How to Effectively Deal With Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy is a condition which
causes burning and shooting pain in the hands, legs, feet, and arms, and
is something which unfortunately affects around 70% of diabetes
sufferers. There are many different ways to treat diabetic neuropathy,
and here are some of the most effective ones:
1. Prevention
As the popular saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and this
certainly rings true when it comes to diabetic neuropathy. According to
Caroline Messer, MD, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New
York City, you can prevent the onset of diabetic neuropathy by "keeping
blood sugar - glucose - under tight control." This means that you should
plan your diet carefully, get yourself checked frequently, and take
certain medications regularly. Messer says that "we can treat blood
sugar with insulin or add on new classes of blood-sugar-lowering drugs
to bring glucose down to where it should be.” You should also make all
of the regular lifestyle changes that you’d make for diabetes in
general, such as stopping smoking and maintaining a healthy weight.
2. Anti-Seizure Medication
The American Diabetes Association recommends using the anti-seizure drug
pregabalin (Lyrica) as your first resort when trying to deal with
diabetic neuropathy. Such medication is believed to relieve pain by
interfering with pain signals sent by damaged nerves.
3. Antidepressants
Antidepressants have been found to not only help deal with depression
that diabetic neuropathy can cause but also the physical discomfort that
accompanies it. Doctors recommend using antidepressants if anti-seizure
medications, such as Lyrica, have not reduced the pain to bearable
levels, since they may have a better effect when coupled together.
4. Lidocaine
According to Dr. Messer, topical lidocaine, in gel, spray or patch form,
could serve as a decent diabetic neuropathy treatment. She says that
"patches can’t be placed on the feet and hands, but this is an OK
approach for nerve pain in the legs and arms.” Since lidocaine is a
topical form of treatment, the risk of any side-effects developing is a
lot lower than other oral treatments.
5. Painkillers
If you've tried all of the above methods, but are still in pain, then
you might want to ask your doctor to prescribe opioid painkillers. Be
warned though, such painkillers come with their fair share of risks,
including addiction and possibility of fatally overdosing, so you should
always follow your doctor's advice when making use of them. In fact,
the ADA recommends only using opioids if all other possible treatments
have failed to ease the pain.
6. Capsaicin
Capsaicin is the component that gives chili peppers their famous spicy
kick, and which has now been found to help ease nerve pain by applying a
numbing sensation to the affected area. Over-the-counter strengths of
capsaicin may not always be strong enough to ease your pain, so you
should visit your doctor to get the most appropriate form available.
7. Botox
It's a commonly known fact that the botulinum toxin, found in Botox,
causes temporary muscle paralysis, which is how it ends up erasing your
wrinkles. However, such paralysis also results in a numbing of the
nerves, which is why it has been found to be so effective in reducing
the pain caused by diabetic neuropathy.
8. Proper Foot Hygiene
When you suffer from diabetic nerve pain, the numb sensations that can
end up affecting your feet could end up leading to an infection, or
worse... This is why you'll need to make an extra effort to keep your
feet as clean as possible at all times. Dr. Messer says that "you lose
sensation, and, because of this, you are much more likely to get a
wound, and we know wounds heal slowly,” and that you should "check your
feet for cracks, fissures, and calluses. If you catch them early, you
can fix them using special shoes or creams to prevent progression.”
9. Antioxidants
Antioxidants like alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) can also aid in treating
diabetic nerve pain. Research shows that ALA could be a quicker solution
than most other treatments when it comes to dealing with numbness,
muscle strength, and sensory deficits. It will also help to ease your
pain at the same time. What's fascinating is that it can do all of this,
without causing you to experience many of the unwelcome side effects
which are often associated with other diabetic nerve pain therapies.
10. Vitamin D
Studies have shown that many people who suffer from diabetic neurosis
are deficient in vitamin D. One study, in particular, showed that giving
a sufferer a single shot of vitamin D (600,000 IU) caused them to feel a
lot less pain for quite a number of months. The benefits were found to
peak at around 10 weeks after the shot, and often lasted as long as 20
weeks.