(BPT) – In the United States there are nearly 26 million people with diabetes and one of the most common complications of the condition is diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), a form of nerve damage. More than one in five people with diabetes experience painful DPN, also known as diabetic nerve pain, as a direct result of this nerve damage. For most people, diabetic nerve pain affects the extremities – the feet and hands – and is sometimes referred to as a sock/glove pattern, as symptoms may be felt at the tips or the fingers or toes and then move along through the hands and feet. These symptoms may go unmentioned during a doctor visit since many people are unaware of the connection of this pain to their diabetes.

Results of a recent survey of 1,004 Americans diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who reported experiencing any symptoms of DPN and 500 healthcare providers (HCPs) in clinical practice who treat people with diabetes showed there are significant misconceptions between the groups when it came to the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of painful DPN.  HCPs surveyed were not necessarily providing care to the people with diabetes who participated in this survey.