A Physiologic Comparison of Two Approaches to Treating Peripheral Neuropathy

Intraneural Facilitation Therapy uses three manual holds to bias blood flow to closed endoneurial capillaries. The first is the facilitation hold, which is thought to pressurize the nervous system and bias circulation from the artery into the epineurium. This hold stretches the nerve further than the artery, increasing the amount of elastin in the artery and enlarging the opening of the arterial junction increasing blood into the epineurium. The secondary hold then increases epineurial blood into the transperineurial vessels increasing pressure into the endoneurial capillaries of the site being treated. The third hold, known as the sub hold, encourages blood flow through ischemic endoneurial capillaries that have increased resistance/pressure through the application of Bernoulli's principle. The series of stretches will be repeated on the affected side for the treatment duration.

The standard physical therapy treatment includes muscle stretching, balance, and strengthening exercises known to improve neuropathy symptoms.