Here are a few of the best for neuropathy: Swimming: This is a great exercise that puts little to no impact on the joints and feet. It also will get you in pretty amazing shape. Walking: This doesn't mean a slow stroll but a more brisk walk to get that heart rate up.
While exercise can't reverse neuropathy, it's still important to be physically active when managing diabetes. Follow these safety tips when breaking a sweat.
If you have nerve damage in your feet, avoid repetitive, weight-bearing exercises, such as jogging, prolonged walking, and step aerobics. Repeated stress on feet that are affected by neuropathy can lead to ulcers, fractures, and joint problems. Choose exercises that do not put stress on your feet, such as: Swimming.
Avoid factors that may cause nerve damage, including repetitive motions, cramped positions that put pressure on nerves, exposure to toxic chemicals, smoking and overindulging in alcohol.
Whether or not neuropathy can be reversed depends on the cause of the nerve damage. In some cases, the pain may go away entirely. In others, nerve damage may be permanent. For example, when neuropathy is caused by an infection, symptoms might go away completely when the infection is treated.
Massage therapy can be beneficial if you have neuropathy — numbness, tingling or pain — in your hands and feet. This is particularly common in cancer survivors.
Why Exercise? 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.
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.
The first nerves to be affected tend to be the smallest ones furthest from the spinal cord—those that stretch to the toes and feet. Diabetic neuropathy affects different people in different ways. I feel it as a tingling in my toes. Moving my feet and wiggling my toes helps the tingling disappear for a while.
Heat Therapy – taking a warm bath or relaxing with a warm heating pad can boost circulation, not to mention reduce stress. Managing stress – speaking of reducing stress, that helps too!
A study published in Nutrients of people undergoing chemotherapy found that people who had high levels of magnesium in their diet were less likely to experience neuropathy.
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.
Vicks VapoRub also has other popular off-label uses—and these have more support than use of the product on the feet to improve a cough. Vicks is sometimes used on the feet to relieve neuropathy pain, treat toenail fungus, and soften callouses.
Compression socks improve nerve sensitivity if you suffer from nerve damage or neuropathy. Because compression socks help hinder excess swelling and inflammation, utilizing them can decrease swelling and, therefore, lessen the risk of infection.
Deeply stroke the skin of both feet moving in an upward direction toward your knee. Next squeeze and massage all of the tissue of your feet starting between the toes, include the front and back surfaces of your feet. Squeeze, press and massage the entire foot as deeply as you can without causing pain.
The most effective antidepressants for neuropathic pain are tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and serotonin–noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). However, these medications can also produce side effects.
B Vitamins
Vitamins B-1, B-6, and B-12 have been found to be especially beneficial for treating neuropathy. Vitamin B-1, also known as thiamine, helps to reduce pain and inflammation and vitamin B-6 preserves the covering on nerve endings.
"Abbott's Proclaim XR spinal cord stimulation system provides patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy the opportunity to obtain a better quality of life while more seamlessly fitting into their current lifestyles."
Foot soaks: Soaking your feet, either in a specialized foot bath or your bathtub, may provide some much-needed self-care for your feet. Soaks with oils like peppermint or chamomile or Epsom salts have been shown to decrease pain in people with neuropathy.
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.
Dishes with gluten (cereals, crackers, grains, pasta, salad dressings, etc.) High-sugar products (canned fruit, granola, juice, ketchup, soda, protein bars, etc.) Trans & saturated fats (commercially baked items, coconut oil, fried foods, margarine, etc.)