Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is damage or dysfunction of nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. These nerves carry information between the brain, spinal cord, muscles, skin, and internal organs. Symptoms depend on which nerves are affected. Some people mainly experience pain or altered sensation, while others develop weakness, balance problems, or changes in blood pressure, digestion, or sweating.

Common Symptoms

Seek prompt medical care for rapidly progressing weakness, trouble walking, new bowel or bladder changes, severe pain after an injury, or a new foot wound, infection, or skin-color change.

Finding the cause of neuropathy is an important part of care. Diabetes is a common cause, but peripheral neuropathy can also be related to vitamin deficiencies, alcohol exposure, medications such as certain chemotherapy drugs, autoimmune conditions, kidney disease, infection, inherited conditions, and nerve compression. Treatment focuses on addressing the cause when possible, reducing symptoms, preventing falls and injuries, and protecting foot health.

Standard Treatment Categories

• Treatment of an underlying cause: This may include blood-sugar management, correcting a vitamin deficiency, reviewing medications, reducing alcohol exposure, or treating an autoimmune or other medical condition.
• Medication for nerve pain: Depending on the person and symptoms, clinicians may consider medicines such as duloxetine, pregabalin, gabapentin, or certain antidepressants.
• Physical and occupational therapy: Therapy may help with strength, balance, mobility, and safer daily activities.
• Foot care and fall prevention: Daily foot checks, well-fitting footwear, podiatry care when appropriate, and home-safety changes can help prevent injuries.
• Specialist evaluation: Neurology, pain management, endocrinology, or other specialists may be involved when symptoms are progressive, unclear, or difficult to manage.

Stem cell therapy for peripheral neuropathy is being studied because cell-based approaches may influence inflammation, blood flow, and the environment around injured peripheral nerves. Human research has focused primarily on diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

What Researchers Are Studying

• Influence inflammatory and immune-system signaling
• Affect blood flow and the environment around damaged nerves
• Be delivered safely and feasibly in carefully selected patients
• Be further evaluated for their effects on pain, sensation, nerve function, and quality of life

Peripheral neuropathy includes conditions with different causes, including diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapy-related neuropathy, nerve compression, autoimmune neuropathy, and inherited neuropathies. Researchers are studying how different cell products and treatment approaches may apply to these conditions.

Note: Stem cell therapies for peripheral neuropathy are not FDA-approved and are investigational. Research findings do not guarantee individual results.

How Stem Cell Therapy for Neuropathy Is Being Studied

Most clinical research has evaluated cell-based treatments in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Studies use different cell products, preparation methods, doses, delivery routes, background diabetes treatment plans, and outcome measures. Researchers may assess pain, sensation, nerve-conduction testing, blood flow, ulcer healing, or quality of life. This work is helping identify the approaches and patient groups that warrant continued clinical study. Stem cell treatment for neuropathy remains investigational.

2024: Systematic Review Reported Improvements in Nerve Function and Clinical Scores

Human Studies of the Efficacy and Safety of Stem Cells in the Treatment of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — Read Study

This systematic review and meta-analysis included seven controlled human studies of stem cell therapy for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The pooled analysis found statistically significant improvements in motor and sensory nerve-conduction velocity, vibration-perception threshold, and Toronto Clinical Scoring System scores. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses also supported these findings. These results add to the growing clinical research on cell-based approaches for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

2014: Clinical Trial Registry: MSC Study for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy — Read Study

This ClinicalTrials.gov record describes a 10-participant, single-group study of mesenchymal stromal cell treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The study planned to assess pain, sensory loss, nerve conduction, and selected laboratory measures. The record adds to the body of registered clinical research on MSC-based approaches for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.