YES! Certain types of diabetic neuropathy are reversible.
Diabetic neuropathy is one of the common and late complications of diabetes. It occurs because of chronic hyperglycemia and related factors causing damage to nerve cells. Diabetic neuropathy is not a single entity but a set of clinical syndromes with presentations based on nerves involved.
Patients may be asymptomatic or may have nonspecific clinical symptoms and signs.
Neuropathic symptoms include:
- burning
- prickling pain
- numbness
- tingling sensation in your feet, toes, legs, and hands.
It results in loss of temperature, pain, touch, and vibration sensation leading to foot ulcers and limb loss.
Depending on the natural course of neuropathies, there are two distinct entities:
- Neuropathies that progresses gradually along with the increasing duration of diabetes: Sensory neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy
- Neuropathies that remit completely: Mononeuropathies, radiculopathies, acute painful neuropathies.
Mononeuropathies involve a single nerve and have an acute onset and are self-limiting. They resolve spontaneously within 6-8 weeks.
Another variant of neuropathy, rapidly reversible hyperglycemic neuropathy, usually presents with sensory symptoms and occurs in patients with recently diagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes. It is completely reversible after normalization of blood glucose levels.
