San Juan Regional Health

Patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy now have a new treatment option. Dr. Jonathan Jones and Dr. Dmitry Garmaev at San Juan Regional Interventional Spine are now offering spinal cord stimulation for relief from the painful condition.

Diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage, is a common complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Signs and symptoms include pain, burning, tingling or numbness in the toes or feet and extreme sensitivity to light touch. The pain may be worse at rest, causing serious sleep disruption, and improve during the day with activity. As the disease progresses symptoms may gradually move up the legs and even develop in the hands. Over time, the ability to sense pain may be lost, which greatly increases the risk of injury. 

There is no cure for diabetic neuropathy. There are four main components of treatment, which include:

• Control of blood sugar levels
• Lifestyle interventions, such as diet and exercise
• Care for the feet to prevent complications
• Control of pain. which is where Interventional specialists Dr. Jones and Dr. Garmaev come in with Spinal Cord Stimulation.

“Neuropathic pain can be difficult to control and can seriously affect your quality of life. When a patient’s neuropathy has not responded to standard nonsurgical treatments, they may benefit from spinal cord stimulation,” Dr. Jones said.

A spinal cord stimulator is an implanted device that sends low levels of electricity into the spinal cord to relieve pain. The device is placed under X-ray guidance by an interventionalist with highly specialized training. It is an outpatient procedure that is done under sedation with local anesthesia.

To learn more about the procedure and see if spinal cord stimulation may be the right option for your diabetic neuropathy, contact San Juan Regional Interventional Spine at 505.609.6830.