Cancer survivors sometimes suffer from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). It’s not unusual for doctors to tell a patient their CIPN is untreatable. But there is hope.
Ed of St. Petersburg survived testicular cancer only to be living life in constant pain. He felt as though he was walking on pins and needles, becoming weaker and weaker every day. “I was beginning to be worried that one day I would be wheelchair bound.”
Nearly half of patients who undergo chemotherapy will develop CIPN. Chemotherapy meds travel throughout the body and attack cancer cells; sadly, they can also cause severe damage to healthy nerves. CIPN can begin within weeks of starting treatment and can worsen as treatment continues.
Many people endure the symptoms associated with CIPN for months, or even years after they have completed chemotherapy. Symptoms include pain, tingling, burning, weakness; numbness in arms, hands, legs or feet; sudden, sharp, stabbing or shocking pain sensations; loss of touch sensation; clumsiness and trouble using hands to pick up objects or fasten clothing; loss of balance and falling.
When asked how CIPN was affecting his quality of life, Ed responded, “It was difficult to even walk up and down stairs and do things that I normally took for granted.” For some, their nerves recover over time but for most the nerve damage is “irreversible.” Ed was told this by different doctors and specialists, so he decided to call Dr. Gibbons at Achieve Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine (AAIM).
Dr. Gibbons uses the time-tested science of acupuncture to assist in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease. After a series of treatments Ed was taking stairs with stride, thanks to AAIM.
If you are living in constant pain and discomfort and struggling with CIPN, Dr. Gibbons and the team at AAIM can help. SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION NOW: 727-272-3587