This “Newbie” Guide is designed to provide some basic answers to questions that people frequently ask.

/ˈn(y)o͞obē/
NEWBIE
noun INFORMAL
noun: newbie; plural noun: newbies
an inexperienced newcomer to a particular activity.

NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders (NINDS)

PN is a long-term chronic disease about which you should get serious. Actions today will forestall downward trends in the future and keep you healthier longer. You will want to learn all you can about this condition as it will be your companion from here on.

While there is little in the way of a cure, we are not without hope. There are dozens of applied lifestyle changes that will make a big difference in your attitude, mobility, and future endeavors. Many people are disappointed when their healthcare professionals can prescribe little besides pain-relieving drugs for them. Neuropathy numbness and pain can often be relieved by basic lifestyle changes as by medications.

Here are several actions to pursue immediately:

• Start (or continue) a focus on physical movement and exercise.
• Learn about nutrition and begin to an attitude of “eating to live”, not of “living to eat”.
• Cut down on alcohol use and cut out smoking altogether.
• Investigate a program of positive cognition, meditation, prayer, and mindfulness.
• Learn all you can about neuropathy. New information is constantly being released, not only about research and medications but about very actionable things you can do at home to improve your lifestyle.
• Join a peer support group. If you cannot find one in your area, join ours.

PN is a multidisciplinary bundle of conditions where you will be best served by a team of healthcare professionals. That would include:

• A primary care physician, who follows your overall health
• A neurologist, who has deep knowledge of the nervous system and can provide a specific diagnosis
• A podiatrist, who can advise you regarding foot care
• Depending upon your financial means and particular situation, you may wish to include other healthcare providers who are treating your specific kind of neuropathy (for instance, an oncologist, dermatologist, or nutritionist depending up the diagnosed cause)

Then, connect them together through a MyChart medical portal or other method so that the whole team can be regularly apprised about updates in your tests, medications, and lifestyle changes.

Many government agencies and research hospitals are working to find a cure or advanced treatment for neuropathy. The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy is a national organization devoted to funding research. A growing list of other groups is located here.

Why is there no cure? (Get popular questions off of PN Resources and Success Stories)

Footcare is very important to maintaining your PN health. Nerve damage decreases sensitivity in feet and hands. Make a commitment to foregoing barefoot indoors and outdoors.

Check you feet every day. If you do not have someone who can examine your feet daily, you can simply place a mirror on the floor and examine your own feet.

For more information on footcare, including a video presentation from pedorthist Joe Ponsi, click here.

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Now we come to a more advanced discussion surrounding nerve pain, neurological diseases, including neuropathy. New research reveals that nerve pain is not quite so correlated to location as other forms of pain (i.e., muscular pain). This section presents new findings and hypotheses in this area.

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ARTICLE: Pain Is a Tool of the Brain, an article by Michael Foxworth.

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VIDEO: Dr. David Clark discussed Mind-body Pain and Neuropathy

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VIDEO: 7 Amazing Things About the the Brain by Lorimer Moseley, DSc, PhD, FACP.

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VIDEO: Dr. HOWARD SCHUBINER talked Google employees about his career as a doctor who treats chronic pain and his thoughts on training your brain to lessen chronic pain.

Get help by helping others

Find a group near you.

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What’s new in research? – Foundation for Periphreal Neuropathy – Johns Hopkins – Mayo Clinic – Harvard – Others

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Research through the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy

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Johns Hopkins Merkin Center for Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center

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Harvard Health Blog – Which Treatment Is Best?

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NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

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Mayo Clinic research efforts