Official websiteHealth guide
Nerve Health Guide: Peripheral Neuropathy Causes, Symptoms and Foot Care
Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, often felt as numbness, tingling or burning in the feet. There are more than 100 types, and diabetes is the leading U.S. cause. Low vitamin B12, kidney or liver disease, alcohol and some medicines also cause it. A doctor should find the cause. Neuralisse does not treat neuropathy.
Written by the Goneuralisse editorial teamUpdated
The basics
What is peripheral neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy means the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are damaged. More than 100 types have been identified (NINDS, Peripheral neuropathy).
These nerves carry feeling, movement and automatic signals, such as sweating and heart rate. When they fail, the feet usually notice first, because their nerves are the longest. Symptoms often start in both feet and creep upward over months.
Diabetes is the leading cause in the U.S. (NINDS, Peripheral neuropathy). Up to half of people with diabetes have some peripheral neuropathy (NIDDK, Diabetic peripheral neuropathy).
Neuralisse is a dietary supplement. It does not treat neuropathy, and it is not a substitute for finding the cause. Any product meant to treat a disease is regulated as a drug (FDA 101, Dietary supplements).
Causes
What causes nerve damage in the feet and hands?
Diabetes causes the most cases, but it is far from the only cause. Many causes are treatable once they are found, which is why testing matters (MedlinePlus, Peripheral nerve disorders).
| Cause | How it harms nerves | What usually helps |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | High blood sugar over years injures nerves and their blood supply | Keeping blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol near goal (NIDDK, Diabetic peripheral neuropathy) |
| Low vitamin B12 | Causes numbness and tingling, even without anemia (ODS, Vitamin B12) | B12 testing and treatment; metformin users are at higher risk |
| Too much vitamin B6 | High-dose supplements can injure sensory nerves (NINDS, Peripheral neuropathy) | Checking every supplement label for B6 |
| Kidney or liver disease | Waste products build up and affect nerves (MedlinePlus, Peripheral nerve disorders) | Treating the underlying organ disease |
| Alcohol | Direct toxic effect plus poor nutrition (MedlinePlus, Peripheral nerve disorders) | Stopping alcohol, with medical support |
| Medicines | Some cancer drugs and others can affect nerves (MedlinePlus, Peripheral nerve disorders) | A prescriber review; never stop a drug on your own |
| Toxins, injury, autoimmune disease | Heavy metals, pressure or the immune system attack nerves (MedlinePlus, Peripheral nerve disorders) | Specific to the cause |
Symptoms
What are the first signs of peripheral neuropathy?
The first signs are often numbness, tingling or a pins-and-needles feeling in the toes or feet. Some people feel burning or sharp pain; others feel almost nothing at all.
- Numbness, or feeling like you wear socks when you do not
- Tingling, prickling, burning or electric-shock pains, often worse at night
- Extreme sensitivity to touch, even bed sheets
- Weak feet or hands, dropping things, tripping
- Poor balance, especially in the dark
- Cuts or blisters you did not feel happen
- Dizziness on standing, sweating changes or bowel and bladder changes, when automatic nerves are involved
Numb feet are risky because injuries go unnoticed. A small blister can turn into an infection within days.
What to do
Which nerve symptoms need a doctor, and how fast?
Slow, mild symptoms need a regular appointment; sudden or spreading ones need care the same day. Use the table as a rough guide, not a diagnosis.
| What you notice | What to do | How soon |
|---|---|---|
| Mild tingling or numbness that came on slowly | Book a checkup and ask for blood tests | Within a few weeks |
| Burning or pain that disturbs sleep | See your doctor about the cause and pain options | Within 1-2 weeks |
| A cut, blister or sore on a numb foot | Clean it, cover it and call your doctor or foot clinic | Within 1-2 days |
| A sore that is red, warm, draining or smells | Possible infection: get seen | Same day |
| Weakness, foot drop or new falls | Urgent medical visit | Same day |
| Symptoms spreading up the legs over hours or days | Go to the emergency room | Now |
Red flags
When is numbness an emergency?
Call 911 or go to an emergency room for sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body, trouble speaking, fast-spreading weakness, trouble breathing, or loss of bladder or bowel control.
These can signal a stroke or a nerve emergency. No supplement belongs in that moment.
Give Neuralisse a 60-day trial1 capsule a day · from $49 a bottle · free U.S. shipping on 3 or 6 bottles
Order nowFoot care
How do you check your feet every day?
Look at both feet every day, even if they feel fine, and see a foot doctor for a complete exam every year (CDC, Diabetes and your feet). It takes about two minutes.
Wash and dry
Use lukewarm water, tested with your elbow, since numb feet misjudge heat. Dry well between the toes.
Look everywhere
Check tops, soles, heels and between toes. Use a mirror or ask someone to help. Look for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling or nail changes.
Moisturize, but not between toes
Lotion keeps skin from cracking. Moisture between toes invites fungus.
Check your shoes
Run a hand inside before you put them on. Wear socks and never walk barefoot, even at home.
Book the yearly exam
A foot doctor tests feeling with a thin filament and a tuning fork. People with diabetes should have this at least once a year (NIDDK, Diabetic peripheral neuropathy).
Our foot care checklist for diabetes has a printable version.
Diagnosis
What tests do doctors use for neuropathy?
Most workups start with a foot exam and blood tests. Nerve studies come next if the cause is still unclear.
- Blood sugar and A1C to find or track diabetes
- Vitamin B12, often with related markers, especially for metformin users (ODS, Vitamin B12)
- Kidney, liver and thyroid tests to look for other causes
- Nerve conduction study, which measures how fast signals travel along a nerve
- Electromyography (EMG), which checks how muscles respond to nerve signals
- Skin or nerve biopsy in some cases, to look at small nerve fibers
Bring a list of every supplement you take, including any vitamin B6. Read more in vitamin B12 and tingling feet.
Supplements
Can a supplement fix neuropathy?
No supplement is approved to treat neuropathy. In July 2026, FDA warned a "Nerve Support Formula" maker that its neuropathy claims made its products unapproved drugs (FDA warning letter, VasoCorp (NeuropAWAY)).
Some single nutrients have been studied. Alpha lipoic acid at 600 mg a day lowered symptom scores in people with diabetes, but did not change nerve tests (Hsieh 2023, oral ALA meta-analysis). Neuralisse holds at most about 175 mg of it.
The Neuralisse label calls it a "Nerve Support Formula." That is a general nutrition statement, not a promise for neuropathy. If you are comparing products, see how to choose a nerve supplement and the side effects each ingredient can bring.
Your visit
What should you ask your doctor about nerve symptoms?
Good questions turn a short visit into a plan. Write these down before you go.
- What do you think is causing my symptoms?
- Which blood tests should I have, and do they include B12?
- How tightly should I control my blood sugar, pressure and cholesterol?
- Could any of my medicines or supplements be involved?
- How often should a foot doctor see me?
- Which symptoms mean I should call you right away?
FAQ
Peripheral neuropathy FAQ
What is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy?
Diabetes is the most common cause in the United States (NINDS, Peripheral neuropathy). Up to half of people with diabetes develop peripheral neuropathy (NIDDK, Diabetic peripheral neuropathy). Other common causes include low vitamin B12, kidney or liver disease, alcohol, some medicines and toxins. A doctor can test for most of them with simple blood work.
Can low vitamin B12 cause tingling in the feet?
Yes. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, even when blood counts are normal (ODS, Vitamin B12). Long-term metformin use can lower B12. A blood test can check your level, and treatment is usually simple once the cause is found.
Can too much vitamin B6 cause neuropathy?
Yes. Excess vitamin B6, usually from high-dose supplements, is a known cause of peripheral neuropathy (NINDS, Peripheral neuropathy). Check the labels of every vitamin, energy drink and supplement you take, and tell your doctor the totals. Neuralisse does not list vitamin B6 on its label.
How often should diabetics check their feet?
Every day, even when the feet feel fine (CDC, Diabetes and your feet). Look at the tops, soles, heels and between the toes, using a mirror if needed. People with diabetes should also get a complete foot exam from a doctor at least once a year (NIDDK, Diabetic peripheral neuropathy).
Is peripheral neuropathy reversible?
It depends on the cause. When a treatable cause such as low B12 or a medicine is found early, symptoms may improve. Diabetic nerve damage is harder, but good control of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol can keep it from getting worse (NIDDK, Diabetic peripheral neuropathy).
Does Neuralisse help neuropathy?
No. Neuralisse is a dietary supplement labeled as a Nerve Support Formula, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease, including neuropathy. There is no published trial of Neuralisse itself. See a doctor to find and treat the cause of nerve symptoms.
What kind of doctor should I see for neuropathy?
Start with your primary care doctor, who can run blood tests and examine your feet. You may be referred to a neurologist for nerve studies, an endocrinologist for diabetes, or a podiatrist for foot care. Bring a list of your medicines and supplements to each visit.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
A small team that reads the bottle label line by line, checks every number against public health sources (NIH, NCCIH, MSKCC, FDA, FTC, CDC) and rewrites it in plain English. We do not write for the manufacturer, and we update a page whenever the label, the prices or the evidence changes.
Last updated . See our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. authorized merchant, not by the manufacturer. This site is paid a commission when you buy through its order links.
Keep reading
More about Neuralisse
Diabetes foot care checklist
A printable-style daily, weekly and yearly foot care checklist for people with diabetes, based on CDC and NIDDK advice.
Read more
Vitamin B12 and tingling feet
Low B12 can make feet tingle even without anemia. Who is at risk, what metformin does, and which test to ask for.
Read moreMedicines and Neuralisse
A medicine-by-medicine interaction table, a daily spacing schedule, and the questions to ask your pharmacist.
Read moreU.S. authorized Neuralisse merchant
Ready to try Neuralisse?
Pick a pack. At one capsule a day, even the smallest pack covers the full 60-day money-back window.
- Secure checkout
- 60-day money-back guarantee
- Ships from the U.S.