Canyon Foot & Ankle Specialists provides expert diagnosis and treatment for peripheral neuropathy for patients in Twin Falls, Burley, and throughout south-central Idaho. Peripheral neuropathy occurs when the peripheral nerves, the nerves that carry signals between the brain, spinal cord, and the feet, become damaged. When these nerves are injured, the communication that normally allows you to feel sensation, sense your foot position, and protect yourself from injury is disrupted. The result is often numbness, tingling, burning pain, or a loss of the protective sensation that keeps feet safe.
Peripheral neuropathy has many causes, with diabetes and prediabetes being the most common, followed by vitamin deficiencies, alcohol-related nerve damage, autoimmune disease, chemotherapy, certain medications, and nerve compression. Some patients have idiopathic neuropathy, meaning no specific cause can be identified. Because untreated neuropathy in the feet raises the risk of falls, wounds, and serious infection, prompt podiatric evaluation matters. Our board-certified podiatrists, Dr. Pilling and Dr. DeVries, perform a thorough assessment to identify the cause, document the degree of nerve involvement, and build a personalized plan that focuses on relieving symptoms, slowing progression, and protecting your feet from complications.
Schedule Your Neuropathy Consultation
Why Choose Canyon Foot & Ankle for Peripheral Neuropathy Care?
- Specialized Podiatric Expertise: Our board-certified podiatrists evaluate and treat the full range of nerve conditions affecting the feet and the complications they can cause
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- Comprehensive Evaluation: We assess sensation, circulation, balance, and skin integrity to understand both the neuropathy and your risk for complications
- Advanced Treatment Options: From protective foot care and custom orthotics to advanced therapies such as Neurogenx nerve treatment, we match care to each patient
- Diabetic Foot Protection: We specialize in diabetic foot care and the early detection that prevents small problems from becoming serious ones
- Compassionate, Reassuring Care: We take time to explain your condition clearly and partner with you to protect your mobility and independence
- Two Idaho Locations: Convenient access to expert foot care in both Twin Falls and Burley, serving all of south-central Idaho
- Insurance Coverage: We accept most major insurance plans for medically necessary neuropathy evaluation and treatment.
When to Seek Prompt Evaluation: If you notice a new foot wound, a sore that is not healing, redness or swelling, or any sign of infection, contact our Twin Falls or Burley office right away. Patients with diabetes or known neuropathy who develop a cut, blister, or change in sensation should seek evaluation without delay, because reduced feeling can allow injuries to progress quickly and silently.
Understanding Peripheral Neuropathy and How It Affects the Feet
Your peripheral nerves form a vast communication network that carries information between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body, including the feet. These nerves do three essential jobs. Sensory nerves let you feel touch, temperature, and pain. Motor nerves control the muscles that move and stabilize your feet. Autonomic nerves regulate functions you do not consciously control, such as sweating and blood flow. Peripheral neuropathy develops when one or more of these nerve types is damaged, disrupting the normal flow of signals and producing the symptoms patients notice in their feet.
The feet are often the first place neuropathy appears because they contain the longest nerves in the body, which makes them especially vulnerable to damage. This is why symptoms frequently begin in the toes and gradually move upward in a pattern often described as stocking-like. Understanding which nerves are affected, and what is causing the damage, is the foundation of effective treatment.
How Nerve Damage Develops
Nerve fibers can be injured in several ways. Prolonged high blood sugar, as occurs in diabetes, damages the small blood vessels that nourish nerves and harms the nerve fibers directly. Toxins, certain medications, vitamin deficiencies, and inflammation can also injure nerves. In some cases a nerve is physically compressed or entrapped, as can happen with foot nerve entrapment, which produces localized symptoms rather than the widespread pattern seen in metabolic neuropathy. Identifying the mechanism helps our podiatrists target treatment toward the underlying problem.
Why the Pattern of Symptoms Matters
The way neuropathy presents offers important clues. Symmetrical numbness or burning that starts in both feet and spreads slowly often points to a metabolic cause such as diabetes. Symptoms limited to one part of one foot may suggest nerve compression or a localized issue. Symptoms that come on suddenly or progress quickly warrant urgent evaluation. By carefully mapping where and how your symptoms appear, our team can narrow down the cause and recommend the right next steps. You can also learn more from our overview of the common causes of peripheral neuropathy.
Who Is Affected by Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is common, particularly among people with diabetes, where it eventually affects a large share of patients. Risk also rises with age, with a history of heavy alcohol use, with certain autoimmune and metabolic conditions, and after some cancer treatments. Because the early symptoms can be subtle and easy to dismiss, many people live with neuropathy for some time before seeking care. Our Twin Falls and Burley podiatrists encourage early evaluation, since timely treatment offers the best opportunity to slow progression and prevent the serious foot complications that neuropathy can cause.
Common Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy
Identifying the cause of peripheral neuropathy is essential because it directly shapes treatment and prognosis. Some causes can be reversed or controlled, while others require ongoing management to protect the feet. Our podiatrists take a careful history and coordinate with your other physicians when needed to pinpoint what is driving your nerve symptoms.
Leading Causes of Nerve Damage in the Feet
- Diabetes: The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy. Sustained high blood sugar damages nerve fibers and the small vessels that supply them, often producing symmetrical numbness, tingling, and burning that begins in the toes
- Prediabetes: Even before a diabetes diagnosis, elevated blood sugar can begin to injure peripheral nerves, which is why early symptoms should not be ignored
- Alcohol-Related Nerve Damage: Chronic heavy alcohol use is directly toxic to nerves and often contributes to nutritional deficiencies that worsen the damage
- Vitamin Deficiencies: Low levels of B12, B1, B6, or vitamin E can impair nerve function. Some of these deficiencies are correctable, which may improve symptoms
- Autoimmune Diseases: Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Guillain-Barre syndrome can cause the immune system to attack peripheral nerves
- Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy: Certain cancer-fighting drugs can damage nerves, leading to numbness and pain in the hands and feet during and after treatment
- Certain Medications: Some drugs used for infections, heart conditions, and other illnesses can have nerve-related side effects
- Nerve Compression: Physical pressure on a nerve, including conditions like neuromas, can produce localized neuropathic symptoms in the foot
- Idiopathic Neuropathy: In a meaningful number of cases, no specific cause is found despite thorough evaluation. These patients still benefit greatly from symptom management and protective foot care
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Because diabetes is the leading cause of peripheral neuropathy, it deserves special attention. Over time, poorly controlled blood sugar damages the nerves that supply the feet, gradually reducing sensation. Many patients do not realize how much feeling they have lost until a routine examination reveals it. This loss of protective sensation is what makes diabetic neuropathy so dangerous, because injuries can occur without pain to signal them. Keeping blood sugar well controlled is the single most important step in slowing diabetic nerve damage. Our team works alongside your primary care provider as part of a complete approach to diabetes-related foot health.
Risk Factors That Increase Your Likelihood of Neuropathy
Several factors raise the risk of developing peripheral neuropathy. These include a diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes, long-standing or poorly controlled blood sugar, advancing age, a history of heavy alcohol use, kidney or thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions, exposure to certain toxins, and a family history of inherited neuropathy. People with more than one risk factor face a higher likelihood of nerve damage and should be especially attentive to early symptoms. Recognizing your personal risk profile helps our podiatrists recommend appropriate monitoring and preventive care.
Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy
Recognizing the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy is the first step toward protecting your feet. Symptoms vary depending on which nerves are affected and can range from mildly annoying to severely disruptive. They often begin gradually and worsen over time, which is why early recognition is so valuable.
Common Symptoms Patients Experience
- Numbness in the Feet: A reduced or absent ability to feel touch, often beginning in the toes and spreading across the foot
- Tingling Sensations: A pins-and-needles feeling that may come and go or remain constant
- Burning Pain: A hot or scalding sensation in the feet, frequently worse at night
- Sharp or Shooting Pain: Sudden, electric-like jolts of pain that can be unpredictable
- Increased Sensitivity to Touch: Feet that feel painful or overly sensitive to light contact, such as bedsheets or socks
- Balance Problems: Difficulty sensing the position of the feet, leading to unsteadiness and a higher risk of stumbles
- Muscle Weakness: Weakening of the small muscles in the feet, which can affect gait and foot structure over time
- Loss of Protective Sensation: An inability to feel cuts, blisters, or pressure, which allows injuries to go unnoticed
Some patients experience mainly painful symptoms, while others notice numbness and loss of feeling with little pain. Both presentations require attention. If you have noticed any of these changes, our guide to the early warning signs of peripheral neuropathy explains what to watch for and when to act.
Why Neuropathy in the Feet Is Serious
Peripheral neuropathy is more than a source of discomfort. When the feet lose protective sensation, the everyday warnings that prevent injury disappear, and small problems can escalate quietly into serious complications. This is the central reason that neuropathy deserves prompt, ongoing podiatric care.
Increased Risk of Falls
Neuropathy disrupts your ability to sense where your feet are and to feel the ground beneath you. Combined with possible muscle weakness, this significantly raises the risk of trips, stumbles, and falls. Falls can lead to fractures and other injuries that further reduce mobility and independence, making balance assessment an important part of neuropathy care.
Foot Ulcers, Infections, and Delayed Healing
When you cannot feel a blister, cut, or pressure point, it can develop into an open sore, or ulcer, without you realizing it. In feet with neuropathy and reduced circulation, these wounds heal slowly and are prone to infection. Recognizing the first signs of a foot ulcer and seeking care promptly is critical. Our practice provides comprehensive wound care to treat these injuries before they become limb-threatening.
Diabetic Foot Complications and Amputation Risk
For patients with diabetes, the combination of neuropathy, poor circulation, and impaired healing creates the highest-risk scenario in foot care. An unnoticed wound can progress to a deep infection, and in severe cases this can threaten the foot or limb. The encouraging reality is that most of these outcomes are preventable with vigilant daily foot inspection, protective footwear, blood sugar control, and regular podiatric monitoring. Understanding the symptoms of diabetic foot problems and never walking barefoot when you have diabetes are two of the most effective protective habits you can adopt.
Do Not Ignore a New Wound: If you have neuropathy and notice any sore, blister, redness, drainage, or change in skin color on your feet, treat it as urgent. Reduced sensation means a wound can be far more serious than it feels. Learn the signs of an infected foot wound and contact our Twin Falls or Burley office promptly.
How Peripheral Neuropathy Is Diagnosed
A thorough evaluation is the foundation of effective neuropathy care. At Canyon Foot & Ankle Specialists, our Twin Falls and Burley podiatrists assess each patient individually, gathering the information needed to confirm neuropathy, gauge its severity, and identify its likely cause so treatment can be targeted appropriately. You can read more about our approach to diagnosing neuropathy.
Medical History Review
Your evaluation begins with a detailed history. We ask when your symptoms started, how they have changed, where on the feet they occur, and what makes them better or worse. We review your medical conditions, especially diabetes and prediabetes, your medications, your nutritional and alcohol history, any family history of nerve problems, and any prior cancer treatment. This history often points strongly toward the underlying cause and shapes the rest of the assessment.
Physical Examination and Sensory Testing
Our podiatrists examine your feet for skin changes, calluses, deformities, muscle wasting, and circulation. We then perform sensory testing to measure how well your nerves are functioning. Two common, painless tests are central to neuropathy evaluation:
- Monofilament Testing: A thin, flexible filament is pressed against several points on the sole of the foot. Your ability to feel it indicates whether protective sensation is intact or diminished
- Vibration Testing: A tuning fork or similar device is placed against the foot to assess how well you perceive vibration, one of the sensations earliest affected by neuropathy
Gait, Balance, and Reflex Evaluation
Because neuropathy affects stability, we evaluate how you stand and walk, check your balance, and assess reflexes at the ankle. These findings help us understand your fall risk and tailor recommendations to keep you safe and mobile. Identifying balance impairment early allows us to intervene before a fall occurs.
Additional Diagnostic Testing When Needed
If the cause of your neuropathy is unclear or if symptoms are progressing rapidly, we may recommend further testing or coordinate with your primary care physician or a neurologist. This can include blood work to check for diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, or other systemic conditions, and in some cases nerve conduction studies. This collaborative approach ensures that treatment addresses the true underlying cause rather than the symptoms alone.
Not Sure If Your Symptoms Are Neuropathy? Many people assume that numb or tingling feet are just a normal part of aging or standing all day. If your feet regularly feel numb, burning, or unusually sensitive, or if you have diabetes and have not had your sensation checked recently, these are reasons to be evaluated. Contact our Twin Falls or Burley office to schedule an assessment.
Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Options
Canyon Foot & Ankle Specialists offers a comprehensive approach to peripheral neuropathy that focuses on three goals: addressing the underlying cause when possible, relieving symptoms, and protecting the feet from complications. Because neuropathy varies so much from patient to patient, we tailor every treatment plan to your specific situation, severity, and health needs.
Managing the Underlying Cause
Whenever a treatable cause is present, addressing it is the most important step. For patients with diabetes or prediabetes, optimizing blood sugar control can slow or halt the progression of nerve damage. Correcting a vitamin deficiency, adjusting a medication that is harming nerves, or reducing alcohol intake can lead to meaningful improvement. We coordinate closely with your primary care physician and other specialists so that the root cause and the foot symptoms are managed together. Our guide on whether peripheral neuropathy can be reversed or stopped explains what is realistic for different causes.
Protective Diabetic Foot Care
For patients with reduced sensation, protective foot care is the cornerstone of preventing serious complications. This includes regular professional foot examinations, careful nail and skin care, prompt treatment of calluses and minor injuries, and education on daily self-inspection. Our comprehensive diabetic foot care program is designed to catch problems early, when they are easiest to treat.
Custom Orthotics and Protective Footwear
Properly fitted footwear and custom orthotics play a major role in protecting insensate feet. Orthotic devices redistribute pressure away from high-risk areas, accommodate deformities, and reduce the friction that leads to blisters and ulcers. We also provide guidance on proper footwear for patients with diabetes and can fabricate custom diabetic orthotics for foot protection tailored to your foot structure.
Advanced Neuropathy Therapies
For patients seeking additional relief from nerve pain, numbness, and tingling, our practice offers advanced, non-surgical treatment options. Neurogenx nerve treatment uses targeted electrotherapy to help relieve neuropathic symptoms, and MLS laser therapy can reduce inflammation and discomfort while supporting tissue healing. Our podiatrists discuss which advanced therapies may be appropriate for you and explain realistic expectations for each. You can also explore our overview of cutting-edge neuropathy treatment options.
Lifestyle Modifications and Nutritional Support
Daily habits have a real impact on nerve health. We counsel patients on blood sugar management, balanced nutrition that supports nerve function, limiting alcohol, staying physically active in safe ways, and quitting smoking, which impairs circulation. For patients with deficiencies, nutritional support such as appropriate vitamin supplementation may be recommended in coordination with your physician. These measures complement clinical treatment and help protect the nerves you still have.
Symptom Management and Pain Relief
When neuropathy causes burning, tingling, or pain, several strategies can improve comfort. Depending on your situation, these may include topical treatments, recommendations regarding medications managed with your physician, supportive footwear changes, and therapies aimed at reducing nerve-related discomfort. Our goal is to help you sleep better, move more comfortably, and maintain your quality of life. Additional practical strategies are covered in our resource on managing peripheral neuropathy foot pain.
Preventing Complications Through Ongoing Care
Perhaps the most valuable part of neuropathy treatment is consistent monitoring. Regular visits allow us to track changes in sensation, examine the skin for early breakdown, adjust orthotics and footwear, and intervene at the first sign of a problem. This proactive partnership is the single best way to prevent the ulcers, infections, and falls that make neuropathy dangerous.
Ready to Find Relief and Protect Your Feet?
Twin Falls: (208) 733-0436 • Burley: (208) 678-2727
Most insurance plans accepted • Same-day consultations available
Frequently Asked Questions About Peripheral Neuropathy
What causes peripheral neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy has many possible causes. Diabetes and prediabetes are the most common, because elevated blood sugar damages the small nerves in the feet over time. Other causes include alcohol-related nerve damage, vitamin deficiencies such as low B12, autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy, certain medications, nerve compression, infections, and thyroid disorders. In some cases no clear cause is found, which is called idiopathic neuropathy. A podiatrist evaluates your history, symptoms, and risk factors to identify the likely cause and guide treatment.
Can peripheral neuropathy be reversed?
It depends on the cause and how early it is caught. Nerve damage from long-standing diabetes is often permanent, but progression can frequently be slowed or stopped with good blood sugar control and protective foot care, and symptoms can be managed. When neuropathy comes from a reversible cause such as a vitamin deficiency, a medication, or excess alcohol, addressing that cause can lead to partial or even substantial recovery. Early evaluation gives you the best chance of protecting nerve function and preventing complications. Our team can help you understand more about managing neuropathy with the help of a podiatrist.
Is neuropathy always caused by diabetes?
No. Diabetes is the leading cause of peripheral neuropathy, but it is far from the only one. Vitamin deficiencies, alcohol use, autoimmune conditions, chemotherapy, certain medications, thyroid disease, infections, and nerve compression can all damage peripheral nerves. Some people develop idiopathic neuropathy, meaning no specific cause can be identified despite testing. Because the cause directly affects treatment, a thorough podiatric and medical evaluation is important even if you do not have diabetes.
What are the first signs of neuropathy in the feet?
Early peripheral neuropathy often begins with subtle numbness or a tingling, pins-and-needles sensation in the toes that may gradually spread across the foot. Many people also notice burning pain, sharp or shooting sensations, or feet that feel unusually sensitive to touch or to bedsheets at night. Some patients first notice they cannot feel the floor as well or have trouble with balance. Because these symptoms can start mildly and worsen slowly, it is wise to have new foot numbness or burning evaluated promptly. Read more about why you should see a podiatrist for foot numbness or pain.
When should I see a podiatrist for neuropathy?
See a podiatrist if you develop new numbness, tingling, or burning in your feet, if you have diabetes and notice any change in sensation, or if you experience frequent stumbles, balance problems, or a wound that is slow to heal. Because reduced sensation can hide injuries until they become serious, early evaluation is especially important for anyone with diabetes. The podiatrists at Canyon Foot and Ankle Specialists in Twin Falls and Burley provide thorough neuropathy evaluation and ongoing protective foot care.
How can I protect my feet if I have neuropathy?
Protecting feet with neuropathy centers on preventing injuries you may not feel. Inspect both feet daily for cuts, blisters, redness, or swelling, and never go barefoot, even indoors. Wear well-fitting, supportive shoes and seamless socks, keep blood sugar well controlled if you are diabetic, and avoid extreme water temperatures. Custom diabetic orthotics and protective footwear can reduce pressure points, and regular podiatric checkups allow problems to be caught early. Choosing the right shoes to promote foot health is an important part of daily protection.
Twin Falls & Burley Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Locations
Twin Falls Foot and Ankle Care Center
Our Twin Falls location provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment for peripheral neuropathy and all related foot health concerns for patients throughout south-central Idaho.
- Address: 2190 Village Park Ave Ste 100, Twin Falls, ID 83301
- Phone: (208) 733-0436
- Fax: (208) 733-0438
- Services: Neuropathy evaluation and sensory testing, diabetic foot care, Neurogenx and MLS laser therapy, custom orthotics, wound care, and comprehensive foot and ankle care
- Parking: Convenient on-site parking with accessible entrances
Burley Foot and Ankle Care Center
Serving patients in Burley and surrounding Cassia County communities with expert neuropathy care and complete podiatric services.
- Address: 382 Overland Ave, Burley, ID 83318
- Phone: (208) 678-2727
- Fax: (208) 678-1477
- Services: Peripheral neuropathy assessment, protective foot care, advanced nerve therapies, custom orthotics, and foot surgery when indicated
- Accessibility: Fully wheelchair accessible facility with a patient-friendly environment
Areas We Serve
Canyon Foot & Ankle Specialists proudly provides peripheral neuropathy treatment to patients throughout Southern Idaho including:
- Twin Falls, Idaho and surrounding communities
- Burley, Idaho and Cassia County residents
- Jerome, Idaho families and working adults
- Kimberly, Idaho residents seeking podiatric care
- Heyburn, Rupert, and other south-central Idaho communities
Schedule Your Peripheral Neuropathy Consultation
You do not have to live with numb, tingling, or burning feet, and you do not have to face the risks of untreated neuropathy alone. Canyon Foot & Ankle Specialists in Twin Falls and Burley, Idaho is here to help you understand your condition, relieve your symptoms, and protect your feet for the long term. Whether you are noticing the first signs of nerve trouble, managing diabetic neuropathy, or worried about balance and wound risk, our experienced podiatrists have the expertise and the tools to help.
Ready to Find Relief and Protect Your Feet?
Call Today to Schedule Your Comprehensive Neuropathy Evaluation
Twin Falls: (208) 733-0436
Burley: (208) 678-2727
Most insurance plans accepted • Convenient scheduling for both locations
What to Expect at Your Neuropathy Consultation
- Comprehensive foot examination by a board-certified podiatrist
- Detailed discussion of your symptoms, medical history, and how neuropathy affects your daily life
- Sensory testing including monofilament and vibration assessment
- Evaluation of circulation, balance, and skin integrity to gauge complication risk
- Discussion of likely causes and any additional testing or coordination with your physician
- Review of treatment options tailored to your severity and goals
- Practical footwear and daily self-care guidance you can begin immediately
- Insurance verification and coordination for medically covered treatments
What to Bring to Your Consultation
- List of current medications and supplements, including anything you take for nerve symptoms
- Insurance card and photo identification for verification
- The shoes you typically wear, including any orthotics or inserts you currently use
- Notes on when your symptoms are worst and any patterns you have noticed
- Records related to relevant conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disease, or recent cancer treatment
- Information about any previous treatments you have tried for foot numbness or nerve pain
Same-Day Consultations Available: We understand that neuropathy can affect your comfort, your confidence, and your safety. Contact our Twin Falls or Burley office to schedule your evaluation at your earliest convenience. Our team is committed to providing prompt, expert, and compassionate care so that you can move forward with greater comfort and peace of mind.
Committed to Your Foot Health: Canyon Foot & Ankle Specialists has been serving families throughout Twin Falls, Burley, and south-central Idaho with expert podiatric care and personalized treatment plans. Our board-certified podiatrists combine clinical expertise with genuine compassion to help patients diagnose, treat, and manage peripheral neuropathy and related foot conditions, protecting comfort, mobility, and independence.