Neuropathy questions, answered
At-home vs in-clinic neuropathy care: which is right for you?
By Dr. Jill Althoff, DC, founder of Althoff Wellness Clinic in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In practice since 2003 and author of two books on neuropathy.Short answer
At Althoff Wellness Clinic, neuropathy care can happen in our Cheyenne clinic, at home, or as a mix of both. In-clinic care gives access to therapies we can't send home, especially when the spine is involved. At-home programs use take-home devices, balance exercises, stretches, and nutrition support, and can fit people who live far away or have milder cases. Which is right depends on your evaluation.
What happens in the clinic
In the clinic, we have several therapies that can help, and we choose them based on what is driving your symptoms. If part of your problem is coming from the spine, much of that care has to happen in the clinic, because those treatments can't be done at home.
What you can do at home
A lot of good work can happen at home:
- Take-home devices, some to support circulation and some to work on the nerves and the connection between the brain and the feet.
- Balance exercises to retrain how your body senses where your feet are.
- Stretches to keep you moving.
- Nutrition and supplements to lower inflammation and keep blood sugar steady, which gives nerves a better environment to heal.
Why the home devices are yours to keep
Home devices are purchased, not loaned, and there's a reason. With moderate to severe neuropathy, nerves usually don't return to completely normal sensation. That means some home care is worth continuing even after your regular program ends, just less often. Owning the devices lets you keep up with that, and many patients choose to keep using them because they like how they feel.
Who is a good fit for at-home care
We often recommend at-home programs for:
- People who live a long way from Cheyenne. Our patients come from across southeast Wyoming, the Nebraska Panhandle, and Northern Colorado.
- Milder cases.
- Certain types of neuropathy where home care is the right call.
Doing something beats doing nothing
Even if your case is complicated and you live three hours away, doing something at home is better than doing nothing at all. Results may not be the same as with regular clinic visits, and we'll be honest with you about that at your evaluation. But we would rather help you get started than have you wait.
How we decide
Your evaluation tells us what is driving your neuropathy and how involved your case is. From there, we'll talk through clinic care, home care, or a combination, and what each would ask of you. Read more about what happens at a neuropathy evaluation.
More from Dr. A on neuropathy
This page is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice. Individual results vary.