Neuropathy is a condition that involves damage to the peripheral nerves: the nerves in your hands and feet. Symptoms include muscle cramping, difficulty walking, burning, tingling, numbness and pain in the legs or feet. In many cases, it’s caused by diabetes, but poor circulation can also cause these symptoms or make them worse. Poor circulation, or PAD (peripheral artery disease), is caused by the buildup of fatty material inside the arteries, which hardens into plaque. When this occurs, it … [Read more...] about Is it Neuropathy or Poor Circulation?
Peripheral Artery Disease
Stopping PAD: A Silent Killer
"PAD is often called the silent killer, because you may have it and not even know,” said Dr. Joel Rainwater, chief medical officer of Comprehensive Integrated Care (CiC). The reason it’s sometimes missed is because people dismiss the symptoms of this dangerous disease as “just a sign of getting older.” But it’s not. “It’s not normal to have difficulty walking to your mailbox, it’s not normal to have constant leg pain or cramping,” said Rainwater, “That’s not normal aging; it could be a sign of … [Read more...] about Stopping PAD: A Silent Killer
Diabetes Awareness Saves Lives and Limbs
Living with diabetes can be scary. One of the biggest fears is the threat of losing a leg. In fact, diabetes is responsible for someone losing a limb every three minutes in the United States. “There is no reason for so many diabetics to suffer an amputation,” said Dr. Joel Rainwater, chief medical officer of CiC. “Medical studies prove that up to 85% of diabetes-related amputations can be prevented.” Diabetes is linked to two conditions that increase the risk of amputation: peripheral artery … [Read more...] about Diabetes Awareness Saves Lives and Limbs
Chronic Wounds Reaching Unprecedented Level
The rate of non-healing sores in America is alarming. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 6 million people in the U.S. are affected by slow or non-healing wounds. “People don’t understand how important it is to pay attention to a sore that doesn’t get better. Without proper care, a chronic wound can lead to an amputation or even death,” warned Dr. Diana Perry, CIC Foot & Ankle in Flagstaff. “If you have an amputation due to a non-healing wound, you have a higher risk of … [Read more...] about Chronic Wounds Reaching Unprecedented Level
Neuropathy Is Often Misdiagnosed
People living with neuropathy experience burning, tingling, numbness, and pain in their legs or feet on a daily basis. In many cases, it’s caused by diabetes, but poor circulation can also cause these symptoms or make them worse. “Most people don’t know what neuropathy is until you start talking about it,” said Dr. Diana Perry, of CIC Foot & Ankle in Flagstaff. “In many cases, people recognize they are getting older and think that they just need to learn to live with the leg cramps, … [Read more...] about Neuropathy Is Often Misdiagnosed
PAD: The Silent Killer
PAD is often called the silent killer because you may have it and not even know,” said Dr. Joel Rainwater, chief medical officer of Comprehensive Integrated Care (CiC) in Flagstaff. The reason it is sometimes missed is because people dismiss the symptoms of this dangerous disease as just a sign of getting older. But it’s not. “It’s not normal to have difficulty walking to your mailbox, it’s not normal to have constant leg pain or cramping,” said Rainwater. “That’s not normal aging, it could be a … [Read more...] about PAD: The Silent Killer
