TL;DR: Burning, numb or tingling feet can wreck your sleep and your balance, and too many people are told to just live with it. We start by finding what is driving your symptoms, then combine acupuncture, light therapy and other tools with the care you already get from your medical doctors. So yes, neuropathy can often be helped: the goal is less pain, better sensation and safer walking, though results vary and long-standing nerve damage may not fully reverse.
What is peripheral neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is damage or irritation of the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. It usually starts in the toes and feet and can later reach the hands. Common symptoms include:
- Burning, stabbing or electric pain, often worse at night
- Numbness, or feeling like you are wearing socks when you are not
- Tingling or pins and needles
- Feeling unsteady or losing your balance
- Sensitivity to light touch, like bedsheets on your feet
- Weakness or cramping in the feet and legs
Why it matters: Numb feet can’t warn you about a blister or a stone in your shoe. For someone with diabetes, a small sore nobody noticed can turn into a serious wound, which is why foot checks are part of every plan we write.
Types of neuropathy we see
- Diabetic neuropathy: the most common type. Blood sugar control comes first, and our care works alongside it. Read more about diabetic neuropathy.
- Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIPN): caused by certain chemo drugs. We work with your oncology team. Read more about CIPN.
- Idiopathic neuropathy: nerve damage with no clear cause after testing. Read more about idiopathic neuropathy.
- Nerve pain that starts in the spine: a disc or a narrowed spinal canal pressing on a nerve root can cause leg or arm symptoms that look like neuropathy. Read about the DRX9000 and neuropathy.
- Neuropathy in veterans: including neuropathy linked to diabetes, Agent Orange or burn pit exposure. Read about VA Community Care for neuropathy.
Other causes include low B12 (long-term metformin use can lower it), thyroid problems, heavy alcohol use and some medications. Several can be treated directly once they are found.
How we evaluate neuropathy
Your first visit is about finding what is driving your symptoms.
- History: when it started, where it is, diabetes, chemotherapy, medications, alcohol, B12 and service history.
- Hands-on exam: sensation, reflexes, strength, balance, circulation in your feet and a skin check.
- Spine check: whether your back or neck is part of the picture, with digital X-ray in our office when it is needed.
- Labs and specialists: if something has not been checked, like A1c, B12 or thyroid, or you need a nerve test or MRI, we send you to your doctor or a specialist.
- A written plan: which tools make sense for you, how often, and how we will measure progress.
Treatment options we offer
- Acupuncture and electroacupuncture: the core of most plans, led by Dr. Heather Schuerlein, DACM, AP. See how acupuncture for neuropathy works. Research in diabetic and chemotherapy neuropathy is promising but mixed; some studies report less pain and better quality of life. Laser acupuncture is a needle-free option. Read about red light therapy with acupuncture.
- Red light and cold laser therapy (photobiomodulation): painless light applied to the feet, ankles and lower legs, often in the same visit as acupuncture. The research is early but encouraging.
- Shockwave therapy: for selected patients. Evidence for neuropathy is still developing.
- Vitamin B12 acupoint injections: when your B12 status supports it, checked with your doctor.
- Chiropractic care and DRX9000 spinal decompression: only when the exam points to the spine. The DRX9000 is FDA-cleared and is for screened candidates; results vary.
- Nutrition and supplement review: coordinated with your doctors, because some supplements interact with medications or chemotherapy.
We don’t prescribe medications and we don’t replace your medical team. We add to what they are doing.
Not sure what is driving your symptoms?
Your first visit is an evaluation: history, a hands-on exam and a written plan. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you and point you to who is.
What to expect
- First visit: your evaluation, and often your first treatment. Acupuncture visits with Dr. Heather run about an hour.
- Early care: visits are more frequent at first. We recheck pain, sensation and balance as we go, and many patients who respond notice changes within the first several weeks.
- Later care: once progress levels off, some patients move to maintenance visits about twice a month.
- Honesty about progress: if you are not improving, we will tell you and talk about other options or a referral.
- At home: check your feet every day, wear protective shoes, and report any new sore or color change.
The bigger picture
No single tool fixes neuropathy. Every plan is different: some patients do best with acupuncture alone, some add light therapy, and a few need their spine treated first. Your exam and your goals decide which tools make the cut, not the equipment we happen to have.
Neuropathy articles from our doctors
- Diabetic peripheral neuropathy: why it happens, what it feels like and how integrative care can help
- Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN)
- Idiopathic neuropathy: what it is and how integrative care can help
- Red light therapy and acupuncture for neuropathy
- Spinal compression and neuropathy: the DRX9000
- Neuropathy in veterans and VA Community Care
Frequently asked questions
Can acupuncture help neuropathy?
It can for many people. Studies in diabetic and chemotherapy-related neuropathy report less pain and better quality of life for some patients, though results are mixed and vary from person to person. In our office, acupuncture is usually combined with electroacupuncture or light therapy, and we track how you respond.
Can neuropathy be reversed?
It depends on the cause and how long the nerves have been affected. Neuropathy from a fixable cause, like low B12 or a pinched nerve root, can improve a lot once that cause is treated. Long-standing diabetic or chemotherapy neuropathy may not fully reverse, but many people still get less pain and better function.
Does red light therapy help neuropathy in the feet?
Red light and cold laser therapy (photobiomodulation) is a painless option that some studies suggest may ease neuropathy pain and improve sensation. The research is still early. We usually use it alongside acupuncture rather than on its own.
How many visits will I need?
It depends on the type of neuropathy, how long you have had it and how you respond. You get a plan after your evaluation, and we recheck your progress along the way. If you are not improving, we will tell you.
Does insurance cover neuropathy treatment?
It depends on your coverage. Medicare covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain, so acupuncture for neuropathy is usually self-pay. Veterans may be covered through VA Community Care with an authorization from the VA. Call us before your first visit and we will go over your options.
Can I get acupuncture during chemotherapy?
Often yes, with your oncology team’s OK. We coordinate with them on timing, blood counts and supplements, and plan your visits around your chemotherapy schedule.
Is it neuropathy or Raynaud’s?
Both can make your fingers or toes numb and tingly, but they are different problems. Raynaud’s is a blood vessel problem: cold or stress triggers an attack, the fingers or toes turn white or blue, then red as blood flow returns, and the attack passes.
Neuropathy is a nerve problem: the burning, tingling or numbness is usually there most of the time, is often worse at night, typically starts in both feet, and comes without color changes.
The two can show up together, for example with diabetes or an autoimmune condition, so new Raynaud’s symptoms are worth checking with your doctor. A sore on a fingertip or toe that won’t heal needs prompt care. Read our guide to Raynaud’s or neuropathy.
When is numbness or tingling an emergency?
Call 911 or go to the emergency room for:
- Sudden numbness or weakness on one side, a drooping face or trouble speaking
- Weakness that spreads quickly over hours or days, especially moving up the legs
- Loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness in the groin or saddle area
- A foot wound that is red, hot, swollen or draining, or comes with a fever
Our office is across the street from the local AdventHealth hospital, and we send patients there when symptoms need urgent care.
Ready to find out what can help your neuropathy?
If burning, numbness or tingling is getting in the way of your sleep or your walking, start with an evaluation with our doctors in Palm Coast.
Palm Coast Acupuncture & Chiropractic · 4875 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, Units 2 & 3, Palm Coast, FL 32137
Written by Dr. Heather Schuerlein, DACM, AP, and Dr. Bryan Schuerlein, DC | Palm Coast Acupuncture & Chiropractic, Palm Coast, FL. Individual results vary. This page is general information, not medical advice for your situation.
