Peripheral neuropathy patients can face several consequences associated with pain, tingling, muscle weakness, sensitivity to touch and temperature, etc. Today, we will talk about 10 natural treatments for peripheral neuropathy.
The 10 natural treatments effective for managing peripheral neuropathy are:
- Red light therapy
- Vitamin supplements
- Dietary changes
- Exercise
- Relaxation techniques
- Giving up smoking
- Cayenne pepper
- Warm bath
- Essential oils
- Alternative medications
Let’s go through them in detail:
Natural Treatments for Peripheral Neuropathy
Vitamin Supplements
Vitamins are essential for your health. Among various health benefits, vitamins help you keep your nerves healthy and reduce pain.
Different vitamins help peripheral neuropathy patients differently. Let’s discuss them:
- B-complex vitamin: Nerve health, the protective coating of nerves are highly dependent upon different vitamins B. Vitamin B-1, B-6, and B-12 help you manage neuropathic pain. Additionally, B-9 keeps the nerve healthy while B-12 keeps the nerve protective coating intact.
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E is generally an antioxidant and helps patients reduce inflammation. With reduced inflammation, nerve damage is reduced significantly.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Most fatty fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids. This vitamin helps keep the nervous system healthy and reduces inflammation.
- N-acetylcysteine: This is another antioxidant that blocks certain enzymes to reduce the sensation of pain.
- Calcium and Magnesium: Calcium and magnesium are very helpful in managing muscle cramps and other discomforts of neuropathy. Although, a higher dosage can cause problems for certain patients.
- Glutamine: This is one of the non-essential amino acids. This compound helps in protecting the nervous system.
You can either have a balanced diet rich in these vitamins or can ask your doctor for appropriate supplements for you. Depending on your condition, your doctor can prescribe supplements and dosage.
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy is one of the effective methods to manage peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
The nerves of the peripheral neuropathy patients undergo damage. So, appropriate signals cannot reach different body parts from the brain. Therefore, patients experience pain and other unusual sensations.
When certain red and infrared light wavelengths fall upon the affected area, the blood circulation increases, and blood vessels release nitric oxide. Thus, neuropathy patients can effectively get rid of the pain.
Also, red light therapy energizes the cells of the body to increase metabolic response. It allows cells to repair and regenerate. So when you are taking red light therapy for peripheral neuropathy, your nerves are regenerated, and your brain will be able to send appropriate signals to manage the peripheral neuropathy condition.
This therapy is completely natural and doesn’t have any harmful effects on your body when you use it properly. However, you will need to continue this therapy for a while to receive the benefits.
Dietary Changes
One of the common causes of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes. With blood sugar levels changing in the body, the nervous system can undergo certain damage. You can keep the blood sugar level in check by changing your diet and can ease neuropathy symptoms.
Avoid having complicated carbohydrates, processed foods, and sweets to keep your blood sugar level healthy. Instead, add simple carbohydrates, fiber-rich foods, and vegetables to your diet.
Limit trans and saturated fat from your meals and include antioxidant-rich foods. With these changes in your diet, you can reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and even can potentially avoid this condition.
Exercise
Exercising helps you to avoid several health issues that can cause peripheral neuropathy. Also, neuropathy patients can exercise to get rid of several symptoms.
You can easily control your blood sugar levels by regular exercising. Therefore, you can avoid damaging your nervous system.
Also, you can reduce pressure from your peripheral blood vessels to keep regular circulation by exercising. Therefore, you can avoid this condition from occurring altogether.
Relaxation Techniques
You can manage peripheral neuropathy symptoms with several relaxation techniques. With these techniques, you can effectively reduce stress to manage painful effects. Also, these relaxation techniques improve your postures for better circulation all over the body.
The most prominent relaxation techniques you can adopt are:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Deep breathing
- Progressive relaxation
- Tai chi
- Blend stretching
Quit Smoking
Smoking is severely injurious to health. It narrows down the peripheral blood vessels and disrupts circulation. Therefore, neuropathy pain cannot be managed.
Additionally, smoking can cause additional damage to your nervous system. When you quit smoking, your blood vessels will improve blood flow and will allow you to manage neuropathy pain.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper can reduce the pain intensity throughout your body. The capsaicin in this pepper has pain-relieving properties. You can include this ingredient in your diet or use capsaicin ointment on your body.
You may experience a burning sensation whenever you use capsaicin ointment. Gradually, you will experience fewer neuropathic episodes. Make sure to consult your doctor before using it to avoid adverse effects.
Warm Bath
Warm baths can help patients reduce neuropathic pain while soothing their bodies. Warm water increases blood flow all over the body and reduces pain.
If you are less sensitive to temperature due to peripheral neuropathy, make sure your bath water is not too hot to damage your skin.
Essential Oils
Essential oils can help peripheral neuropathy patients to elevate circulation while giving anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving benefits.
You will need to mix your essential oil with some other carrier oils. Then apply the oil mixture in the affected area of the body to reduce tingling pain and stinging.
You can use the following essential oils for treatment:
- Eucalyptus
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Rosewood
- Geranium
- Helichrysum
- Peppermint
- Frankincense
- Ylang-ylang
Alternative Medications
Some peripheral neuropathy patients stated that alternative medications helped them deal with neuropathic symptoms. Although, additional research is needed to confirm their effectiveness.
Some of these alternate medications are:
- Chiropractic techniques
- Acupuncture
- Reiki
You can combine both traditional and alternative medications for better results.
Bottom Line
Peripheral neuropathy can hamper the day-to-day functioning of a person. However, it is possible to manage the symptoms with appropriate treatment and even improve overall health.
Red light therapy can be very effective for neuropathy patients. It is natural and has almost no adverse side effects. Give this therapy a try for your overall well-being.
Make sure to consult a doctor before trying any treatment for peripheral neuropathy. They can give you the appropriate solution for your condition.
