Peripheral neuropathy is a condition of the peripheral nervous system resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves and axon die-back, which impedes or disrupts communication between these nerves and the central nervous system, or brain. In a healthy person who does not suffer from peripheral neuropathy, the nerve’s axons extend to all tissues and organs in the body, and all the way to the surface layer of the skin. As small fiber neuropathy progresses, especially in conditions such as diabetes or aging, the nerves begin to die back first from the surface layer, then from the tissues beneath. The symptoms of neuropathy can present as anything from mild discomfort to disabling pain and loss of sensitivity. In certain cases, motor function is impacted, and limb amputation may occur. Symptoms can be complex in polyneuropathy, where sensory and sympathetic nerves are both impacted. Since peripheral nerve endings can remain “plastic” and be prompted to re-grow throughout life, healing and nerve regeneration can sometimes take place, provided diagnosis is early enough and interventions may allow the spread of the disease to be halted and possibly reversed. This may especially be true in prediabetics where glucose regulation could halt the neuropathy if diagnosed early. Peripheral Neuropathy is large-scale health problem in the world, and in the United States in particular. The statistics about peripheral neuropathy speak for themselves:
> Over 100 million people in the United States are suffering from diabetes or prediabetes. > Over 60% of these individuals will develop peripheral neuropathy, which is a disease that causes the nerves of your skin to die back, causing pain, numbness, loss of sensation and loss of function. > More than 20 million people are estimated to suffer from its symptoms, not including those who have not been diagnosed. > Peripheral neuropathy commonly affects diabetic and pre-diabetic patients, as well as those who have undergone chemotherapy in the treatment of various cancers, HIV patients, aging, and certain autoimmune conditions. In total there are more than 30 causes of peripheral neuropathy, including genetic and environmental causes. Recently, even COVID-19 is able to promote or worsen peripheral neuropathy. > Peripheral neuropathy incurs $30 billion per year in healthcare costs. How We Do It Better Up to now, there has been no functional diagnostic tool for small fiber peripheral neuropathy that can give a readout of nerve electrical activity non-invasively in the skin and subdermal tissues. Neuright currently has the only device to combine early and more sensitive, reliable diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy, with the capability of delivering treatments and therapies as they become available. It is a low-cost point-of-care device that combines early detection with treatment delivery.
