The friction of the sheets produced me excruciating pain.

-the diabetic neuropathy, the most frequent complication of diabetes, is a disorder of the nervous system that, in one of every three cases, produces a chronic pain of great intensidad1

-primary care physicians play a key role in the prevention and detection of this complication of diabetes. To help them in their work, the WTO and Lilly have published the ‘ good clinical practice guidelines on neuropathic pain in diabetic patients ’

Spain, January 2013- thirty-one years ago that I am diabetic and fifteen, which I suffer pain for diabetic neuropathy. I started to notice a kind of numbness, which is known as paresthesias in legs. It was a tingling in legs feet, which was transformed into feeling cramps and, later, in pain before the slightest friction. Only contact with the sheets produced me excruciating pain. I am a doctor, so my diabetes combined with this intense pain made me think that it had developed a diabetic neuropathy. I was right ”. In this way, Dr. Andrés Huete, medical device of critical care and health emergencies in Jaén, explains how life changed the condition of the nervous system that suffer 50% of diabetic patients and causes chronic pain of great intensity in one of every three casos1.

Although it is the most common complication of diabetes and the patient usually consult their doctor for severe pain, the diagnosis is not easy. Is a disease that for some time goes unnoticed, first, by certain barriers in the health system, such as the time of patient care; the disinformation of some of my colleagues in this area; as well as the age of patients, which makes you think before problems musculoskeletal related to age in a neuropathy ” lists Dr. Huete.

Precisely, to facilitate the work of primary care physicians and help diagnose this complication for diabetes, has edited the good clinical practice guidelines on neuropathic pain in diabetic patients ”, published by the College medical organisation (WTO) and Lilly, and whose contents are backed up by the Ministry of health, social services and equality.

Among other things, this guide helps health professionals to detect certain alarm symptoms and carry out a series of tests that will determine the diagnosis: the clinical interview, to get to know the personal history of the patient, as well as the characteristics of related symptoms, etc; physical examination, for sensory alterations (the strand test) and motor; as well as other complementary tests (analyses, studies of nerve conduction, etc.). In addition to this guide, Lilly has developed a formative material destined to the sector of nursing and other education directed to patients.

Limitations requiring change of life

began to see how the disease was limited to my everyday activities. At that time, I gave daily walks, but the pain in the feet and legs forced me to stop continuously. In the same way that I had to give up other hobbies he shared with my partner: the ballroom dancing. The disease I also limited at the professional level. I am a doctor of emergency device and to not do my work normally frantic I ”, says Dr. Huete, an example of why painful diabetic neuropathy is associated with a poorer quality of life.

As doctor, having developed a complication as painful diabetic neuropathy was bleak. Even so, my nature, at the beginning I tried to accept it in a positive way, but with time I became more difficult to overcome ” remembers Dr. Huete. In fact, it is not easy to accept limitations in daily activities, hence that frequent these patients also have depression, anxiety, and alternations of sleep.

Multidisciplinary approach

The peripheral diabetic neuropathy (NDP) whether or not painful, cannot be understood as something isolated but it requires a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to prevention (control of hyperglycemia, monitoring of the cardiovascular risk factors, prevent the emergence of diabetic foot by taking certain measures of hygiene(, and the associated comorbidity treatment) as well as in terms of the pathophysiological treatment and symptomatic relief.

In this sense, the future is hopeful, since the drugs improve the quality of patients that suffer this disease ” explains Dr. Huete referring to symptomatic treatments such as Duloxetine (antidepressant), which reduce the intensity of the pain.

About Lilly

Lilly, a leading innovation-based company is developing a growing portfolio of innovative products applying the discoveries made in its laboratories, located throughout the world, and thanks to the collaboration with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Lilly provides answers – through medicines and information – to some of the most urgent medical needs in the world.

referencia:

1. Alvarez-Guisasola, F; White Tarrio, e. et to the. Guide good clinical practice on neuropathic pain in diabetic patients. P. 34