Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, or nerve pain, is experienced as tingling, numbness, burning and tearing, shooting pains, often feeling like hot or cold needles stabbing the hands, toes and feet. According to DiabeticLiving.com, 60 percent to 70 percent of diabetics have some form of peripheral neuropathy. The ensuing pain can be agonizing causing patients to be unable to sleep comfortably and interfering with the simple joys of daily living. Diabetic neuropathy can also be painless as this nerve disorder establishes itself, but the most common presentation is numbness and burning pain, which can be the key for diagnosis. There are some suggestions for relieving the pain of diabetic neuropathy.
What Can I Do to Stop Neuropathy Pain With Diabetes?
Step 1
Regularly check blood glucose levels. Dr. Robert Gerwin, pain management specialist at Johns Hopkins University, stresses that maintaining good control of blood glucose levels is important in keeping your pain manageable and tolerable.
Step 2
Use conventional medications to relieve neuropathy pain. Dr. Gerwin suggests medicating in a "stepwise" manner, starting with the most effective of the mildest drugs. Medicines such as NSAIDs or acetaminophen are a good place to begin.
Step 3
For those experiencing severe pain, ask your doctor if you can try anticonvulsants, such as Lyrica and Neurontin. The nerve-calming qualities of these medicines can help to calm the pain caused by the nerve damage found in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Step 4
If depression accompanies the nerve pain, ask your doctor for a seratonin reuptake antidepressant, which is a prescribed medicine that will decrease nerve transmission.
Step 5
Try over-the-counter creams and gels used for topical applications if drugs do not give you the kind of relief you are seeking. Pain-management specialist Dr. Ed Ross reports, "there is some evidence to support that Capsaicin, which is extracted from chile peppers relieves the pain of diabetic neuropathy." Capsaicin causes burning pains until you get used to it. It is not effective in some people due to their own pain levels.
Step 6
Use alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, to treat painful diabetic peripheral neuropathies. When acupuncture is used correctly, it releases the energy and relieves pain pathways. Dr. Kent Holtorf states that "Chinese medicine has been shown to lower stress hormones, which leads to less inflammation throughout the body and can, in turn, reduce pain transmission."
Step 7
Take inositol and a vitamin-B complex to reduce neuropathy pains. During a study from the University of Alabama, researchers reported significant pain relief from diabetic neuropathies after including high levels of Inositol in the diet. Robert Atkins, M.D., has reported that doctors at St. James Hospital in Leeds, England, have also shown that adding inositol to the diet helps reduce painful diabetic peripheral neuropathies.
Tips and Warnings
- Wear shoes with a loose toe box. Refrain from crossing your legs at the knee, which cuts circulation. Wear compression hose or socks for soothing comfort.
- See your doctor immediately if you have dark blue or black spots on your feet or toes. The suggestions offered here are for educational purposes and not meant to take the place of medical advice.
Things You'll Need
- Over-the-counter NSAID pain medications
- Individual prescription medications
- Capasicin
- Acupuncturist
- B vitamins
