By Richmond Natural Medicine

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October 5, 2017

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There are a number of classifications of neuropathy, but essentially neuropathy is a problem or disease state of the nerves.

Neuropathy can occur peripherally at the extremities (often fingers and toes up to arms and legs), or it can occur within the central nervous system (affecting the cranial nerves and spinal cord).  In this post we are going to discuss peripheral neuropathy.

There are a number of causes of peripheral neuropathy:

• Diabetes: This is one of the most common causes.
• Kidney or Liver Disease
• Inflammation
• Vitamin or Mineral Deficiency: Especially the B-vitamins: B1, B6, B12, and folate.
• Autoimmune related: Lupus, RA, MS, Guillain-Barre
• Infections: especially viral infections (post-herpetic neuralgia, Lyme, etc.)
• Toxicity: Heavy metals, environmental exposures to solvents, chemotherapy induced, alcohol abuse
• Trauma or Injury

Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy

The symptoms experienced will occur in different areas of the body depending on which particular nerve has been damaged, and the symptoms are different depending on which type of nerve fiber has been damaged.

Motor Nerves: control voluntary movement of muscles

• Muscle weakness
• Muscle atrophy
• Muscle twitching
• Decreased reflexes

Sensory Nerves: send information about sensations from the skin to the brain

• Numbness
• Tingling
• Pins and Needles
• Inability to sense temperature or pain
• Burning
• Stabbing
• Increased sensitivity (light touch causes severe pain)

Autonomic Nerves: control automatic body functions like breathing, digestion, heart rate, etc.

• Sweating
• Heat intolerance
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Nausea/vomiting
• Difficulty swallowing
• Incontinence (urine and stool)
• Irregular heartbeat
• Blood pressure changes
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting

What is the best way to treat neuropathy?

The most important factor in treating peripheral neuropathy will be finding the cause!

If we know that the cause is related to diabetes, the treatment will be somewhat different than if the cause is due to a severe blunt force injury, right?

The treatment is very individualized in order to treat the underlying cause of the peripheral neuropathy.

Below are a few common nutrients/herbs for nerve support that can help stop the progression of nerve damage and decrease pain:

• Alpha lipoic acid: This is a powerful antioxidant that combats free radicals that often lead to tissue and cellular damage in cases of chronic disease. It has been shown to improve insulin resistance, blood glucose levels, and pain in cases of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

• Omega 3 fish oil: Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to help balance cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, decrease risks of cardiovascular disease, improve mood, as well as decrease pain due to its anti-inflammatory effects.

• St. John’s Wort: Often times people think of this herb for its usefulness in depression. It is also a wonderful antiviral, antioxidant, and analgesic. Meaning that it can help combat viruses, reduce oxidative damage of the tissues, and provide pain relief (especially nerve pain), in addition to its mood uplifting quality.

There are a number of reasons people may experience peripheral neuropathy, here at RNM we individualize our care plans to each patient. No two cases of neuropathy are exactly the same, therefore treatments will not be the same. We treat people – not diseases. If you are interested in more individualized care contact us to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed naturopathic doctors.