Peripheral neuropathy, a result of damage to the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, often causes weakness, numbness and pain, usually in your hands and feet. It can also affect other areas of your body.

There are four stages of neuropathy:

• Stage One: Numbness & Pain.

• Stage Two: Constant Pain.

• Stage Three: Intense Pain.

• Stage Four: Complete Numbness/ Loss of Sensation.

But peripheral neuropathy is not a single disease. It’s a general term for a series of disorders that result from damage to the body’s peripheral nervous system.

The body’s nervous system is made up of two parts. The central nervous system (CNS) includes the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) connects the nerves running from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body…the arms and hands, legs and feet, internal organs, joints and even the mouth, eyes, ears, nose, and skin.

Peripheral neuropathy occurs when nerves are damaged or destroyed. They then can’t send messages from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, skin and other parts of the body.

Peripheral nerves go from the brain and spinal cord to the arms, hands, legs, and feet. When damage occurs, numbness and pain in these areas may occur.

Peripheral neuropathy can affect multiple nerves (polyneuropathy) or only one nerve or nerve group at a time.

Mononeuropathy is usually the result of damage to a single nerve or nerve group by trauma, injury, local compression, prolonged pressure, or inflammation. 

Examples include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome (a painful wrist and hand disorder often associated with repetitive tasks on a computer keyboard)

• Bell’s palsy (a facial nerve disorder)

A majority of people, however, suffer from polyneuropathy. This is an umbrella term for damage involving many nerves at the same time.