More than 30 million Americans have peripheral neuropathy, a condition well-known for causing pain, tingling, and extreme sensitivity. Peripheral neuropathy is a complex condition arising from many causes, including injuries, toxins, autoimmune diseases, and health conditions.
But no matter what causes your nerve damage, the pain can be hard to control. That’s why you need the neuropathy specialists at Infinity Regenerative and Neuropathy Center in Plano, Texas. They have years of experience easing the pain of peripheral neuropathy.
As experts in the field, they also stay up-to-date with the most current treatments, offering advanced therapies that provide long-lasting pain relief. Here, they explain five approaches for dealing with painful neuropathy.
The pain, tingling, and burning sensations caused by peripheral neuropathy are notoriously hard to treat. As neuropathy specialists, we offer today’s most advanced therapies, such as electric cell signaling treatment (EST).
EST is a noninvasive treatment that safely sends electrical energy through your skin and into the nerves causing your pain. The electrical stimulation reduces inflammation and promotes nerve healing.
During EST, blood flow to the damaged nerves increases. The boost in circulation brings healing oxygen and nutrients while also eliminating harmful wastes.
Most often, an injury causes damage to one nerve. When two or more nerves are involved, neuropathy develops due to an underlying health condition.
If you have a treatable condition, such as a vitamin deficiency, hormonal imbalance, infection, or exposure to toxins, getting medical care to heal the problem allows the nerves time to heal. As a result, you get relief from your neuropathy symptoms.
Diabetes is the most common cause of polyneuropathy (damage to many nerves), accounting for 60% of all cases of peripheral neuropathy. Though there is no cure for diabetes, keeping your blood sugar under control can help prevent future nerve damage.
Managing your blood sugar involves following a healthy diet, regular exercise, and losing weight if needed. You may also need insulin or other medications that lower your blood sugar levels.
If you have diabetes, you should check your feet daily for cuts, abrasions, blisters, bruising, and problems like calluses. Nerve damage combined with blood vessel damage — another diabetic complication — allows minor foot problems to develop into a nonhealing ulcer.
Lifestyle habits for managing diabetes can also help ease the pain of peripheral neuropathy from other causes. The first two steps are to stop smoking and avoid alcohol; both can worsen neuropathy symptoms.
Following a well-balanced, anti-inflammatory diet supports nerve health. You may also need a dietary supplement for any nutrient deficiencies.
Exercise lowers blood sugar and reduces bodywide inflammation. Routine exercise also eases neuropathy pain, promotes nerve healing, and improves function.
There aren’t any oral medications that specifically treat peripheral neuropathy. However, some antidepressants inhibit pain signals in your brain. Additionally, a few anti-seizure medications ease neuropathy pain by calming electrical signals in nerves.
You may also get pain relief from topical treatments. Patches or creams containing lidocaine or capsaicin go through your skin and reach the nerves. Lidocaine is an anesthetic that blocks nerve signals, while capsaicin desensitizes nerve endings.
If you struggle with peripheral neuropathy, or have signs of the condition but haven’t received a diagnosis, call Infinity Regenerative and Neuropathy Center today or request an appointment online.
