How does painful DPN present?
A3: Painful DPN is characterized as burning, tingling, sharp, stabbing, or pins and needles sensations.2,3 Pain usually begins in the feet2, although occasionally it can start in the hands. Symptoms are often progressive and may get worse at night.4 DPN is a common complication of diabetes. More than 18 million Americans have diabetes5, and up to half of them will have some form of nerve damage.6 This nerve damage can result in pain. Even though your patients may have painful symptoms from DPN, they may not tell you about these symptoms because they don’t realize that it is related to their diabetes, or they believe there is nothing they can do to alleviate the pain.
