Your body must have enough vitamin B12 to support healthy nerves and maintain normal nerve function. In 25% of all cases, neurologic problems are the only symptom of a B12 deficiency. Rajiv Sood, DO, and the team at Spine and Orthopedic Center specialize in using vitamin B12 injections to treat peripheral neuropathy, promoting nerve regeneration and easing nerve-related pain. To learn if your symptoms might improve with a B12 injection, call the office in Jonesboro, Georgia, or book an appointment online today.
Vitamin B12 is essential for:
You get vitamin B12 from foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products), supplements, oral prescription medications, and injections.
You may need a B12 injection for any of the following problems:
Your body stores some vitamin B12, so it can take a few years to develop a deficiency. Problems that often cause a deficiency include following a vegan or vegetarian diet, gastrointestinal disorders, pernicious anemia, and certain medications.
Unfortunately, by the time you have symptoms, chances are the lack of vitamin B12 has already affected your nerves
The peripheral nerves include all of the nerves outside your brain and spinal cord. When one or more of these nerves are damaged, you have a condition called peripheral neuropathy.
The lack of vitamin B12 damages the myelin sheath, a protective tissue that wraps around each nerve and ensures electrical impulses travel at the proper speed. When the sheath is damaged, your nerves can't function normally.
Vitamin B12 injections promote healing in peripheral neuropathy caused by many problems other than a B12 deficiency.
The symptoms you experience depend on the type and number of nerves injured, as well as the extent of the damage. However, the most common symptoms include:
These symptoms signal many possible health problems, which is why it's important to seek a medical evaluation at Spine and Orthopedic Center. Dr. Sood performs a thorough evaluation, including diagnostic ultrasound, MRIs, and electromyography (EMG) testing.
Injections of B12 allow Dr. Sood to control the dose you receive and bypass problems in your digestive tract that interfere with B12 absorption. Vitamin B12 injections may go into an arm or leg muscle (intramuscular injection) or deep under your skin (subcutaneous injection).
However, when you have damaged nerves, Dr. Sood can use real-time X-ray imaging to precisely inject the B12 next to the affected nerve. Placing concentrated B12 at the nerve promotes nerve regeneration and helps relieve your pain.
To learn more about B12 injections, call Spine and Orthopedic Center, or book an appointment online today.