Neuropathy Treatment
Neuropathy Treatment in Boca Raton, FL
Peripheral neuropathy is a common and often frustrating condition in which damaged or irritated nerves send faulty signals to the hands and feet, producing burning, tingling, numbness, and weakness.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Matthew Winke, DACM · Last reviewed
What Is Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy refers to damage or dysfunction of the peripheral nerves — the network that carries messages between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. When these nerves are affected, they can misfire, under-fire, or send pain signals with no clear cause, which is why symptoms so often feel strange and hard to describe.
The condition most commonly begins in the longest nerves first, which is why the feet and lower legs are usually involved before the hands — a pattern many people describe as a "stocking-and-glove" distribution. Sensory nerves affect feeling, motor nerves affect strength and coordination, and autonomic nerves affect functions like sweating and circulation, so presentations vary widely from person to person.
Neuropathy may develop gradually over years, as with diabetes, or more suddenly, as with certain chemotherapy medications. Because the underlying causes differ so much, careful evaluation matters, and any supportive care works best alongside management of the root condition with your physician.
Peripheral neuropathy is a common and often frustrating condition in which damaged or irritated nerves send faulty signals to the hands and feet, producing burning, tingling, numbness, and weakness. It affects many older adults, particularly those living with diabetes or recovering from chemotherapy, and it can quietly erode balance, sleep, and confidence with everyday walking.
At Acupuncture Xperts, we frequently work with patients seeking neuropathy treatment in Boca Raton who want conservative, non-drug approaches to feel steadier and more comfortable. Our focus is on understanding what may be contributing to your nerve symptoms and building a personalized, supportive plan that fits your health history and goals.
Common Causes
Diabetes
Chronically elevated blood sugar is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy, gradually damaging the small nerves of the feet and legs.
Chemotherapy and Certain Medications
Some cancer treatments and other medications are neurotoxic and can trigger burning, tingling, or numbness, often in a symmetric pattern in the hands and feet.
Nerve Compression or Injury
Pressure on a nerve from trauma, repetitive stress, or a narrowed passageway (such as carpal tunnel) can disrupt normal nerve signaling.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Low levels of vitamin B12 and other nutrients important to nerve health can contribute to neuropathic symptoms over time.
Circulatory and Metabolic Conditions
Reduced blood flow, thyroid imbalance, and other metabolic disorders can starve nerves of what they need to function normally.
Idiopathic and Age-Related Changes
In many older adults no single cause is found, and nerve changes that come with aging are believed to play a role.
Symptoms
- Burning or hot sensations in the feet or hands
- Tingling or "pins and needles"
- Numbness or reduced feeling
- Sharp, stabbing, or electric-shock pains
- Increased sensitivity to touch
- A feeling of wearing invisible socks or gloves
- Muscle weakness in the feet or hands
- Balance problems or unsteadiness when walking
- Symptoms that worsen at night
- Cramping or a heavy feeling in the legs
- Difficulty sensing hot, cold, or foot injuries
Risk Factors
- Diabetes or prediabetes
- Past or current chemotherapy
- Older age
- Vitamin B12 or other nutritional deficiency
- Heavy or long-term alcohol use
- Kidney or thyroid disease
- Peripheral vascular (circulation) problems
- Repetitive-stress or compression injuries
- Family history of neuropathy
- Certain autoimmune or infectious conditions
How We Help
Depending on your evaluation, your plan may draw on one or more of the following therapies, often beginning with Acupuncture for Neuropathy or Infrared PEMF Crystal Therapy.
Our Acupuncture Treatment services may help support nerve-related comfort and circulation for patients living with burning, tingling, and numbness, using gentle stimulation of specific points on the limbs and body.
- Supporting management of nerve-related discomfort
- Encouraging local circulation to the hands and feet
- Promoting relaxation and better sleep
- Supporting overall nerve health as part of a broader plan
- Providing a non-drug complement to your physician’s care
For neuropathy, Infrared PEMF Crystal Therapy applies gentle warmth and pulsed energy that many patients find soothing on cold, achy, or tingling feet, and it may help promote relaxation and circulation as part of a comprehensive plan.
LED Light Phototherapy uses specific wavelengths of light and is often incorporated for patients with neuropathy who are looking for a gentle, non-invasive option to support circulation and comfort in the extremities.
Our Chinese Herbal Medicine consultations may be used to support broader wellness goals — such as circulation and sleep — that often matter to patients managing long-standing neuropathy, complementing other treatment approaches.
Gentle Neuromuscular Massage Therapy may help ease the muscular tightness, cramping, and heaviness that can accompany neuropathy in the legs and feet, while supporting relaxation and circulation.
What the Research Says
Peripheral neuropathy has a smaller and more emerging acupuncture research base than conditions like back pain — the trials are fewer, often small, and span very different types of nerve damage, including diabetic and chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. We summarize the strongest available studies below in plain language, and we are candid about where the evidence is still preliminary.
The overall signal is encouraging but not yet definitive: a systematic review and several randomized trials report meaningful symptom improvement, while researchers consistently call for larger, sham-controlled studies to confirm how much of the benefit is specific to acupuncture. Here is what the key studies actually found.
Systematic Review
Acupuncture for Peripheral Neuropathy — Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis
Across 15 studies, most randomized trials favored acupuncture over control for diabetic neuropathy, Bell’s palsy, and carpal tunnel syndrome; a pooled analysis of diabetic neuropathy and Bell’s palsy data (6 trials, 680 patients) showed an odds ratio of 4.23 favoring acupuncture for neuropathic symptoms. The authors concluded acupuncture is beneficial in some neuropathies but that larger sham-controlled trials are still needed.
Dimitrova A, Murchison C, Oken B. Acupuncture for the Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Altern Complement Med. 2017;23(3):164-179. View on PubMed →
Randomized Trial
Acupuncture for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (Bao et al.)
In this pilot randomized trial of 75 cancer survivors with moderate-to-severe chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, real acupuncture produced significantly greater reductions in pain, tingling, and numbness at 8 weeks than usual care. The difference versus sham acupuncture was smaller, and the authors describe the study as preliminary — designed to inform a larger, definitive trial.
Bao T, Patil S, Chen C, et al. Effect of Acupuncture vs Sham Procedure on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(3):e200681. View on PubMed →
Randomized Trial
Acupuncture for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy — ACUDPN Trial
In this open-label randomized trial of 62 patients with type 2 diabetic neuropathy, the acupuncture group reported numbness improved by about 2.3 points on an 11-point scale versus a waiting-list control, with benefits persisting at 16 and 24 weeks; objective nerve-conduction measurements did not change. The authors call for confirmatory sham-controlled studies.
Hoerder S, Habermann IV, Hahn K, et al. Acupuncture in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy — Neurological Outcomes of the Randomized ACUDPN Trial. World J Diabetes. 2023;14(12):1813-1823. View on PubMed →
The neuropathy evidence base is smaller and still emerging, and individual results vary considerably by the type and cause of nerve damage. During your consultation we will talk honestly about what the current research does and does not show for your specific situation.
These summaries are educational and describe published research; they are not a guarantee of individual results.
Exercises & Self-Care
For peripheral neuropathy, gentle balance and circulation exercises are among the most commonly recommended self-care steps, because reduced sensation in the feet raises the risk of falls and stiffness. The seated and chair-supported movements below are conservative starting points that complement in-office care rather than replace it.
Safety comes first with numb feet: always keep a hand on a sturdy support, move slowly, and check your feet and skin before and after for any redness, blisters, or injuries you might not feel. These are general examples, not a personalized program — we tailor recommendations to your sensation, balance, and overall health during your visit.
Circulation
Seated Ankle Pumps and Circles
- Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your back supported, feet flat on the floor, and hands resting on your thighs or the seat for stability.
- Lift one foot slightly off the floor and slowly point your toes away from you, then pull them back up toward your shin.
- After several pumps, draw slow circles with that foot — a few times in each direction.
- Lower the foot with control and repeat with the other side.
How much: 10 pumps and 5 circles each direction per foot, twice daily
Stay seated for this one — do not attempt it standing if your balance or foot sensation is affected.
Circulation
Seated Marching
- Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your back supported and both feet flat on the floor, holding the sides of the seat for stability.
- Slowly lift one knee as if marching in place, only as high as is comfortable.
- Lower the foot back to the floor with control.
- Alternate legs at a slow, steady pace, breathing normally.
How much: 2 sets of 10 per leg, once or twice daily
Strength
Seated Heel and Toe Raises
- Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart and your hands resting on your thighs.
- Keeping your toes on the floor, lift both heels as high as is comfortable, then lower them slowly.
- Next, keep your heels planted and lift your toes toward the ceiling, then lower them slowly.
How much: 2 sets of 10 of each movement, once daily
Balance
Chair-Supported Standing Weight Shifts
- Stand upright behind a sturdy chair or at a kitchen counter, feet hip-width apart, with both hands resting on the support.
- Slowly shift your weight from side to side, keeping both hands on the support the entire time.
- As you feel steady, add gentle forward-and-backward weight shifts within a small, comfortable range.
How much: 1–2 minutes of slow weight shifts, once daily
Keep both hands on a solid support at all times, and skip this if you feel dizzy or unsteady. Because numb feet make falls more likely, never rush.
Balance
Supported Heel-to-Toe Rocks
- Stand upright facing a kitchen counter or sturdy table, with both hands resting on it for support and your feet together.
- Rise slowly onto the balls of both feet, lifting your heels, hold briefly, then lower.
- Then rock back onto your heels, lifting your toes off the floor, hold briefly, and lower.
How much: 2 sets of 8 slow rocks, once daily
Keep your hands on the support throughout, and stop if you cannot feel the floor well enough to stay steady.
Stop any exercise that sharply increases pain, or causes numbness, tingling, or pain radiating into a limb, and consult a qualified provider. These general examples are educational and do not replace an individual evaluation.
Take the first step on your Peripheral Neuropathy recovery
Personalized, non-surgical care from Dr. Winke and the Acupuncture Xperts team.
What to Expect
Your Care Journey
- 01
Initial Consultation
Care begins with a thorough conversation about your health history, lifestyle, and specific goals for addressing your peripheral neuropathy.
- 02
Evaluation
We assess the underlying contributors — movement, posture, muscular patterns, and overall wellness — to understand what may be driving your symptoms.
- 03
Personalized Treatment
Based on your evaluation, we build a customized plan that may combine several complementary therapies suited to your individual needs.
- 04
Supporting Recovery
Beyond in-office care, we offer guidance on movement, ergonomics, and lifestyle adjustments to help support lasting results.
- 05
Our Approach
We focus on conservative, non-surgical, whole-person care aimed at addressing root contributors rather than only masking symptoms.
- 06
Why Patients Choose Us
Patients throughout South Florida choose Acupuncture Xperts for our individualized, integrative approach and our commitment to long-term wellness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research suggests acupuncture may help support comfort for some types of neuropathy, though the evidence base is still emerging. We will discuss honestly what the studies show for your situation.
People commonly describe burning, tingling, numbness, or "pins and needles," often starting in the feet. Symptoms may be worse at night.
The supportive therapies we offer are gentle and non-drug, and are chosen with your health history in mind. Acupuncture performed with sterile, single-use needles is considered very safe.
Yes. Neuropathy has underlying causes such as diabetes that require ongoing medical management. Our supportive care is meant to complement, not replace, your physician’s treatment.
This varies with the cause and duration of your symptoms. Long-standing neuropathy is typically approached with a series of sessions rather than a single visit.
Reduced feeling makes it easy to miss cuts, blisters, or pressure sores. We encourage daily foot checks and careful attention to any changes in the skin.
Yes. When the feet lose sensation, balance and stability can suffer, which is why we emphasize safe, supported balance exercises.
When to Seek Professional Care
- Burning, tingling, or numbness that persists or spreads
- Symptoms that increasingly disrupt sleep
- New or worsening weakness in the hands or feet
- Balance problems or a recent fall
- A foot wound, blister, or sore that is slow to heal
- Symptoms interfering with daily activities and walking
- Neuropathy alongside diabetes or other chronic conditions
Peripheral neuropathy can affect far more than the feet and hands — it touches balance, sleep, mood, and independence. Understanding the possible causes, symptoms, and risk factors is an important first step toward finding supportive care that fits your life, always in coordination with the physician managing your underlying health.
If you are exploring options for neuropathy treatment in Boca Raton, our team at Acupuncture Xperts can help evaluate your symptoms and build a personalized, conservative plan focused on comfort, circulation, and safety. We proudly serve patients throughout Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Highland Beach, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, and surrounding South Florida communities.
Have questions or ready to begin? Contact our Boca Raton clinic to get started.
Serving Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Highland Beach, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County.
Ready to Address Your Peripheral Neuropathy?
Schedule a visit and we’ll build a personalized plan together.