If your feet burn at night, feel wrapped in a sock, or wake you up with pins and needles, you already know what peripheral neuropathy feels like. You may not have known what to call it. What you do know is that numbness creeping up from your toes, loss of balance on uneven ground, and the fear that this keeps getting worse are not things you want to live with indefinitely.
What Most Neuropathy Patients Have Already Been Told
Most people who walk into this clinic have already seen their primary care doctor. They've been offered gabapentin, pregabalin, or a referral to a neurologist with a six-month wait. Some have been told plainly that nothing can be done. That's not dishonesty on the doctor's part — it reflects what conventional medicine has to offer for peripheral neuropathy, which is primarily symptom management through medication rather than treatment of the underlying nerve dysfunction.
"Nothing can be done" usually means "nothing I offer." That's the gap this program exists to fill.
How the Neuropathy Program Works
Peripheral neuropathy treatment at Joint & Spine Laser Center is a structured, in-office program — not a single modality sold as a cure. It begins with a neurological evaluation to establish your current level of nerve function. That baseline matters because it's how we measure whether treatment is actually working over time. If we can't show you measurable change, we'll tell you that too.
Step One: Neurological Evaluation
Before any treatment begins, we assess nerve conduction, sensation, reflexes, and balance. This tells us how far the nerve dysfunction has progressed and whether you're a realistic candidate for the program. Not everyone is, and we'd rather know that at the start than have you invest time and money in something unlikely to help your specific situation.
Step Two: Class IV Laser Therapy
The primary treatment in this program is high-intensity Class IV laser therapy delivered with a Summus 60-watt medical laser — the same equipment tier used by NFL and Olympic sports medicine teams. This is not the low-level cold laser that most area clinics use. At 60 watts, the energy penetrates deep enough to reach peripheral nerve tissue, where it stimulates cellular repair processes and increases circulation to damaged nerves. Sessions run approximately 10–15 minutes per treatment area.
We want to be direct about the evidence: research on laser therapy for diabetic peripheral neuropathy is promising but mixed. Some systematic reviews show meaningful reduction in pain and improved nerve function. Others find no significant benefit. We are not going to promise you nerve regeneration. What we can tell you is that many patients in this program report measurable reductions in burning, tingling, and numbness — and that we track those outcomes so we know whether the treatment is moving the needle for you specifically.
Step Three: Supporting Modalities and Progress Tracking
Laser therapy is the primary driver, but it doesn't work in isolation. Depending on your evaluation findings, the program may include chiropractic adjustments to address spinal nerve compression, hydrotherapy to support circulation, and targeted soft tissue work. At six weeks, we repeat the neurological assessment. If the numbers are moving in the right direction, we continue. If they aren't, we tell you honestly what that means.
Who Develops Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy has several common causes, and the program approach varies depending on which is driving your nerve dysfunction.
- Diabetic neuropathy — the most common form, caused by sustained high blood sugar damaging small nerve fibers, typically starting in the feet
- Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy — nerve damage as a side effect of cancer treatment
- Idiopathic neuropathy — nerve dysfunction with no identified cause, common in patients over 60
- Compression neuropathy — nerve root irritation from disc herniation or spinal stenosis contributing to peripheral symptoms
- Alcohol-related neuropathy — chronic nerve damage from heavy alcohol use
Diabetic neuropathy is the most common presentation we treat. If that's your situation, there's a more detailed explanation of how the program addresses it on the diabetic neuropathy page.
A Drug-Free Approach That Works Alongside What You're Already Taking
One of the most common things we hear: "I don't want to be on nerve medication for the rest of my life." Class IV laser therapy is entirely drug-free. It does not interact with gabapentin, metformin, blood thinners, or any other medication you're currently taking. If you're already managing neuropathy with medication and want to explore whether a non-drug protocol can reduce your dependence on it, this program is designed to run alongside your existing care — not replace your physician's oversight.
What This Program Costs
Neuropathy program pricing is structured around session packages rather than open-ended maintenance. Class IV laser therapy is $120 per session. Initial neurological evaluation is complimentary. Most patients complete an initial program of 12–18 sessions over six to eight weeks, with reassessment at the midpoint. Full pricing detail, including package options, is available on the pricing page.
Common Questions About Neuropathy Treatment
Is there a treatment for neuropathy that isn't gabapentin or Lyrica?
Yes. Class IV laser therapy is a non-drug, in-office treatment for peripheral neuropathy that does not involve prescription medication. It's not appropriate for every patient or every cause of neuropathy, which is why we start with a neurological evaluation to determine whether you're a realistic candidate before recommending a program.What does neuropathy feel like, and how do I know if that's what I have?
The most common symptoms are burning or aching pain in the feet or hands, numbness, tingling, pins and needles, a sensation of wearing a tight sock or glove, and loss of balance or coordination. If you have these symptoms and haven't been formally evaluated, the first step is a neurological assessment — which we offer at no charge.How do I treat neuropathy without medication?
Non-drug options for peripheral neuropathy include high-intensity laser therapy, which stimulates nerve repair at the cellular level, along with spinal decompression for compression-related neuropathy and targeted soft tissue treatment. The right combination depends on what's causing your nerve dysfunction, which is why evaluation comes before treatment in this program.Who treats neuropathy near Antigo, Wisconsin?
Joint & Spine Laser Center in Antigo offers a structured neuropathy program serving patients from Antigo, Wausau, Merrill, Rhinelander, Tomahawk, Shawano, and Clintonville. We are one of the few clinics in northern Wisconsin using a 60-watt Class IV medical laser for peripheral neuropathy treatment rather than low-level cold laser equipment.Will neuropathy keep getting worse if I don't treat it?
Peripheral neuropathy is often progressive, particularly when the underlying cause — such as diabetes or ongoing nerve compression — remains unaddressed. That's one reason early evaluation matters. We establish a baseline of your current nerve function so that whether you treat with us or elsewhere, you have a documented starting point to measure against.
Start With a Free Evaluation
If you have numbness, burning, or tingling in your feet or hands and you want to know whether this program can help, the evaluation costs you nothing. We'll assess your nerve function, review any existing imaging or test results, and give you a straight answer about whether you're a candidate. We serve patients from across northern Wisconsin, including Wausau, Merrill, Rhinelander, and Tomahawk.
