Aging and Nerve Health: Addressing Neuropathy in the Medicare Population

Aging and Nerve Health: Addressing Neuropathy in the Medicare Population

“My feet feel numb, but that’s just aging… right?”

You’ve probably heard this in your office more times than you can count. While it’s true that peripheral nerves can slow with age, peripheral neuropathy is not a normal part of getting older. Unfortunately, many older adults and the physicians who care for them have come to accept progressive nerve damage as inevitable.

This presents both a clinical opportunity and a professional responsibility—especially for independent physicians who have the freedom to do more than symptom management.

Common But Overlooked Causes of Neuropathy in Seniors

In the 65+ population, neuropathy is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Key contributors include:

• B12 deficiency from PPI or metformin use

• Statin-induced neurotoxicity

• Undiagnosed prediabetes or insulin resistance

• Thyroid dysfunction

• Chronic inflammation or autoimmune processes

These root causes are often dismissed with the phrase “normal for age.” But for many seniors, these are treatable, reversible contributors to their symptoms.

How Independent Practices Can Lead

As a direct-pay physician, you’re not bound by 10-minute visits or Medicare coding requirements. You can:

• Spend time understanding subtle sensory complaints

• Use in-office diagnostics (vibration, pinprick, proprioception testing)

• Run functional labs: B12, homocysteine, thyroid, fasting insulin, CRP

• Educate patients and caregivers on nerve protection strategies

• Implement drug-free therapies like red light, balance retraining, or targeted nutrition

By addressing the underlying contributors, you may improve not only sensation but fall risk, balance, mobility, and independence.

Aging Doesn’t Mean Losing Function

Too many older patients are told to “just live with it.” You can offer a smarter, more empowering approach—rooted in science, not resignation.

Want to Offer a Better Standard of Neuropathy Care for Aging Patients?

Book a Strategy Session with John Hayes Jr., MD and learn what protocols can help you restore function, reduce fall risk, and make your practice indispensable to the senior population.