Nerve pain, also called neuralgia, is pain that travels along the path of one or more of your nerves. Nerve pain may stem from various factors, including certain medications, surgery, traumatic injuries and numerous health problems, such as type 2 diabetes and chronic renal insufficiency. Nutritional supplements may be helpful in treating your nerve pain. However, you should always consult your doctor before using supplements for this purpose.
Nerve Pain
Nerve pain most commonly occurs in seniors, reports MedlinePlus. Some of the most common signs and symptoms that may accompany nerve pain include reduced ability to move your affected body parts due to pain or muscle weakness, heightened skin sensitivity, numbness in certain parts of your body and pain near the surface of your body. Nerve pain may have numerous different qualities. For example, your nerve pain may be sharp and stabbing or burning, or may feel like an electrical shock.
Helpful Nutritional Supplements
You may treat your nerve pain using nutritional supplements, although not all nutritional supplements used for this health purpose have undergone rigorous clinical research trials. Wood betony, blue violet, chamomile, catnip, white willow bark, cayenne, rosemary, licorice and gotu kola are among the most commonly used nutritional supplements in treating nerve pain, according to certified nutritional consultant Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing." Naturopathic physician Russell B. Marz, author of "Medical Nutrition From Marz," reports that vitamin B-1, B-3, cobalamin and vitamin E are nutritional supplements that may also help treat your neuralgia.
A Potent Supplement
Blue violet may be one of the most effective nutritional supplements in the treatment of nerve pain. According to naturopathic physician William A. Mitchell Jr., author of "Plant Medicine in Practice," the leaves and blossoms of the blue violet plant contain salicylic acid methyl ester, which is incorporated into nutritional supplements and accounts for this plant's pain- relieving effects. Blue violet also contains significant amounts of vitamins A and C and volatile oils.
Disclaimer
Nerve pain can be severe and long-lasting. If you suffer from nerve pain, review all relevant treatment strategies with your doctor. In most cases, a combination of complementary alternative and conventional allopathic treatment methods may be most effective in relieving your nerve pain. Avoid using nutritional supplements to treat your nerve pain until you have discussed proper dosage, potential side effects and possible drug interactions with your primary care provider.
References
- National Center for Biotechnology Information; Neuralgia; September 22, 2008
- MedlinePlus; Neuralgia; September 22, 2008
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC; 2010
- "Plant Medicine in Practice"; William A. Mitchell Jr., N.D.; 2003
- "Medical Nutrition From Marz"; Russell B. Marz, N.D.; 1999
