this true. My toes are beginning to curl downward and it is painful to straighten them out. Any advice? I xcannot seem to get an answer!

Background: Neuropathy cause has not been determined. I have bulged disks in L4-L5, a narrow gap at S1, and undiagnosed diabetes type 2 for a long period of time (2-3 Years). Diabetes is now under control with medication (Last A1C was 5.9 down from a 13.7). I have had epidural injections, I am on Gabapentin (3600mg day), I have had extensive chiropractic care, and have tried every topical cream and oil known to man. No improvement. My specialists and neurologist are uncertain of the cause, but certain of the extent via EMG tests etc. Please help!

Jeff

--diabetes not be considered as a possible cause, since it, and even impaired glucose tolerance short of frank diabetes, are well-known common orginators of neuropathy?

And, you didn't go into great detail about your lower back situation, but if imaging shows any sort of nerve root compromise, that could certainly be a contributing factor as well. In fact, both may be contributing in what is known as the "double crush hypothesis"--already metabolically or chemically damaged nerves are then further insulted by compressive forces, and are more prone to symptoms from them, with the symptoms being additively out of proportion to what one would assume the combined effects might be.

it maybe hypomagnesemia, simply, you may need a magnesium supplement
check in the vitamin forum here.....for mrsd's magnesium thread

Welcome to the PN forum, Plochman.

Diabetics lose some nutrients via the urine. The two most important ones are magnesium and inositol.

Can you tell me what drugs you take daily?
Metformin?
Blood pressure ones?
diuretics?

When the calcium/magnesium ratio is not optimum at what the body needs and uses daily, because of poor intake from food or depletions caused by some drugs...the muscles do weird things.
I ran into a calcium problem on vacation this year...the first time it has happened to me (because my diet changed suddenly). I've had magnesium problems for a LONG time and have a thread here:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=1138
If you go there you will see how huge this subject is. There are books out there now, written by doctors as well on this topic!

If you stand on your feet alot in your job, this can happen too.
Low magnesium levels cause failure of contraction to relax. When I used to work 13 hr days, I had mild hammertoes then when low on mag. My foot doctor had me buy WIDE shoes, to help with this.

Some nutrients are useful for diabetic neuropathies. Some are:
Benfotiamine (a special form of Thiamin B1)
magnesium
Vit B12 (have you been tested for this? Metformin depletes it)
Acetyl-l-carnitine
CoQ-10 (are you taking statins for cholesterol?)
Vit D (new studies show very important and low levels in diabetics)-- please watch this new video...and get tested.
This is a long video but it may change your life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ-qekFoi-o

Well for me I have such tight calves and a feeling of a tight rubber band around my ankle where my condition is started. I often get stiff cause from the pain I keep my limb very still. I have been told by my doctors that it is part of the neuropathy or for me rsd we don't know. The treatments like meds etc that work for the condition are supposed to help. I wish I had mroe answers just thoughts I guess. Hang in there

Jeff,

I am going to go with what Glenntaj said in regards to your spine. I supposedly also have neuropathy in my feet. However, I do have issues at L4/L5 and S1. Over the summer my feet felt like they had been hammered! At one point I had an injection for sinus tarsitis. In any case, 4 days ago I received bi-lateral facet injections at those levels. AND...my feet feel sooo much better. So, yep, it COULD be the dermatome. And I know we are all wired a bit different. It is just that the severity of pain was in the lateral portion of my ankles and last two toes; also felt like I was walking marbles. But we will see how long this relief lasts. IF it comes back, I am scheduled for an RF. Anyway, just my two cents worth since my own A1C came back as a 5.6 and the fact that when I do get these injections, as I have also in the past, things get much better with my feet. Oh, and if the EMGs are showing radiculopathy, which is what I THINK you mean, then look to the spine...compression...as Glenntaj stated.

S-1 is compressed from an injury in 2006. My doctors all agree that the diabetes as well as the compression / bulging disks are the cause. I cannot however seem to get a response regarding the tightness in my feet, mainly the toes, which seem to be constantly tight. I cannot bend them (As if to pick something up with your toes...only way I know to describe it.) What can be done for this? They want to install a neurotransmitter device in October. Everything we have tried has failed to alieve pain from neuropathy. All the classic symptoms such as shooting pain in feet, dull aching pain, burning sensation and the electrical shooting pains constantly in legs & feet. walking is an issue, balance is off and it feels like my sock is balled up in my shoes. Steps are a distant memory for me as i avoid them like the plague.

Forgive me if I am explaining it again, but I do not understand much of teh medical terms yet, so not sure if I got the answer I was looking for or not. Sorry...just confused and looking for relief ideas from all of you who have dealt with this much longer than I have.

".....looking for relief ideas from all of you who have dealt with this much longer than I have."

The supplements Mrs D suggested are a good start,
regarding the tightness in your toes, especially a long regimen
of B12 sublingual of between 2000mcg - 5000mcg per day.
Don't expect it to work immediately, it takes a long while
for things to start to happen, with peripheral nerve problems.
(aside from surgical decompression)

Even though your diabetes is under great control now, it can take many months or years for the damage to heal if the cause was the elavated blood sugars, [ a very likely suspect] an A1c of 13.7 is extreemly high and who knows how long those sugar levels were running at that level before being diagnosed with diabetes.
The spine issues should be checked out properly as well, to see if it is a cause or contributing factor, I can't understand the docs saying it could be this or that, why don't they find out for sure with appropiate testing, those supplements MrsD suggested are an excellent choice, something I would be getting onto very quickly, the nerves take ages to regenerate once the cause is taken away, nothing happens overnight.

good luck

hi there

you might like to get yourself some toe crest pads to help uncurl your toes. You will walk and balance better with them.

I have curled up toes, but mine is due to spasticity rather than tendon tightness. I can uncurl them with my fingers, but they curl right up again when I let them go. I have sensorimotor PN, so I think the PN has indirectly caused the toe curling because the muscles in my feet are very weak, and weak muscles are prone to spasticity altough spasticity is a central not peripheral thing.

Here is a link to toe crests - I have not used this particular brand, I just want to show you what they are. It takes a little while to get used to wearing them, now I don't even notice they are there.

http://www.myfootshop.com/detail.asp?ProductID=701

hth

raglet