Phoenix, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/24/2013 -- More diabetics are reporting symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, or nerve pain, at a rate that is double that estimated by healthcare providers, according to a new survey conducted by the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) and Pfizer, Inc. The survey also found substantial gaps in communication between doctors, nurses and patients about the disease. In Arizona, healthcare experts have found diabetic patients are often unaware that diabetes is the cause of nerve pain that can limit mobility and impact quality of life. Pain management Phoenix area Novocur is one facility that focuses its efforts on treating people with diabetic pain.
“An estimated 26 million Americans have diabetes. About one in five experience diabetic nerve pain,” said Alex Bigham, CEO of Novocur, adding that these numbers are rapidly growing.
“By 2050, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the number of Americans suffering from diabetes and associated pain will triple.”
Symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) can include numbness, tingling, burning, insensitivity to pain and temperature, pins and needles, shooting pain, loss of balance, and stabbing pain in the hands or feet.
Despite its prevalence, the survey of 500 physicians and nurses, and over one thousand people with DPN found major misconceptions and a significant lack of patient awareness about the disease.
According to the survey, only 45 percent of healthcare providers discuss DPN symptoms with their patients in detail and 28 percent of patients discuss their symptoms in detail. Seventy-seven percent of patients say that DPN impacts their daily activities, while health care providers say only 38 percent of their patients have daily limits because of DPN. Another 56 percent of patients and 69 percent of health care providers have difficulty describing DPN symptoms, while 80 percent of patients with painful DPN say it is different than any other pain they have ever experienced. Eighteen percent of patients with painful DPN think it can be reversed.
According to Dr. Neil Thakkar, Medical Director for the Novocur Pain Management Scottsdale Center, some diabetic pain suffers often don’t even realize diabetes is the source of their pain.
“Patients dealing with the symptoms of diabetes often try to ignore the pain typically associated with the condition,” he said.
“Many patients don’t realize that as the source of diabetic pain, nerves can be treated to make the condition more manageable overall.”
Some of the effective treatments for diabetic nerve pain that Phoenix pain management doctors may use include the use nerve pain medications, nerve blocks or spinal cord implant stimulators.
About Novocur
Novocur, Phoenix's premier pain management facility, is passionate about helping those who suffer from pain. Novocur’s highly trained physicians provide the most state-of-the-art treatments for chronic and acute pain management patients in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Chandler. The facility’s approach is to provide a concierge level of patient care, where each patient consults with and is treated by the actual Pain Doctor and not mid-level providers. Every patient will participate in developing a customized pain management treatment plan that will address their specific pain and goals. Novocur’s primary goal is to provide rapid pain relief and get each patient back to living their life again. Novocur physicians are double Board Certified in Pain Management as well as Anesthesia. The Novocur Facilities are Medicare Certified and Accredited by AAAHC to ensure that patients will receive the highest standard of care and pain management in the Phoenix area, including Scottsdale, AZ and Chandler, AZ. No matter what type of pain the patient suffers from, Novocur has a solution designed specifically for them. For more information, please visit http://www.novocur.com/
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