Numb Toes and Other Woes: More on Peripheral Neuropathy.

Numb Toes and Other Woes: More on Peripheral Neuropathy Senneff JA. San Antonio, TX 78269, MedPress, 2001, paperback, 280 pp, ISBN: 0-9671107-3-4, $22.95.

This book was written as a sequel to Numb Toes and Aching Soles: Coping With Peripheral Neuropathy (1999) by the same author. Both books contain information about peripheral neuropathy, a condition that affects over 22 million Americans. The first book in this series was intended to provide "broad coverage of the entire subject of peripheral neuropathy," whereas the sequel is "focused on treatments ... for pain relief."

As stated in the preface, Numb Toes and Other Woes is directed toward people with peripheral neuropathy and their caregivers. The author attempts to present every potentially effective approach for dealing with peripheral neuropathic pain. To accomplish this, the book is divided into 6 chapters, covering numerous, widely divergent approaches to pain relief (eg, prescription drugs, vitamin therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and various psychotherapies). It is amazing (and somewhat bewildering) that so many interventions, as cited in this book, have been claimed to be effective in the management of peripheral neuropathy. The author, however, does not suggest that the person with peripheral neuropathy should try all of the approaches listed; rather, he cites the studies underlying these various approaches so that the person with peripheral neuropathy can be more fully informed regarding potentially beneficial therapies. As the author points out, "different things work for different people."

The content quality of this book is excellent. It is well written, well referenced, and surprisingly thorough, with only a necessary minimum of technical jargon. This lack of technical overkill may be because the author does not have a medical or scientific background; he is a retired lawyer who developed peripheral neuropathy and is engaged in a quest for information about the subject. The book is anything but dry, and the author displays a wonderful wit and sense of humor throughout.

This book (and probably its companion book as well) would make an excellent reference book for any medical professional interested in research or treatments involving peripheral neuropathy. However, I would be cautious in recommending the book to some patients, because I fear that they might assume that all of the interventions were equally effective.

SG Patrick Hardy, PT, PhD
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, Miss

Dr Hardy is Professor in the Physical Therapy Program, where he teaches neuroanatomy and gross anatomy. He conducts basic neuroscience research pertaining to cortical and subcortical influences on blood pressure and pain. He also conducts clinical research on spinal motor neuron excitability and muscle strength.