If your health care provider believes you may have neuropathy, you will need certain exams and tests to be sure. You should expect to be asked questions about your health history, your symptoms, risk factors and family history of disease. Understanding your background will help your provider make a diagnosis.
Your provider may also give you a physical exam that includes:
- Checking your heart rate and sweat function
- Electromyography to check how your muscles respond to your nerves
- Gastric emptying tests to diagnose gastroparesis
- Nerve conduction studies to determine how fast electrical signals move through your nerves
- Performing a monofilament test, in which the doctor touches each foot and some toes with a nylon strand to see if you can feel it
- Placing a tuning fork against your big toes as well as higher on your foot to see if you can feel the vibrations
- Testing your balance
- Tests to rule out other causes of constipation and diarrhea
- Ultrasounds to check bladder function
- Watching you walk to review your gait