WHAT IS NEUROPATHY?
Have you ever let your foot fall asleep and suffer first from numbness and then from a tingling, pins-and-needles sensation while it “awakened”? People with peripheral neuropathy suffer from those types of sensations – numbness and painful tingling – all the time. Neuropathy is a common complication of a number of different medical conditions. Over 100 types of peripheral neuropathy have been identified, each with its own symptoms and prognosis. Symptoms vary depending on the type of nerves—motor, sensory, or autonomic— that are damaged.
Sometimes it affects a single nerve or nerve set- for example, Bell’s Palsy- which affects a facial nerve. The most common symptoms of neuropathy are constant or shooting pain, burning, numbness, and tingling. The peripheral nerves are like the cables that connect the different parts of a computer or connect the Internet.
Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are related to the type of nerve that is affected and may be experienced over a period of days, weeks, or even years. Symptoms may include :
- Numbness & tingling in your hands, feet, fingers, and toes.
- Burning sensations in your hands and feet.
- Painful cramps
- Fasciculation [uncontrolled muscle twitching visible under the skin].
- Muscle loss.
- Bone degeneration.
- Changes in skin, hair, and nails.
- Reduced dexterity
- Trouble with buttons.
- Difficulty picking things up.
- Weakness of legs.
- Leg cramps.
- Organ and/or gland dysfunction.
- Constipation and pain during bowel movements.
- Burning pain [especially at night].
- Muscle wasting.
- Paralysis.
- Inability to sweat normally [which may lead to heat intolerance].
- Loss of bladder control [which may cause infection or incontinence.
- Inability to control muscles that expand or contract blood vessels to maintain safe blood pressure levels.
TREATMENTS IN OUR OFFICE :
- LASER :- Laser treatments are designed to perform deep tissue warming using infrared light emitting diodes (LEDs). Infrared light penetrates more deeply into the body and works better than red or blue light. While we cannot see infrared, our bodies respond to infrared with increased circulation and reduced pain, stiffness, and muscle spasm.
- E-STIM (IFC) :- IFC stimulation is concentrated at the point of intersection (interference) to block the patient’s pain messages, and reaches a deeper tissue level than TENS. This treatment works to reduce inflammation and swelling.
- NUTRITION COUNSELING :- When you have Neuropathy, it’s important to support your body by eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and gluten-free whole grains; moderate amounts of fish, poultry, nuts, and beans; and very low amounts of red meat. It is also important to maintain a healthy body weight. Some of the most important nutrients to help combat Neuropathy symptoms are the following :-
- Alpha Lipoic Acid : ALA is a powerful antioxidant that’s been used for years to relieve neuropathy. It moves into the nerve cells improving blood flow and oxygen to the nerves and scrubs the nerves free of any irritating free-radical damage. ALA has been shown in several double-blind placebo-controlled studies (the gold standard of scientific research) to ease the numbness, burning, and pain associated with neuropathy.
Fatty Acids : The nerves protective layer is made of fat, and as such, the nerves depend on fat for repair. Fatty acids can restore the condition of damaged nerves. Researchers have observed that fatty acids improved nerve density and sensory signal transmission and stimulated the growth of new nerve cells.
SUPPLEMENTS :-
- Benfotiamine: A special type of Vitamin B1 has been produced called Benfotiamine. It is a fat-soluble version of Vitamin B1. What does this mean? It means this special form of Vitamin B1 can be taken orally in large doses and it will not flush out of the body the way ordinary Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) does. The result is that by taking Benfotiamine the blood stream levels of Vitamin B1 can now be greatly increased, nutritionally supporting the body’s nerves and nervous system.
- Methylcobalamin (called Methyl B12): This is the form of Vitamin B12 that can be directly utilized by the body and is available in the quantities nutritionally needed by the body to help support healthy nerves. Methyl B12 can be taken orally and is immediately available to the body much like injectable B12.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D deficiency is common among those with peripheral neuropathy. One study shows that those with neuropathy who have lower levels of Vitamin D also have more pain. It’s hard to get the recommended 600 to 800 IU of Vitamin D from food alone. You may need to take a supplement. In fact, one study found that people with neuropathy who took a supplement once a week had fewer symptoms after two months.
- Feverfew Extract: Feverfew extracts have numerous clinical studies suggesting that they relieve pain and inflammation. It is a popular herb for the treatment of migraines and rheumatic pains as well.
- Oat Straw: Prescribed to help treat a wide variety of nerve conditions as well as the painful symptoms that come with neuropathy. Oat Straw seeds carry properties that can provide a soothing effect.
- Passion Flower: Helps reduce stress and anxiety. It has also been known to assist in the treatment of insomnia.
- Skullcap Extract: Increases the supply of blood to the brain and promotes a tranquilizing effect on the central nervous system. It has been helpful in treating health concerns such as: muscle spasms, anxiety, restless leg syndrome, and fibromyalgia.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AT HOME?
People with peripheral neuropathy should make lifestyle changes to reduce their pain, including :
- Always wear comfortable footwear and avoid going barefoot to lessen irritation to your feet. Try to avoid standing or walking for long periods of time.
- Soaking feet in ice water to ease pain and burning. Take warm showers or baths and skip using hot water on your skin so you don’t set off a nerve response to temperature changes. Numbness in your hands or feet could keep you from feeling how hot the water truly is.
- Wear protective gloves when gardening, doing dishes, or doing chores that may chafe your hands and fingers. Keep moisturizing creams and lotions on hand to pamper your skin.
- Stop smoking. Smoking causes your blood vessels to constrict, impairing your circulation. This means your peripheral nerves may get less nutrient-rich blood, which can lead to more pain.
Other habits to implement that help to reduce neuropathy pain :
- Exercising 30 minutes, 5 times a week combats pain in a few different ways. It helps keep blood sugar levels in check, which may slow nerve damage. Exercise also increases blood flow to the arms and legs. Plus, it boosts your mood and provides stress relief so you’re better able to deal with the discomfort.
- Use capsaicin cream. It might seem counter intuitive, but the active ingredient in hot peppers might relieve some of the burning and pain of nerve damage.
- Take steps to control your blood sugar. Over time, excess blood sugar can damage your peripheral nerves. These damaged peripheral nerves connect your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. That could set the stage for diabetic neuropathy.