Peripheral Neuropathy: Her Toes Were Numb…

What do cats and peripheral neuropathy have in common?

Keep reading. I’m about to tell you. If you love cats, then this story is going to make you giggle. 

Teresa, from Emmett, Idaho, LOVES cats. She is kind of like a cat whisperer. She has several that live inside her house, and many more who live outside. She told us that she has never gone out to find a new cat to add to the family. They always find her. Strays just show up at her house when they are sick, hungry or in need. 

In the midst of caring for her cat family, Teresa also suffers from Type 2 Diabetes-induced Peripheral Neuropathy. Her symptoms have been progressing for many years—burning, pain, tingling, and loss of balance, 

She’s done all the “things” to help stop the progression of her neuropathy—doctors, specialists, dietary, etc. No one could help her. She knew that her symptoms had gotten worse, but she didn’t realize the extent of the progression.

Back to the original question... What do cats and peripheral neuropathy have in common?

A Lesson from her CAT

In Teresa’s case, one of her cats helped her to recognize that her Peripheral Neuropathy had gotten out of control. 

One evening, Teresa was relaxing in her living room with her feet up, reading the newspaper. She paused to look up over the edge of the paper, and realized that her cat was licking her toes…. She didn’t FEEL the cat licking at her toes. She SAW the cat licking her toes.

Okay. Let’s think about that for a moment…

If a cat were licking MY toes, I’d know it immediately! I’d be fidgeting. I’d be laughing. I’d possibly be wiggling my toes to shoo the cat away—because I’m ticklish! 

When a cat licks your toes, you know it, right? Cat tongues are slightly dry and a little bit prickly like sand paper. The feeling of a cat licking your toes is very distinct and recognizable. 

Teresa could NOT feel the cat licking her toes
because the nerves in her feet were dying.
Her Peripheral Neuropathy had progressed to a new stage.

Not being able to feel your cat lick your toes may not seem like a big deal, but it is. It means that your feet are numb, your neuropathy is progressing, and you need help.

The Progression of Peripheral Neuropathy

The first stage of peripheral neuropathy is pain. Damage is caused by a lack of blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet, which leads to a lack of nutrients that causes degeneration of the nerves.

You feel burning, tingling, sharp pains, and feeling as if you are walking on tacks or marbles. As the nerves “die” the pain eventually subsides and the numbness sets in. Unfortunately, the numbness brings with it a whole other host of problems.

• Loss of balance 
• Trouble feeling the gas or brake pedals when driving 
• Wounds in the feet 
• Inability to wear shoes
• Loss of freedom

A NEW Solution for Neuropathy

This was Teresa’s situation. She began searching once again for solutions and found an article in her local newspaper featuring Dr. Thompson and her experience with difficult-to-treat pain related conditions. She was intrigued, and hopeful.

“Dr. Thompson specializes in neurological chronic pain conditions, and is using the time-tested science of acupuncture and a technology originally developed by NASA that assists in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat Peripheral Neuropathy.”

“She’s been treating the senior community for over 20 years using the most cutting edge and innovative integrative medicine. Specializing in chronic pain cases, specifically those that have been deemed ‘hopeless’ or ‘untreatable’, she consistently generates unparalleled results.”

Teresa met with Dr. Thompson for a consultation and made the decision to begin treatment right away. Within a few short months of receiving treatment for her Peripheral Neuropathy at Meridian Family Acupuncture, life changed in a positive direction for Teresa. 

As you can imagine, Teresa was very excited each time she felt a new sensation in her feet along her acupuncture journey. She’d come in bubbling with joy when she had something new to share. Our whole staff was cheering her on. 

"I can feel my toes rubbing against
each other for the first time in over a year.”

"My feet aren't cold anymore.”

"I can wear socks without pain.” 

"I can walk through the grocery store without pain.”

"My foot cramps have stopped, no more
‘wandering toe’ that used to wake me up at night.” 

Her doctor told her there was nothing that could be done, and that her only option was to ‘live with it’—taking Gabapentin and Neurontin to manage the pain. Well here's the thing. She listened to what her doctors told her. She did 'live with' her neuropathy and it kept getting worse. 

Luckily, she found Dr. Thompson at Meridian Family Acupuncture. She is now living life BETTER. 

Okay, so back to the cats. Here’s the report Teresa gave us the last time she came in…

“These are definitely not the same feet I came in here with.
Once again, I can feel my cat licking my toes.”
~Teresa B

If you or someone you love is suffering from neuropathy (or chronic pain) which is gradually getting worse, give us a call to set up a consultation with Dr. Thompson. Don’t wait. Call today. 208-965-3777

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NOTE: Dr. Thompson specializes in chronic hard-to-treat neurological conditions. She is a world renowned teacher in the field of acupuncture and chronic pain. Her clinic is often used for teaching and mentoring other acupuncture doctors who come from around the world to learn her techniques.