Neuropathy: 4 Root Causes Your Doctor Isn't Checking (It's Not Just Diabetes)

Over 20 million Americans have peripheral neuropathy — numbness, tingling, and burning in their hands and feet. Most are handed a prescription for gabapentin and told to live with it. But neuropathy isn't a disease. It's a symptom. And if nobody is looking for what's actually causing it, nobody is going to fix it. In this episode, Dr. Ryan Sousley breaks down the four root causes of neuropathy that almost nobody evaluates: structural nerve compression from spinal misalignment, nutritional deficiencies (especially B12 and how common medications deplete it), metabolic dysfunction that starts long before a diabetes diagnosis, and toxic exposures from medications, alcohol, and environmental chemicals. 0:00 Introduction 0:25 What is neuropathy (20 million Americans affected) 1:30 The standard approach: gabapentin, Lyrica, and symptom management 2:45 Neuropathy is a symptom, not a disease 3:30 The four root causes framework 4:00 Root Cause #1: Structural — spine and nerve compression 5:30 How spinal misalignment creates nerve dysfunction 6:30 Why structural evaluation should come first 7:27 Root Cause #2: Nutritional deficiency 7:55 Vitamin B12 and myelin sheath health 8:35 Functional medicine perspective on B12 testing 9:30 Other critical nutrients for nerve health 10:30 Root Cause #3: Metabolic dysfunction 11:00 Blood sugar, insulin resistance, and nerve damage 12:00 Why diabetes isn't the only metabolic cause 13:00 Pre-diabetes and subclinical metabolic issues 14:00 Root Cause #4: Toxic exposure 14:30 Alcohol and nerve tissue damage 14:50 Medications that cause neuropathy (statins, fluoroquinolones, PPIs) 16:00 Environmental toxins 17:00 Patient story: Steve — structural root cause 19:00 Patient story: Linda — multifactorial root cause 21:39 Four things to evaluate before accepting medication 21:50 Step 1: Get your spine checked (structural evaluation) 22:13 Step 2: Get your nutrients tested 22:45 Step 3: Assess metabolic health beyond standard labs 23:15 Step 4: Evaluate toxic load 24:00 Closing thoughts and call to action Becoming Arketype is a science-based health and performance podcast focused on helping high-performing individuals remove health as a limiting factor in life, leadership, and longevity. Hosted by Dr. Ryan Sousley, chiropractor and functional health practitioner with over 15 years of clinical experience, the show translates physiology, neuroscience, and metabolic health into clear, actionable strategies. Topics include: • Sleep and circadian biology • Pain, inflammation, and recovery • Metabolic health and body composition • Hormones, stress physiology, and performance • Lifestyle strategies that precede medication Learn more about our clinical and functional health work: https://www.arketypehealth.com/ ______ Follow Dr. Ryan: ‪@Dr.RyanSousley‬ Instagram: / dr.ryansousley Podcast: Becoming Arketype https://open.spotify.com/show/1GLEB7x...