Physical Therapy for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Narrative Review
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus in both developed and developing countries. It is found in about 10% of diabetic clients at diagnosis, and in the majority of clients 25 years down the line. Clients with pre-diabetes may also develop neuropathies that are similar to diabetic neuropathies. Long-term hyperglycemia can cause peripheral nerve damage, resulting in distal-predominant nerve fibre degeneration. Loss of feeling in the lower limbs is a high risk for limb amputation. Despite efforts to make an early diagnosis and to halt the progression of diabetic neuropathy, currently there is no effective treatment available at a global level, except for strict control of blood glucose.
Physical therapy can improve the overall quality of life of diabetes mellitus clients with peripheral neuropathy and can alleviate the symptoms of neuropathy. This paper assesses the effectiveness of interventions used by physical therapists to minimise dysfunctions in people with DPN. It reviews the different treatment strategies and presents evidence and conditions for its applications.Keywords
Authors
How to Cite
Download Citation
License
Copyright © 2019 The Author(s)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License By-NC-ND 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access ).
Similar Articles
- Enoch Acheampong, Godfred Atta-Osei, Alberta Nadutey, Peter Bredu-Darkwa, Gloria Boateng, Challenges associated with Vocational Rehabilitation for Persons with Disability in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 32 No. 2 (2021): Summer
- Tanja Ingeborg Mol, Wim van Brakel, Merel Schreurs, Children with Disability in Nepal: New Hope Through CBR? , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 25 No. 1 (2014): Spring 2014
- Jessica O'Dowd, Malcolm MacLachlan, Chapel Khasnabis, Priscille Geiser, Towards a Core Set of Clinical Skills for Health-Related Community Based Rehabilitation in Low and Middle Income Countries , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 26 No. 3 (2015): Autumn 2015
- Hilary Kibele Harawo, Wisdom Kwadwo Mprah, Extra-Institutional Factors Limiting Access to Rehabilitation Services for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Perspectives of Caregivers in Marsabit County, Kenya , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 32 No. 4: Winter 2021
- Regina Celia Fiorati, Regina Y Dakuzaku Carretta, Karine Pereira Joaquim, Aline Ferreira Placeres, Tiago Silva Jesus, Anticipated Barriers to Implementation of Community-Based Rehabilitation in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 29 No. 1 (2018): Spring 2018
- Maria A Zuurmond, Ilias Mahmud, Sarah Polack, Jenny Evans, Understanding the Lives of Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy in rural Bangladesh: Use of Mixed Methods , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 26 No. 2 (2015): Summer 2015
- Dadun Dadun, Ruth Peters, Mimi Lusli, Beatriz Miranda-Galarza, Wim van Brakel, Marjolein Zweekhorst, Rita Damayanti, Irwanto Irwanto, Joske Bunders, Exploring the Complexities of Leprosy-related Stigma and the Potential of a Socio-economic Intervention in a Public Health Context in Indonesia , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 27 No. 3 (2016): Autumn 2016
- Huib Cornielje, A response to the editorial of March 2026 "Bridging the Research–Practice Gap: A Crisis of Values in Rehabilitation” by Zelalem Dessalegn Demeke , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 37 No. 2 (2026): Summer Issue
- Emily R. Kelly, Jamie L. Tingey, Jessica Ott, Helena Hahn, Jacob A. Bentley, Stephen T. Wegener, Zehra Zaidi, Nukhba Zia, Abdulgafoor M. Bachani, Features of Telerehabilitation and Considerations for Resource-Limited Settings: A Scoping Review , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 35 No. 1 (2024): Spring Issue
- Ruth M H Peters, Miranda E Hofker, Wim H van Brakel, Marjolein B M Zweekhorst, Francisia S S E Seda, Irwanto Irwanto, Joske F G Bunders, Narratives Around Concealment and Agency for Stigma-reduction: A study of Women affected by Leprosy in Cirebon District, Indonesia , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 25 No. 4 (2014): Winter 2014
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Nizar Abdul Majeed Kutty, Mohammed Abdulrazzaq Jabbar, Kok Chee Cheng, Association of Occupational Stress and Emotional Intelligence among Physiotherapists in Malaysia: A Cross-sectional Study , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 30 No. 4 (2019): Winter 2019