25^th World Nursing and Nurse Practitioner Conference

Biography

Biography: Nizar Abdul Majeedkutty

Abstract

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus both in developed and developing countries. It is found in about 10% of diabetic patients at diagnosis and in the majority of patients 25 years later on. Patients with pre-diabetes may also develop neuropathies that are similar to diabetic neuropathies. Loss of feeling in the lower limbs is a high risk for limb amputation. Extremely long axons originating in the small neuronal body are vulnerable on the most distal side as a result of mal-nutritional axonal support or environmental insults. Sparse vascular supply with impaired auto-regulation is likely to cause hypoxic damage in the nerve. Such dual influences exerted by long-term hyperglycemia are critical for peripheral nerve damage, resulting in distal-predominant nerve fiber degeneration. Despite efforts to make an early diagnosis and to halt the progression of diabetic neuropathy, currently there is no effective treatment available at a global level, except for tight control of blood glucose. Physical therapy can improve the overall quality of life of diabetes mellitus patients with peripheral neuropathy and alleviate them from the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. This article reviews the different treatment strategies used in physical therapy to manage diabetic peripheral neuropathy and presents evidence and conditions for its applications.