Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment

Types of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

CIPN is not a single experience; it manifests differently depending on which nerves are affected. Understanding the type of neuropathy you have is the first step toward targeted and effective treatment.

Sensory Neuropathy

This is the most prevalent form of CIPN. It affects the nerves that control sensation, leading to symptoms like sharp or burning pain, tingling (pins and needles), numbness in the hands and feet, and increased sensitivity to touch, temperature, or pressure. Everyday tasks like holding a cup of coffee or feeling the texture of a blanket can become painful or difficult. Patients often describe a "glove and stocking" sensation, where numbness and tingling are most prominent in the hands and feet.

Motor Neuropathy

When motor nerves are damaged, it impacts muscle control and movement. Patients may experience muscle weakness, difficulty with fine motor tasks like buttoning a shirt, writing, or picking up small objects. This weakness can also affect larger muscle groups, leading to a loss of balance, an unsteady walk (gait), and a higher risk of tripping or falling. Simple actions like climbing stairs or getting up from a chair can become challenging and fatiguing.

Autonomic Neuropathy

Though less common, CIPN can affect autonomic nerves, which regulate involuntary bodily functions. This can lead to a wide range of symptoms, including dizziness or fainting upon standing due to fluctuations in blood pressure, digestive problems like constipation or diarrhoea, urinary issues, and altered sweating patterns. While these symptoms can be distressing, they are an important part of the diagnostic puzzle and require careful management.

The Diagnosis Process for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

A precise diagnosis is crucial for creating an effective treatment plan. Your healthcare provider will use a combination of clinical evaluation and specialized tests to understand the extent of nerve damage and rule out other potential causes of your symptoms.

Clinical Evaluation and Symptom Review

The diagnostic journey begins with a detailed discussion of your symptoms with your oncologist or physiotherapist. They will ask specific questions about what you are feeling—is it pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness? Where is it located? When did it start, and what makes it better or worse? Understanding how these symptoms affect your daily activities provides essential clues to the type and severity of the neuropathy.

Physical and Neurological Examination

This hands-on assessment is a cornerstone of diagnosis. Your clinician will test your reflexes, assess your muscle strength and tone, and evaluate your balance and coordination. They will also perform sensory tests to check your ability to feel different sensations like light touch, vibration, temperature, and pinpricks in your hands and feet. This examination helps map out the specific nerves that are affected.

Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS)

In some cases, your doctor may order nerve conduction studies to get a more objective measure of nerve function. During this test, small electrodes are placed on your skin over the nerves. These electrodes deliver a mild electrical impulse to stimulate the nerve and measure the speed and strength of the signal as it travels. Slower or weaker signals can confirm the presence and quantify the extent of nerve damage.

Treatment and Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Managing CIPN requires a multi-faceted approach. While there is no one-size-fits-all cure, combining medical, therapeutic, and lifestyle strategies offers the best treatment for chemo induced neuropathy and provides significant symptom relief, helping you regain function and comfort.

Pharmacological Interventions

Medications are often a first line of defence for managing the persistent pain associated with CIPN. The use of gabapentin for chemo induced neuropathy is common; it belongs to a class of drugs that help calm hyperexcitable nerves that misfire pain signals. Other options include antidepressants like duloxetine, which has been shown to be effective for neuropathic pain, or topical creams containing capsaicin or lidocaine that provide localized relief.

Innovative Therapeutic Options

Modern therapies are offering new hope for symptom management. Cold laser therapy for chemo induced neuropathy, also known as low-level light therapy, uses specific wavelengths of light to penetrate the skin. This process is believed to reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and stimulate cellular repair mechanisms within the nerves. Another approach, cold therapy for chemo induced neuropathy, involves wearing frozen gloves and socks during chemotherapy infusions. This may help by constricting blood vessels and limiting the amount of chemotherapy drug that reaches the nerves in the hands and feet.

Natural and Supportive Treatments

Many patients find relief by incorporating natural approaches. A natural treatment for chemo induced neuropathy can include dietary supplements known for their nerve-supportive properties, such as alpha-lipoic acid, B vitamins, and acetyl-L-carnitine (always consult your doctor before starting any supplement). Furthermore, practices like acupuncture have been studied for their ability to alleviate neuropathic pain, while adopting an anti-inflammatory diet rich in whole foods can support overall nerve health.

How Physical Therapy Transforms Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Recovery

Physical therapy for chemo induced neuropathy is a cornerstone of effective management. At Physiotattva, our experts design personalized programs that address the specific functional challenges caused by CIPN, helping you move better and feel better. Our focus is on empowering you with the tools to improve safety, restore function, and enhance your quality of life.

Improving Balance and Gait to Prevent Falls

Numbness and weakness in the feet can severely affect balance, dramatically increasing the risk of falls. Our physiotherapists implement targeted exercises to strengthen your core and lower body muscles, which are essential for stability. We also focus on retraining your proprioception—your body’s innate sense of its position in space—through specific balance drills. By analysing and correcting your walking pattern (gait), we help you move with greater confidence and safety.

Restoring Muscle Strength and Endurance

Motor neuropathy often leads to frustrating muscle weakness that makes daily tasks feel monumental. We create customized and progressive resistance training programs to safely rebuild strength in your hands, arms, and legs. These exercises are designed to improve your ability to perform daily activities, from opening jars and carrying groceries to walking longer distances, all while reducing fatigue.

Sensory Re-education and Desensitisation

To address the unsettling symptoms of numbness and hypersensitivity, our therapists use sensory re-education techniques. This involves a structured program of exposing your hands and feet to a variety of different textures, temperatures, and pressures. The goal is to stimulate the nerves and retrain the brain’s pathways, helping to normalise sensation, reduce discomfort from hypersensitivity, and “wake up” numb areas.

Pain Management Without Medication

Physiotherapy offers powerful, drug-free methods for pain relief. We may use modalities like Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), which uses low-voltage electrical currents to override pain signals. Manual therapy techniques can help release tight muscles and reduce nerve irritation, while gentle therapeutic exercises promote blood flow and trigger the release of your body’s natural painkillers, endorphins.

Start Your Journey to Relief and Recovery from CIPN with Physiotattva

Living with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy can be challenging, but it is manageable with the right approach. A proactive and comprehensive treatment plan, combining medical care, innovative therapies, and physical therapy, can significantly reduce symptoms, improve function, and enhance your overall quality of life.

At Physiotattva physiotherapy clinics in Bangalore and Hyderabad, you receive personalised care tailored to your specific needs, ensuring effective results and comfort throughout your journey to recovery. 

Don’t wait to start your recovery! Get in touch with Physiotattva for more details! Contact us at +91 89510 47001.