Nerve
Peripheral Neuropathy
Numbness, tingling, or burning in your feet or hands — often worse at night.
If this sounds like you
You're not imagining it. You're not making too much of it.
If you're here, you've probably already tried gabapentin, B-vitamins, or been told to 'just learn to live with it.' You count the steps from the truck to the porch when the porch light's off. You've stopped walking the dog at dawn because the gravel feels uneven under feet that don't quite report back. You're not exaggerating — and you're not willing to give up another Montana summer to this.
The 2 a.m. version
What neuropathy actually feels like when the house is quiet and you can't sleep through it.
- Burning in the feet that gets worse at night
- Numbness or tingling in the toes, soles, or fingertips
- Balance loss or fear of falling
- Feet that feel like they're plugged into an outlet at 2 a.m.
- Difficulty walking on uneven ground in the dark
The part nobody says out loud
Underneath the numbness is a quieter fear nobody's said out loud yet: that this is what the rest of your life looks like. That you'll be the one in the family who stops coming on the hike, who can't drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road anymore, who falls. You're not a complainer — you've adapted around this for years. But adapting isn't the same as living, and you can feel the difference.
You're not exaggerating. You're not being dramatic.
If any of the above made you nod, exhale, or feel a little seen — that's the point. Dr. Smith's exam starts from the assumption that what you're feeling is real, measurable, and worth taking seriously.
What your family has noticed
The people who love you have been watching this longer than you realize.
You think you've been hiding it. You haven't — not really. Here's what the people closest to you have quietly noticed, even if they've never said a word:
- You shake your feet out under the table when you think no one's looking
- You're quieter on evening walks because you're watching the ground
- You ask someone else to carry in the firewood now
- You sit down to put your boots on instead of standing
- You've started turning down trips you used to lead
What waiting actually costs
Why now matters more than most people think.
Neuropathy is progressive. Every month the small nerves go without circulation and signaling support is another month of fiber loss — and a smaller window for meaningful recovery. The trail you can still walk this fall is not guaranteed next summer.
Causes & traditional approaches
Why peripheral neuropathy happens — and why the usual fixes fall short.
Common underlying causes
- Diabetes or chronically elevated blood sugar damaging small nerve fibers
- Chemotherapy or other neurotoxic medications
- Autoimmune inflammation attacking peripheral nerves
- B12 and other vitamin deficiencies
- Idiopathic — no identifiable cause on standard labs
What's usually offered — and where it falls short
Gabapentin, Lyrica, or other nerve medications
Limit: Mask symptoms without addressing blood flow or nerve repair — and the brain fog, weight gain, and dizziness often outweigh the relief.
B-vitamins and over-the-counter supplements
Limit: Useful as adjuncts, but rarely sufficient on their own once small-fiber damage is established.
'Learn to live with it' / watchful waiting
Limit: Waiting almost always means more nerve loss, more balance issues, and a smaller window for meaningful recovery.
How Dr. Smith treats this differently
Our Neuropathy approach for Peripheral Neuropathy.
Multi-modal nerve and circulation support combining electrotherapy, high-frequency vibration, light-based stimulation, and personalized metabolic guidance.
Explore the Neuropathy ProgramCommon Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Stop living around peripheral neuropathy.
Start with a $47 new patient evaluation and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help.