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The predominant symptoms of NC involve one or both legs and usually presents as some combination of tingling, cramping discomfort, pain, numbness, or weakness in the lower back, calves, glutes, and thighs and is precipitated by walking and prolonged standing. However, the symptoms vary depending on the severity and cause of the condition.
Typical early symptoms are "tingling" (sort of electrified vibration or paresthesia) or numbness in the extremities, frequent (night) leg cramps, loss of reflexes (in knees), muscle fasciculations, "vibration" feelings, loss of balance, general muscle cramping and nerve pain.
Peripheral neuropathy may be classified according to the number and distribution of nerves affected (mononeuropathy, mononeuritis multiplex, or polyneuropathy), the type of nerve fiber predominantly affected (motor, sensory, autonomic), or the process affecting the nerves; e.g., inflammation (), compression (compression neuropathy), chemotherapy (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy).
The diagnosis of polyneuropathy begins with a history (anamnesis) and physical examination to ascertain the pattern of the disease process (such as arms, legs, distal, proximal), if they fluctuate, and what deficits and pain are involved. If pain is a factor, determining where and how long it has been present is important; one also needs to ...
Sciatica often results in pain radiating down the leg. The term "sciatica" usually describes a symptom—pain along the sciatic nerve pathway—rather than a specific condition, illness, or disease. [4] Some use it to mean any pain starting in the lower back and going down the leg. [4]
Symptoms that affect the sensory and motor systems seem to develop symmetrically. For example, if the right foot is affected, the left foot is affected simultaneously or soon becomes affected. [1] In most cases, the legs are affected first, followed by the arms. The hands usually become involved when the symptoms reach above the ankle. [3]
A skin biopsy for the measurement of epidermal nerve fiber density is an increasingly common technique for the diagnosis of small fiber peripheral neuropathy. [13] Physicians can biopsy the skin with a 3-mm circular punch tool and immediately fix the specimen in 2% paraformaldehyde lysine-periodate or Zamboni's fixative. [ 20 ]
Proximal diabetic neuropathy, also known as diabetic amyotrophy, is a complication of diabetes mellitus that affects the nerves that supply the thighs, hips, buttocks and/or lower legs. Proximal diabetic neuropathy is a type of diabetic neuropathy characterized by muscle wasting, weakness, pain, or changes in sensation/numbness of the leg.