Gluten, a protein found in the grains of wheat, barley, rye and related cereal crops, has been linked to a variety of inflammatory problems in humans. Because gluten is incompletely digested in your intestine, it provokes an exaggerated immune response in genetically susceptible people, leading to tissue injury that can involve your gastrointestinal tract, liver, skin, skeleton, reproductive system, endocrine organs and nervous system. Nerve pain is a relatively common symptom of gluten sensitivity.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition characterized by gluten sensitivity, inflammation in the lining of your small intestine, diarrhea, nutrient malabsorption and weight loss. (See Reference 2) About 1 percent of the U.S. population is believed to have celiac disease, but that estimate could soon be adjusted upward. Scientists are learning that many symptoms caused by gluten sensitivity, including nerve pain, can occur without any obvious gastrointestinal involvement. Therefore, in some cases, symptoms of gluten sensitivity might be due to vitamin deficiencies, while in others, direct tissue damage due to immune activity could be the culprit.
Malnutrition
According to a November 1978 review in “Postgraduate Medical Journal,” vitamin deficiencies due to celiac disease could contribute to nerve pain in some patients. Thiamin, pyridoxine, vitamin B12, vitamin E and niacin all play a role in maintaining a healthy nervous system, and celiac disease can interfere with absorption of any or all of these nutrients. As tissue levels of essential vitamins decline, your peripheral nerves deteriorate, leading to pain, tingling and numbness in your extremities. As nerve damage progresses, problems with balance and mental function develop.
Immune Damage
In most cases, the nerve pain associated with gluten sensitivity does not resolve with vitamin supplementation, leading scientists to believe that malnutrition is not the sole cause of this symptom. Rather, some undefined mechanism – probably autoimmune damage to the nerves and their surrounding tissues – is the driving force behind the peripheral neuropathy that affects up to 50 percent of celiac patients. Unlike many other symptoms of gluten sensitivity – joint pain, skin rashes, weight loss and endocrine abnormalities – adopting a gluten-free diet may not address the nerve damage associated with this condition.
Considerations
Gluten sensitivity can evoke symptoms in a wide range of organ systems. Many of these complaints, such as nerve pain, can occur in the absence of the usual intestinal problems that accompany celiac disease. In fact, nerve pain due to peripheral neuropathy might be the first manifestation of gluten sensitivity, sometimes preceding the development of celiac disease by many months. Once it begins, nerve damage due to gluten sensitivity might not improve – and could possibly progress – even if you adopt a gluten-free diet. If you suffer from nerve pain that does not have an obvious cause, ask your doctor if you should be tested for celiac disease.
References
- “American Family Physician”; Celiac Disease; R.J. Presutti, et al.; December 2007
- “Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology”; Pearls and Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Adult Celiac Disease; H.J. Freeman; March 2008
- “Postgraduate Medical Journal”; The Neurological Manifestations of Malabsorption; W.T. Cooke; November 1978
- “Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology”; Neurological Disorders in Adult Celiac Disease; H.J. Freeman; November 2008
- “Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry”; Neuromuscular and Sensory Disturbances in Patients with Well Treated Coeliac Disease; L. Luostarinen, et al.; April 2003
