Your peripheral nervous system carries motor signals, which are commands sent from your brain to your muscles. These signals are what make it possible for you to move around. Your muscles need nerve connections to the brain to stay healthy and work properly.   Motor symptoms include:   Muscle weakness and paralysis. Nerve deterioration from peripheral neuropathy weakens the connected muscles. That can cause paralysis, which may cause difficulty moving the toes, foot drop and hand weakness. Weakness can also affect muscles in the thighs, arms and elsewhere. Muscle atrophy. Loss of nerve connection can cause muscles to shrink in size, as well as weaken. This especially happens in the feet, lower legs and hands with peripheral neuropathy. Sometimes there are deformities of the feet and hands because of muscle loss. Uncontrolled muscle movements. Sometimes, nerves that lose their connection to the brain because of peripheral neuropathy become hyperactive on their own, causing cramps.