ABSTRACT
Diabetic neuropathy (DN) occurs in 50% of people living with diabetes mellitus (DM), and is the most significant cause of foot ulcers in this population. Although most people with DN will not experience pain, a significant number do, adversely affecting mood, sleep, self-esteem, and quality of life measures, and compromising activities of daily living. There is little consensus regarding the pathophysiologic etiologies of pain, the best diagnostic tools to adequately evaluate patients, and optimal treatment choices to be considered. The numbers of patients suffering with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain is likely to increase given the current worldwide exponential growth in incidence of diabetes and the increase in life expectancies for diabetic individuals. This chapter addresses the core concepts and evaluation strategies regarding DN and neuropathic pain.
