"I had two kinds of pain. One was cramping, and that happened in the evening. And the other was a sharp pain, almost like a lightning bolt. The sharp pain happened in the late afternoon after a day's work, when I'd finally start to relax. I had trouble walking distances. The pain restricted what I did. Even the simple task of stepping out of the bathtub was difficult. I was afraid to pick up my small grandchildren. And any time you can't play with your grandchildren-that really affects your life."

If the above sounds familiar to you, you are not alone. Approximately half of people with diabetes suffer from diabetic nerve damage, and some of these people may develop nerve damage symptoms, including pain.

Nerves allow your body to feel temperature, pain and other sensations. Over time, diabetes can harm nerves, making them become overly sensitive. When nerves are damaged, even the slightest movement or light touch of the skin can trigger pain in the legs, feet, arms or hands. Healthcare professionals call the pain diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) or diabetic nerve pain.

The exact cause of diabetic nerve pain is not known. Many factors may be responsible, such as high blood sugar, high blood cholesterol and smoking.

Diabetic nerve pain can include both painful and non-painful symptoms that most often affect the feet and legs, and sometimes affect the hands and arms^1,2:

Painful Symptoms	Non-Painful Symptoms
Hot, burning	Numbness
Shooting or stabbing	Inability to feel the difference between hot and cold
Throbbing	Unsteadiness
Aching	Weakness
Tender	Heaviness or swelling sensation
Cramping	Tingling

The painful and non-painful symptoms of diabetic nerve pain can make it physically challenging to do simple tasks like taking part in leisure activities. They can also make you feel¹:

• Older than your years
• That life is a struggle
• Frustrated
• Sad
• Alone
• Tired or worn out
• Short-tempered or grouchy

It's important to talk about all of your symptoms and how they may have impacted your life - both what you can't do and how you feel - to help your healthcare provider diagnose and treat your diabetic nerve pain. Diabetic nerve pain is not a weakness or a character flaw - it is a very real condition. For more information about treatment options for diabetic nerve pain click here.

References:

1. Neuropathy-Specific Quality of Life tool.

2. Vileikyte L, Peyrot M, Bundy C, et al. The development and validation of a neuropathy- and foot ulcer-specific quality of life instrument. Diabetes Care. 2003;26:2549-2555.