An individual suffering from peripheral neuropathy may experience pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, and other symptoms of nerve damage outside the brain and spinal cord. Diabetes, injury, infection, toxins, and genetic disorders can cause peripheral neuropathy. Patients with peripheral neuropathy may find it difficult to perform daily activities, work, or enjoy hobbies.
Providing patients with a direct and personal relationship with their primary care doctor without the interference of insurance companies or other third parties is called Direct Primary Care (DPC). In addition to unlimited visits, phone calls, emails, and other services, DPC patients pay a monthly or annual fee to their doctor. DPC doctors have fewer patients than traditional doctors, which allows them to spend more time with each patient, provide more personalized care, and focus on prevention and wellness.
DPC can help patients with peripheral neuropathy in many ways, such as:
Providing timely and convenient access to your doctor, who can monitor your condition, adjust your medications, order tests, and refer you to specialists as needed.
Offering comprehensive and holistic care, which addresses not only your physical symptoms, but also your emotional, mental, and social well-being.
Educating you about your condition, its causes, its treatments, and its complications, and empowering you to take an active role in your health.
Coordinating your care with other providers, such as neurologists, endocrinologists, podiatrists, physical therapists, and nutritionists, who can offer specialized services and therapies for your peripheral neuropathy.
Saving you money, by eliminating copays, deductibles, and other fees, and by reducing the need for unnecessary or expensive interventions.
Some of the benefits that DPC can offer to patients with peripheral neuropathy are:
Reduced pain, as DPC doctors can prescribe appropriate pain medications, and also recommend alternative or complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation, or biofeedback, which can help relieve pain and improve nerve function.
Enhanced mobility, as DPC doctors can provide physical therapy, exercises, and devices, such as braces, splints, or orthotics, which can help improve your strength, balance, and coordination, and prevent falls and injuries.
Better nutrition, as DPC doctors can advise you on the best diet for your condition, which can help control your blood sugar, lower your inflammation, and support your nerve health. DPC doctors can also prescribe supplements, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, or omega-3 fatty acids, which can help protect and repair your nerves.
One of the main advantages of DPC is that it allows you to have a customized and individualized plan for managing your peripheral neuropathy, based on your specific needs, preferences, and goals. You will work with your DPC doctor to create a plan tailored to your lifestyle, budget, and expectations that covers all aspects of your health, including:
Diagnosis and evaluation, which involves a thorough history, physical examination, and laboratory tests, to determine the type, cause, severity, and progression of your peripheral neuropathy.
Treatment and prevention, which involves a combination of medications, therapies, and lifestyle changes, to reduce your symptoms, prevent complications, and slow down or reverse the nerve damage.
Monitoring and follow-up, which involves regular visits, phone calls, emails, and other communication methods, to track your response, adjust your plan, and address any issues or concerns.
Education and empowerment, which involves providing you with information, resources, and tools, to help you understand your condition, manage your health, and cope with your challenges.
As Thomas Edison said,
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
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