What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy occurs when there is a problem with the functioning of the nerves in the peripheral nervous system.  The peripheral nervous system is the network of nerves that connect your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord nerves) to the nerves in the other parts of your body, like arms and legs, hands and feet, face, and internal organs.

When there is a problem with these peripheral nerves, signals about physical sensation don’t get transmitted to your brain properly.  Sometimes the peripheral nervous system may send pain signals when there is no cause of pain, or if there is something causing harm the nerves may not send any pain signal at all.

Disruption to the normal functioning of the peripheral nervous system can be caused by many different factors, including injuries, hormonal imbalances or inherited disorders.  

Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy

Overall, there are two main types of peripheral neuropathy: when one nerve is damaged it is called mononeuropathy, and when multiple nerves are damaged it is called polyneuropathy.  

However, doctors will tell you what type of neuropathy you have depending on which group of nerves are affected.  The three groups of nerves are motor nerves (for moving muscles), sensory nerves (sensations like hot/cold or pain), and autonomic nerves (processes like heartbeat and breathing).

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy depend on which group of nerves are affected.  While patients of motor neuropathy may experience symptoms such as muscle cramps and weakness, twitching and paralysis, patients of sensory neuropathy may experience other symptoms like tingling (“pins and needles”), numbness, reduced sensations from heat, cold or pain, and increased pain from things which shouldn’t cause pain. Contrastingly, patients of autonomic neuropathy may experience rapid heart rate, dizziness, bloating or belching, or constipation/diarrhoea.  Please remember that these symptoms may also be caused by other health problems, not just peripheral neuropathy.

Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy

Most cases of peripheral neuropathy are acquired, and only rare cases are from genetics.  There are many different causes, and doctors often have trouble identifying a single cause.

Some of the most common causes of neuropathy include other diseases (like diabetes), injury, toxins, infections, autoimmune disorders and medications.  These factors can all contribute to damaging the nerves.  Causes of neuropathy such as previous injuries or existing diseases such as chickenpox and shingles may be hard to avoid.  But other causes may be easier to avoid, such as avoiding toxins like alcohol, keeping good hygiene to minimise risk of infections, and managing diabetes by keeping blood sugar levels within the recommended range.

How Can Chinese Medicine Help?

Acupuncture is an effective treatment for many ailments.

Traditional Chinese Medicine views the body as a whole and analyses a patient’s symptoms in relation to this whole.  For example, in Chinese Medicine, all the organs in the body are seen as related to each other.  Hence, a weakness in one organ may lead to another organ not functioning as normal, which leads to an imbalance in the body and causes symptoms to arise. Chinese Medicine is particularly focused on finding out what the root cause of the symptoms are, then addressing the imbalance so that your body can regain its normal function.

As with any syndrome, or set of symptoms, a Chinese Doctor will ask questions to see what your symptoms are, then use techniques such as taking your pulse to get more information about the specific nature of those symptoms.  Then they will be able to give personalised treatment, such as a unique formula of herbs to take, or acupuncture to help heal and rebalance your body.  For peripheral neuropathy, Chinese Medicine may be able to help clarify what is the underlying cause of your symptoms.  Acupuncture is also very effective at relieving pain from many conditions, and helping your body come back to a healthy state.

For more information about how Chinese Medicine can help, please see our website at https://balancetcm.co.nz/traditional-chinese-medicine-hamilton/.

For videos about neuropathy and Chinese Medicine, see our website page at https://balancetcm.co.nz/category/a-z-diseases/neuropathy/.

Our Offer to You

Fill in our online questionnaire for free – and save the $135 it would cost you to do this detailed medical history in person with a practitioner.  You can request a phone call from a practitioner after they have read your online form, or just book your initial exam for $40.  Call us on 07 846 7956 to book, or fill in the questionnaire now.

References:

Phua, S. (n.d.). What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine? Centre of Balance Hamilton: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. https://balancetcm.co.nz/traditional-chinese-medicine-hamilton/

Centre of Balance Hamilton: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine (n.d.). Archive for category: Neuropathy. https://balancetcm.co.nz/category/a-z-diseases/neuropathy/

Carey, E. (2021, October 5). Peripheral Neuropathy. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/peripheral-neuropathy

Leave Comment

Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.