4. Muscle Weakness: An Understated Fallout
A symptom that often flies under the radar in peripheral neuropathy is muscle weakness. While it might seem unrelated to nerve damage, the connection becomes clear when we delve a little deeper.
Your muscles and nerves share an intricate relationship. The nerves send signals to the muscles, prompting them to contract and relax, thereby facilitating movement. When these nerves get damaged, the muscles don’t receive these signals efficiently, leading to weakness.
Muscle weakness in peripheral neuropathy is a stealthy invader. It creeps up slowly, often starting as a mild difficulty in tasks requiring manual dexterity, such as buttoning a shirt or opening a jar. As the condition progresses, the weakness becomes more pronounced, making it hard to perform regular tasks like walking or gripping objects.
What’s particularly challenging about this symptom is its impact on safety. The weakness can compromise balance and increase the risk of falls, particularly in older individuals. It can also result in muscle wasting over time due to lack of use.(4)
