Up to a third of all HIV-positive people suffer from a condition called sensory neuropathy. It's nerve damage caused by both the disease and even some of the medications used to treat it. It's not life-threatening, but it is very uncomfortable.
Patients feel a tingling and burning sensation, most often in the legs and feet.
Some are in constant pain and have trouble walking. Hopkins neurologist Dr. Justin McArthur. Many of the patients had significant improvements in their level of function, were able to walk better, go back to exercising, and could reduce the number or the amount of pain medications that they were taking. But the improvement carried a price. The nerve growth factor had to be injected frequently, and for many patients the injection site itself became painful and tender.