Nerves in the body conduct messages to give the brain feedback about the position of your body and how it is interacting with the environment. Sensors in the joints and muscles can tell you whether your joint is straight or bent, like if you move your toes or ankle. Sensors in the muscles tell you if they need to work harder or if another set of muscles needs to help control a movement. Pressure on your skin can tell you if you are in contact with a surface like the ground and how stable it is; think of the difference between walking on sand, cobbles or a flat pavement.
The feedback you get from the sensors in your muscles, joints and skin are very important in telling you when something is not right and alerting you that you are at risk of harm from things like falls, burns, cuts or ulcers.
This loss of feedback sensation is called neuropathy. The loss of sensation through your skin is called sensory neuropathy. This can be a normal part of aging but can be accelerated where there is reduced blood circulation, lifestyle choices such as smoking and high alcohol consumption, or medical conditions such as diabetes or lupus, or treatments like chemotherapy.
Ideally it is best to prevent developing neuropathy by avoiding causes where possible and looking after yourself.
If you have been diagnosed with neuropathy, the key measures are to take precautions to prevent harm to yourself such as making sure shoes fit correctly, not walking barefoot and also to check your feet daily so you notice any problems that you may not realise have occurred – remember you are not getting the feedback to warn you if you have an injury.
For more advice on what you can do please read these leaflets: