Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral Neuropathy Physiotherapy Treatment Adelaide

Peripheral neuropathy occurs when the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord become damaged, affecting how messages travel between your brain, muscles and skin.

Depending on which nerves are affected, peripheral neuropathy can cause numbness, tingling, burning pain, muscle weakness, poor balance and difficulty walking. These symptoms often develop gradually and can have a significant impact on your confidence, mobility and independence.

At Advanced Neuro Rehab, our Neurological Physiotherapists provide evidence-based assessment and rehabilitation to help people living with peripheral neuropathy improve balance, walking, strength and everyday function.

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is an umbrella term used to describe damage to the peripheral nerves.

These nerves carry messages that control:

• Movement
• Sensation
• Balance
• Pain
• Temperature
• Muscle function

When these nerves become damaged, communication between the brain and body becomes less efficient, leading to a wide range of symptoms.

What Causes Peripheral Neuropathy?

There are many different causes of peripheral neuropathy.

Some of the more common conditions include:

• Diabetes
• Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN)
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)
• Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
• Autoimmune conditions
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Alcohol-related neuropathy
• Certain medications

Because there are many different types of neuropathy, an accurate diagnosis is important to guide treatment and long-term management.

Common Symptoms

Symptoms vary depending on the nerves involved but may include:

• Numbness in the feet or hands
• Pins and needles
• Burning pain
• Sharp or electric shock-like pain
• Reduced sensation
• Muscle weakness
• Foot drop
• Difficulty walking
• Poor balance
• Frequent tripping or falls
• Difficulty using your hands
• Reduced coordination

Symptoms often begin in the feet before progressing further up the legs.

How Can Physiotherapy Help?

Physiotherapy cannot repair damaged nerves, but it can help you maximise the function of the nerves and muscles that remain healthy.

Following a comprehensive assessment, our Neurological Physiotherapists develop an individualised rehabilitation program to improve mobility, reduce falls risk and maintain independence.

Treatment may include:

• Walking and gait retraining
• Balance rehabilitation
• Strength training
• Cardiovascular exercise
• Falls prevention strategies
• Functional mobility training
• Foot drop assessment
• Individualised home exercise programs
• Education about symptom management

Every rehabilitation program is tailored to your diagnosis, symptoms and goals.

Improving Balance and Walking

Many people living with peripheral neuropathy lose sensation in their feet, making it more difficult to judge where their feet are when walking.

This can increase the risk of tripping, stumbling and falls.

Our physiotherapists assess:

• Walking pattern
• Balance
• Muscle strength
• Joint mobility
• Foot function
• Sensation
• Functional mobility

We then develop a rehabilitation program to improve confidence, mobility and safety during everyday activities.

Working With Your Healthcare Team

People living with neuropathy often benefit from a multidisciplinary approach.

Where appropriate, we work closely with:

• Neurologists
• GPs
• Podiatrists
• Orthotists
• Occupational Therapists
• Rehabilitation physicians

We can also provide recommendations regarding orthotics, walking aids and other equipment to improve mobility and safety.

Why Choose Advanced Neuro Rehab?

Our Neurological Physiotherapists have extensive experience working with people living with a wide range of neurological conditions, including diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease and CIDP.

We understand that every person’s symptoms are different. Our rehabilitation programs are tailored to your individual needs and focus on helping you remain active, confident and independent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can physiotherapy help peripheral neuropathy?

Yes. While physiotherapy cannot reverse nerve damage, it can improve strength, balance, walking ability and confidence while reducing your risk of falls.

Can exercise make neuropathy worse?

For most people, appropriately prescribed exercise is safe and beneficial. Your physiotherapist will tailor your program to your symptoms and medical condition.

Why do I keep tripping?

Peripheral neuropathy often reduces sensation and muscle control in the feet and ankles, making it harder to lift your feet and judge where they are during walking. Physiotherapy can improve walking mechanics and help reduce falls risk.

Can physiotherapy help foot drop?

Yes. Physiotherapy can strengthen appropriate muscles, retrain walking patterns and, where appropriate, recommend orthotics such as an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) to improve safety and mobility.

Do you work with podiatrists and neurologists?

Yes. We regularly collaborate with GPs, neurologists, podiatrists, orthotists and other healthcare professionals to provide coordinated care and achieve the best possible outcomes.