Leg pain is a common problem in people with Type 2 diabetes. If it’s something that’s bothering you, you might be wondering just how worried you should be about Type 2 diabetes leg pain, why it happens, what you should do about it, and whether you should see your doctor. Use our overview of Type 2 diabetes leg pain to gain an understanding of what’s happening to you and what can be done about it.

How Does Type 2 Diabetes Cause Leg Pain?

Tingling pain or numbness in your feet or lower legs is known as diabetic neuropathy. As you can guess from the name, it originates in the nervous system. But why would diabetes affect your nervous system?

When you have diabetes, fatty deposits form on the inside of blood vessels, causing them to narrow. As you’d expect, narrower blood vessels mean decreased blood flow, and this generally affects the extremities, particularly the feet and legs, most.

At the same time, a high blood sugar level can physically damage the tiny capillaries that keep neurons healthy. It’s the perfect storm for your nerve-endings, and their distress signals are the cause of Type 2 diabetes leg pain. Apart from pain, uncomfortable tingling or a disconcerting numbness can also result.  

Managing and Preventing Neuropathy and its Symptoms

As you may have guessed by now, one of the best ways to combat the development and progression of diabetic neuropathy is to get your blood sugar levels under control.

When helping you to manage diabetic neuropathy, your healthcare providers will be more successful when the diagnosis is early, and intervention is prompt.  They may offer medication to help improve blood flow and combat pain, but there are several things you can do too.

Apart from shedding some pounds if you’re overweight, you should definitely quit smoking. It’s a significant risk factor in diabetic neuropathy and also affects how well you’re able to manage your blood sugar levels.  As a more immediate way to alleviate pain, get moving. Although it will hurt at first, exercise reduces the pain and numbness of sensory neuropathy while also helping to relieve the movement problems associated with motor neuropathy.

When to See a Doctor

If your doctor isn’t aware of your neuropathy symptoms, or if they’re changing in any way, you should book a consultation to see your doctor or diabetes specialist.

While your current concern is likely to be controlling your pain, it is also important to understand that neuropathy can be a warning sign that your blood glucose levels are running high and your body would benefit from better control. It is also possible that your symptoms could be made worse if you have low vitamin b12 levels that can be associated with being on metformin.

The sooner you start getting the right treatment for your diabetes, the better your outcomes will be. The pain from neuropathy can be difficult to treat, but there are multiple options and you should be able to find something that helps if you ask your doctor or diabetes specialist.

Mobilise Your Support System

Your doctor and your family aren’t the only ones who are ready to support you as you navigate the sometimes-stormy waters you’ll encounter when living with Type 2 diabetes. Join support groups to get in touch with people like you. Get and give help and encouragement from a first person perspective.  Stay motivated by hearing peripheral neuropathy success stories. They exist!

By the way, how supportive is your life insurance company? If it isn’t offering you fair premiums, helpful advice, and tech tools to help you stay healthy, it might be time you made a change. Visit our life insurance for type 2 diabetes page.  Bluezone Insurance specialises in individualised life insurance for people living with diabetes, but we offer much more than that. Start your application today and watch us spring into action. All you need is 10 minutes to tell us about yourself.

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Reviewed by Dr. Kingshuk Pal