Conditions
Acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy, with Dr. Peter Caron.
Many people with neuropathy are told there’s little to do beyond medications that leave them drowsy or dizzy. I treat the nerves in the feet or hands and the spinal levels that supply them.
Why it hasn’t gotten better
It usually starts in the toes.
Diabetes and chemotherapy are the most common causes. The small nerves in the feet or hands are damaged, and you feel numbness, tingling, or burning. It’s often worse at night, and it usually starts in the toes.
When your feet are numb, balance on stairs and uneven ground suffers. Many people start walking carefully without noticing.
When to see a physician first
See a physician first if your neuropathy is getting worse quickly or has no known cause. New weakness in a leg, foot, arm, or hand also needs a physician. With diabetes, a cut or blister on a numb foot needs your doctor. Tell me on the call, and I’ll point you to the right physician.
What it feels like
What people describe when they first call.
- Pins and needles in your toes or fingertips that don’t go away
- Burning in the soles of your feet, worse at night
- Numbness that started in your toes and has crept up toward your ankles
- Sudden sharp or electric pains in your feet for no clear reason
- Your feet feel wrapped in something, even when you’re barefoot
- You lose your balance more easily, especially in the dark
If you recognized yourself in that list, the free 15-minute call is the place to start.
How I treat it
I treat the feet or hands and the spinal levels that supply them.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture increases signaling in the damaged nerves and eases the burning and tingling in your feet or hands.
Needles go in the feet or hands, and along the spine at the levels that supply them. I map your symptoms at the first visit, and we measure change against that map.
- Segmental treatment
- Distal points
Herbal medicine
An herbal formula supports circulation to the hands and feet and continues the treatment between visits.
Chinese medicine sees several patterns of numbness and burning. I match an herbal formula to yours, and it keeps working between visits.
- Herbal formula
- Constitutional support
Neuropathy responds more slowly than muscle pain. I’ll give you a realistic number of visits at the start.
Fifteen minutes on the phone is usually enough to tell whether I can help.
Your first visit
What happens the first time you come in.
- We go through the history What caused the neuropathy if it’s known, how long you’ve had it, and what you take for it.
- I map where you feel it Where the numbness starts and stops, and which parts burn or tingle. That map is what we measure progress against.
- You’re treated the same day Fine needles in the feet or hands and along the spine at the levels that supply them. Most people rest comfortably through it.
- You leave with a plan A realistic number of visits for a fair trial, and what should have changed by the end of it.
What to expect
How it usually goes, visit by visit.
We compare your symptoms against the map from your first visit, so you’ll know if it’s working.
- Weeks 1–4 Some people notice the burning or tingling ease first. Numbness is usually the slowest to change.
- Weeks 5–8 The length of the course in the Memorial Sloan Kettering trial. We compare your symptoms with the map from your first visit.
- After that If it’s helping, we space visits out to keep it there. If it isn’t, I’ll say so.
Typical ranges, not promises. Results vary from person to person.
You’ll know at the first visit roughly how many visits it should take.
What the research shows
In a trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering, acupuncture eased pain, tingling, and numbness from chemotherapy neuropathy.
In a pilot trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering, 75 cancer survivors had moderate to severe neuropathy from chemotherapy. After eight weeks, pain fell 1.75 points on a 10-point scale with acupuncture. It fell 0.91 with sham and 0.19 with usual care. Four weeks later, the acupuncture group had kept its gain.
For diabetic neuropathy, a 2025 review of 14 trials found pain about 1.4 points lower with acupuncture than with sham.
Questions
What people ask about neuropathy.
Something not covered here? Ask on the free discovery call.
I adjust for that. The needles are far finer than an injection needle. In the feet you may feel a brief sting or a dull ache. Most people rest comfortably through it.
It’s encouraging but still early. The trials so far are mostly small. I’ll tell you after the first few visits whether yours is moving.
Yes. A 2025 review of 14 trials favored acupuncture over sham. Pain was about 1.4 points lower on a 10-point scale. Keep working on your blood sugar with your doctor, since that matters most.
No. People in the Memorial Sloan Kettering trial had already finished chemotherapy. Acupuncture still helped more than usual care.
Yes, acupuncture can be used alongside your medication. Don’t stop or change it without talking to your prescriber.
If you’re still in cancer treatment, check with your oncologist first. Some herbs don’t mix with chemotherapy. Otherwise, I choose a formula with your full medication list in front of me.
Yes, if no one has found the cause, or it’s getting worse quickly. The same goes for new weakness in a limb. With diabetes, a cut or blister on a numb foot needs your doctor. Otherwise you don’t need a referral.
It might, through your out-of-network benefits. We don’t bill insurance, but after each visit we send a superbill you can submit. Check with your plan before your first visit.
If your question isn’t here, ask it on the call. It’s free and takes fifteen minutes.
Related conditions
Often treated alongside this one.
During & after cancer treatment
For side effects that come with cancer treatment, or stay after it.
Insomnia
For a mind that won’t switch off at night.
Sciatica
For pain that runs from the lower back down the leg.
Start here
Tell me where the numbness starts.
Describe what you feel and how long you’ve had it. In a few minutes you’ll know whether acupuncture is worth trying, and what a fair trial would involve.
If you already know you want to come in, book an initial visit.