Is this a permanently disabling condition. There are several types of degenerative nerve diseases. The most common is peripheral neuropathy. This is a symmetrical loss of feeling in the feet progressing up the leg. About the time that loss of sensation is at the knee, there will occur a loss of feeling in the fingers as well-with progressive loss.
Peripheral neuropathy represents a slow dying of the neuron bodies.
Since the nucleus for the nerve body is located in the spinal cord, the nerves with the longest processes are affected first-the nerves in the leg. As the nerves slowly get damaged and die the shorter nerves are affected. There are numerous causes for peripheral neuropathy. The evaluation should start with a complete physical and proceed to nerve conduction testing if no underlying disease is found. Nerve biopsy is necessary in progressive cases.