If you suspect you have or have been diagnosed with neuropathy, also called peripheral neuropathy, you know it is not pleasant. Suffering from burning, shooting or electric shock type pain, especially when you are inactive is a common occurance. In my opinion, the worst symptom of neuropathy is the inability to have a great sense of balance. When your feet can't accurately sense the surface you are walking on, you risk falling.Neuropathy is a progressive problem if the cause is not determined
Generally there are five broad causal categories:
- Blood sugar imbalance such as diabetes and hypoglycemia. Your nerves function best when fasting blood sugar is in the 85-99 range and fasting insulin and HbA1c is around 5.0
- Toxic load damage such as occurs with Agent Orange exposure, chemotherapy, radiation therapy. Many medications are known to cause or contribute to neuropathy, including the cholesterol lowering drugs called statins.
- Autoimmune damage can cause neuropathy and one of the more common underlying factors is gluten intolerance.
- Idiopathic, meaning unknown cause. With this category the clinician must order very specific testing to discover the hidden cause or causes.
- Physical damage to nerves can occur from sporting injuries, chronic poor posture that leads to spinal and nerve damage, or even from long forgotten "fender benders"
Many ineffective strategies to deal with neuropathy are common in the world of medical care, which I outline below:
- Just wait and see how it goes. You really don’t need any research for this one…all chronic conditions, like weeds overtaking the ,garden will get worse over time and therefore, treating the complex conditions gets harder and harder. Once you have nerve loss of 85% or more in the peripheral nerves, the proverbial window has just about shut. Nobody, I mean, NOBODY is going to be able to help you. Time is of the essence in neuropathy care. Wasting time not getting to the root cause and correcting it often leads to a very poor lifestyle.
- Medications. The most commonly prescribed medications
for peripheral neuropathy – Lyrica, Neurontin and Amitriptyline - were not even designed or approved for the condition. Lyrica and Neurontin (Gabapentin) are anti-seizure medications that have terrible side effects like “burning, tingling, numbness, or pain of arms hands feet or legs…change in walking or balance, delusions, dementia, suicidal thoughts, difficult bowel movements, clumsiness, confusion, difficulty speaking, etc. - the list goes on and on and on. Amitriptyline, an antidepressant, has its own side effects such as constipation, drowsiness, dizziness and sexual dysfunctions. Many of these side effects sound like the condition itself, so, in my opinion, medications aren’t really a great option – and besides they only treat the SYMPTOMS of the condition at best. I believe that you can NEVER drug your way into better health. - Surgery. There are some types of PN that surgery could help with, such as a bulging disc or some other types of stenosis, but these types of neuropathies are usually mononeuropathies that affect only one leg (or arm) and usualy only one nerve root, not the more typical neuropathy that we’re talking about here. The kind that affects BOTH feet and legs (or hands and arms).
- Physical Therapy. If you have muscle weakness, physical therapy can help improve your movements, strength and flexibility – all good for neuropathy. I’m a big fan of exercise, but I’ve never seen a case where a patient has been able exercise neuropathy away.
for peripheral neuropathy – Lyrica, Neurontin and Amitriptyline - were not even designed or approved for the condition. Lyrica and Neurontin (Gabapentin) are anti-seizure medications that have terrible side effects like “burning, tingling, numbness, or pain of arms hands feet or legs…change in walking or balance, delusions, dementia, suicidal thoughts, difficult bowel movements, clumsiness, confusion, difficulty speaking, etc. - the list goes on and on and on. Amitriptyline, an antidepressant, has its own side effects such as constipation, drowsiness, dizziness and sexual dysfunctions. Many of these side effects sound like the condition itself, so, in my opinion, medications aren’t really a great option – and besides they only treat the SYMPTOMS of the condition at best. I believe that you can NEVER drug your way into better health.Rather than wasting time treating symptoms, taking a root cause approach for neuropathy is prudent and effective
Embarking on a revolutionary approach; one that determines the root cause or causes and seeks to correct the cause can be highly effective. If you have tried or considered any of the above four options and have lost hope or confidence in recovering from Peripheral Neuropathy, then you may want to consider a Functional Neurology program that involves a three-prong approach to recovery: 1) Inflammation reduction and tissue healing through nutrient balancing, 2) passive activation of nerves and muscles to increase neuroplasticity, strength and balance and 3) a course-of-action for sustainability of your recovery and even increasing your function and performance over time.
If your doctor told you that there is NOTHING else out there that can help you, they are not up on the latest research of neuroplasticity - NERVES CAN REGROW as long as they still have a blood supply and their the nerve cell is not dead - but don’t believe me - read the scientific journals.
Clinicians such as myself use several layered therapeutic modalities to trigger healing in the body. The tools we use are shown to be able to help nerves work better, improve circulation and remove interference to the body's healing capacity. In the end, we end up doing what is considered impossible, and it is because we are using the right tools and strategies...not just treating the pain or symptom.
The image you see below shows the patient had only 35.7% of normal sensation in her right foot and 21.4% in her left foot before starting our neuropathy recovery program. She developed neuropathy from chemotherapy and from the the nerve damaging effects of diabetes. After instituting health supporting dietary changes and a neutraceutical regimen combined with the therapies her care progam indicated, she ended up with 94.3% normal sensation in her right foot and 91.4% normal sensation in her left foot. These changes took place over three months of care!
In summary, know there is a path back to health. If you have been told there is no hope to stop the horrible pain or numbness in your hands or feet, don't give up. Searching for a practitioner who will look for root causes, decide if your nerves can still repair and employ a multi-pronged healing approach, may just the help you are looking for. If you are curious or want to know more, I have a neuropathy video you can view that explains the approach I take with neuropathy patients. Just click on the image above or the link below.
I also have a document entitled, "The Patient's Guide To Defeating Neuropathy" you can download by clicking on this link:
You could also opt to schedule a neuropathy case review to see if I can help you by clicking on the link below:
For more details about the natural approach I take with my patients, take a look at the book I wrote entitled: Reclaim Your Life; Your Guide To Revealing Your Body's Life-Changing Secrets For Renewed Health. It is available in my office or at Amazon and many other book outlets. If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with chronic health challenges, despite receiving medical management. Help me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living! Thank you!
