Bob and Sally Gilles have known each other all their lives. They walked in life together even as little ones.
"We were pushed in a baby carriage together,” smiles Bob.
Up until recently, however, getting around wasn’t as easy as it used to be. Sally noticed Bob slowing down as he battled peripheral neuropathy. "I don't know what it's from but it got to me.”
For 10 years, Bob has dealt with balance issues, dizziness getting out of bed and pain. "Pain in my feet; it’s like someone trying to drive a nail in your heel every once in a while."
"Neuropathy is a condition of the nerves where the nerves basically go bad.” Dr. Steven Zilke is with Neighborhood Neuropathy Center of Reno which opened about a year ago.
The practice pairs infrared light technology with vibration to treat patients. According to Dr. Zilke, the light frequencies release nitric oxide from our blood through our hemoglobin which dilates blood vessels to increase circulation.
When paired with a good diet, "More nutrition to the nerves - better chance of healing; better chance of restoration."
Vibration is also used during treatment. "We start to get the nerves having to react quickly to fire them up more." While it's not a guaranteed cure, "Our goal is to manage the symptoms to make it less of an impact on their life."
It's working for bob. "I feel much better."
Not only is he steadier on his feet, he has gone from needing nine Gabapentin pills a day to five and he says he's walking with much less pain. "Not nearly as much as what I used to have.”
So now, his longtime love is trying to keep up with him. “I used to be the fast one. He was always dragging along behind. Now I have to hump a little bit to keep up with him,” Sally laughs. “And that's kind of neat."
To learn more about Neighborhood Neuropathy, visit 1475 Terminal Way, Suite C2 in Reno or call (775) 382-1415. You can also click: http://www.neighborhoodneuropathy.com/
