{"id":1705,"date":"2025-11-21T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vitamed.test\/neuropathy-causes-diagnosis-threatment\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T16:56:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T12:56:30","slug":"neuropathy-causes-diagnosis-threatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/neuropathy-causes-diagnosis-threatment\/","title":{"rendered":"NEUROPATHY &#8211; CAUSES, DIAGNOSIS, THREATMENT"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- vitamed:content-featured-image:start --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"article-content-thumbnail-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/neyropatia.jpg\" class=\"article-content-thumbnail\" alt=\"NEUROPATHY - CAUSES, DIAGNOSIS, THREATMENT\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><!-- vitamed:content-featured-image:end --><\/p>\n<h2>What is Neuropathy?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Neuropathy <\/strong>is a general term used to describe damage to peripheral nerves, manifested by pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and sensory disturbances. The damage may affect a single nerve (mononeuropathy) or multiple nerves (polyneuropathy), involving sensory, motor, and sometimes autonomic fibers.<\/p>\n<h2>Causes and Risk Factors<\/h2>\n<p>Neuropathy is not an independent disease but a syndrome that occurs in various pathological conditions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Main causes:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Diabetes mellitus (diabetic polyneuropathy is the most common form worldwide)<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Alcohol abuse<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Deficiency of B vitamins (especially B1, B6, B12)<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Chronic kidney failure<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Infections (HIV, hepatitis, Lyme disease, herpes)<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oncological diseases and paraneoplastic syndromes<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Toxic damage (chemotherapy, heavy metals)<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Autoimmune diseases (Guillain-Barr&eacute; syndrome, CIDP, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis)<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Hereditary forms (Charcot&ndash;Marie&ndash;Tooth disease)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Risk factors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Long-standing diabetes mellitus<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Alcoholism<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Malnutrition<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Renal failure<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Age &gt; 50<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Presence of autoimmune or oncological diseases<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Heredity<\/p>\n<h2>Classification and Types of Neuropathy<\/h2>\n<p><strong>By the number of affected nerves:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mononeuropathy &ndash; damage to a single nerve (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome)<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Multiple mononeuropathies &ndash; asymmetric involvement of several nerves<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Polyneuropathy &ndash; symmetrical diffuse damage to many nerves<\/p>\n<p><strong>By functional type:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sensory &ndash; predominant numbness, tingling, pain<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Motor &ndash; muscle weakness, atrophy<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mixed &ndash; combination of sensory and motor symptoms<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Autonomic &ndash; sweating, orthostatic hypotension, disturbances in cardiac rhythm, gastrointestinal and bladder function<\/p>\n<p><strong>By course:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Acute (days&ndash;weeks) &mdash; e.g., Guillain-Barr&eacute; syndrome<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Subacute (weeks&ndash;months)<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Chronic (&gt;2 months)<\/p>\n<h2>Main Symptoms<\/h2>\n<p>Symptoms vary depending on the type and severity of the lesion.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sensory symptoms:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Numbness, tingling, burning sensation<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;Crawling&quot; or &quot;pins-and-needles&quot; feeling<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pain &mdash; often worse at night<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Impaired vibration, temperature, and pain perception<\/p>\n<p><strong>Motor symptoms:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Weakness in the limbs<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Gait disturbance, coordination issues<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Muscle twitches, cramps<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Muscle atrophy<\/p>\n<p><strong>Autonomic symptoms:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sweating, dry skin<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Orthostatic hypotension<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Gastroparesis, diarrhea\/constipation<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Erectile dysfunction<\/p>\n<h2>How Is Neuropathy Diagnosed?<\/h2>\n<p>Neuropathy is diagnosed through a stepwise clinical and instrumental approach.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Medical history and neurological examination:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Determination of symptom types (sensory, motor, autonomic)<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Symmetry, distribution, and duration<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Electrophysiological studies:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Electroneuromyography (ENMG) &mdash; the gold standard<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Identifies the type of lesion (axonal or demyelinating), extent, and severity<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Laboratory tests (as indicated):<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Blood glucose and HbA1c<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Vitamins B1, B6, B12<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Renal and liver function tests<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Immunological markers, tumor markers<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Testing for HIV, hepatitis<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;PCR for herpes viruses<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis if inflammatory forms are suspected<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Additional methods:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Nerve biopsy (rare, for suspected vasculitis)<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;MRI of nerve plexuses and peripheral nerves<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Genetic testing (in suspected hereditary forms)<\/p>\n<h2>Modern Treatment Approaches<\/h2>\n<p>Treatment depends on the cause, severity, and form of neuropathy.<\/p>\n<p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Etiotropic drug therapy<br \/>\n2.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy<br \/>\n3.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Physiotherapy and therapeutic exercise (rehabilitation):<br \/>\no&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Improving circulation, preventing contractures and weakness<br \/>\n4.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Psychological support in cases of chronic pain and disability<\/p>\n<h2>When to See a Doctor<\/h2>\n<p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;When numbness, burning, or tingling appears in the limbs<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;In cases of muscle weakness, especially if asymmetric<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;In the presence of sensory or coordination disorders<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;If autonomic symptoms appear: dizziness on standing, sweating, bladder or gastrointestinal dysfunction<br \/>\n&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;In rapidly progressing symptoms &mdash; urgent evaluation, especially if Guillain&ndash;Barr&eacute; syndrome is suspected<\/p>\n<p>Neuropathy is a complex and often underestimated condition that requires a personalized and multidisciplinary approach. Modern neurology offers effective tools not only to relieve pain and symptoms, but also to address the underlying cause and slow disease progression.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\">Neurological Services in Armenia, at &laquo;VitaMed&raquo; MC (Yerevan, Charentsavan, Stepanavan)<\/h2>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" style=\"width:500px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Initial consultation with a neurologist, including repeated consultation within 10 days<\/td>\n<td>12.000 AMD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Initial online consultation with a neurologist, including repeated consultation within 10 days<\/td>\n<td>10.000 AMD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Repeated consultation with a neurologist (3rd visit)<\/td>\n<td>6.000 AMD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>EMG (electromyography) &#8211; upper extremities<\/td>\n<td>15.000 AMD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ENMG (electromyography) &#8211; lower extremities<\/td>\n<td>15.000 AMD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ENMG (electromyography) &#8211; lower and upper extremities<\/td>\n<td>25.000 AMD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Doctor home visit<\/td>\n<td>20.000 AMD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Diagnostics + therapeutic massage 60 minutes<\/td>\n<td>30.000 AMD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Diagnostics + therapeutic massage 30 minutes<\/td>\n<td>20.000 AMD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Neuropathy is a general term used to describe damage to peripheral nerves, manifested by pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and sensory disturbances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173,171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1705"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6512,"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1705\/revisions\/6512"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitamed.production.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}