Exercise. Regular exercise, such as walking three times a week, can reduce neuropathy pain, improve muscle strength and help control blood sugar levels. Gentle routines such as yoga and tai chi might also help.
While the general benefits of aerobic and flexibility exercises are well-known, increasing movement and heart-rate are particularly important for people suffering with peripheral neuropathy. Physical activity can improve blood circulation, which strengthens nerve tissues by increasing the flow of oxygen.
If the pain is mild, you can still go for a walk, but maybe just not as far as you could before. So if your symptoms are not that painful, that's even more of a reason to consider walking. If your pain is manageable while you walk, it's a good idea to gradually increase the frequency and duration each time you walk.
The present study suggests that high-intensity mechanical loading, such as excessive walking, can precipitate mechanical allodynia and damage sensory nerve fibers, especially under diabetic conditions, which could explain why diabetic neuropathic symptoms are most common in feet.
DOs and DON'Ts in Managing Peripheral Neuropathy:
Exercise, eat healthy meals, lose weight, and quit smoking. DO avoid repetitive movements, cramped positions, toxic chemicals, and too much alcohol—things that cause nerve damage.
Regular exercise, such as walking three times a week, can reduce neuropathy pain, improve muscle strength and help control blood sugar levels. Gentle routines such as yoga and tai chi might also help. Quit smoking.
With sensory peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage in the feet causes numbness, often as a result of diabetes or chemotherapy, leading to difficulties walking and a higher risk for falls.
Nutritional or vitamin imbalances, alcoholism, and exposure to toxins can damage nerves and cause neuropathy. Vitamin B12 deficiency and excess vitamin B6 are the best known vitamin-related causes. Several medications have been shown to occasionally cause neuropathy.
Intraneural Facilitation (INF) treatment effectively restores blood flow to damaged nerves, decreasing pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), according to a new study conducted by researchers at Loma Linda University Health.
Lifestyle choices can play a role in preventing peripheral neuropathy. You can lessen your risk for many of these conditions by avoiding alcohol, correcting vitamin deficiencies, eating a healthy diet, losing weight, avoiding toxins, and exercising regularly.
For people whose symptoms continue after treatment is complete, these often improve or resolve within 6-12 months. Some people do experience these symptoms for a longer period of time and for some, they become permanent.
Numerous clinical studies have found that magnesium has beneficial effects in patients suffering from neuropathic pain, dysmenorrhea, tension headache, acute migraine attack, and others.
Although there is no cure for most forms of peripheral neuropathy, routine exercise may either prevent or delay the onset of the some of the most common causes.
The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may lessen or go away over time, but in some cases they never go away. These are some ways to learn to live with it: Use pain medicines as your doctor prescribes them. Most pain medicines work best if they are taken before the pain gets bad.
Diabetes. This is the most common cause. Among people with diabetes, more than halfwill develop some type of neuropathy.
What are the symptoms of neuropathic pain? Many symptoms may be present in the case of neuropathic pain. These symptoms include: Spontaneous pain (pain that comes without stimulation): Shooting, burning, stabbing, or electric shock-like pain; tingling, numbness, or a “pins and needles” feeling.
Roughly 20 million Americans are living with neuropathy. Living with daily pain and discomfort can be challenging. People with neuropathy are at a higher risk for depression and anxiety than those without a neurological disorder. The good news is treatable, and a pain management specialist can help.
For some, neuropathy symptoms progress rapidly—from asymptomatic to wheelchair-bound within a year or two. For others, neuropathy evolves slowly over many years. However, in each case, the problem will not go away on its own.
Compression socks can help patients manage their neuropathy symptoms. These socks apply pressure to assist your feet and ensure blood keeps flowing in the correct direction. However, compression socks come in various compression levels, so it's important to speak to a doctor before purchasing a pair.
Drink lots of water
Water should be a staple in any diet, and even more so for those looking to reduce nerve pain. It's critical to stay hydrated throughout the day to reduce inflammation and avoid triggering pain receptors. Aim to drink eight 8-oz. of water each day.
Capsaicin is used to help relieve a certain type of pain known as neuralgia (shooting or burning pain in the nerves). Capsaicin is also used to help relieve minor pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis or muscle sprains and strains.
However, when you are lying down, most of your weight is pressing down on one area. This can increase pressure on the nerves and cause pain. Other reasons your neuropathy may feel worse when lying down or sleeping include: Physical strain and effort, which might increase nerve discomfort as your body begins to relax.