Ever had the feeling of pins and needles pricking your hands and feet? Wondered what it is and how you can get rid of it? We are talking about Neuropathy here, which is a type of disorder.
And if you want to know how to get relief from this, you got to read this post. Here we talk about the home remedies that can help you treat Neuropathy.
Would you like to know more? Read on.
Neuropathy is a set of disorders caused due to damage to the peripheral nervous system. The disorders affect the sensory nerves that cause pain and numbness. They also affect the motor nerves that influence muscle movements.
Neuropathy is most commonly caused by metabolic disorders such as diabetes, with more than 70% diabetics suffering from diabetic neuropathy. Additionally, smoking, infections, injuries and poor nutrition also cause neuropathy. This condition is primarily manifested by a pain in the back or hip and a burning, tingling sensation in the extremities.
If you frequently suffer from any of these sensations, neuropathy can be quite painful. To ease the discomfort, take a look at these effective home remedies for neuropathy.
High blood sugar has a debilitating effect on the peripheral nervous system, slowly damaging the nerves. The same applies to smoking. A regular foot care regimen works manifold by relaxing you, while reversing nerve damage. Foot nerves are most sensitive to neuropathy as they are the longest in the body (1).
To minimize Neuropathic pain, the feet must be protected with loose cotton socks. Corns, calluses, cuts, and blisters should regularly be checked and taken care of. Ensure the shoes you wear are padded and comfortable.
Exercising is an effective way to bring down blood sugar, thereby reducing nerve damage. Besides, a simple walk can increase blood flow to the arms and legs, and repairs the nerves in the damaged areas. It was observed that those suffering from neuropathy experienced lesser disease progression with regular exercise (2).
Capsaicin cream is available easily and is proven to reduce neuropathic pain over time. Researchers have found that more than a third of the people using capsaicin cream faced relief from the pain. The cream is to be rubbed on the skin over the area of the affected nerve three to four times a day.
Capsaicin is, surprisingly, derived from chili peppers. And yet, it is a good analgesic for a variety of neuropathies (3). However, be careful not to apply the cream on open wounds.
A warm bath has always been one of our first remedies for stress relief. We can use this to treat neuropathy. Neuropathy sufferers sometimes have stabbing, electrical jolts of pain. Though warm baths do relieve mild pain, a little relief makes the stabbing pains easier to withstand.
This is an effective natural remedy for neuropathy. Again, like exercise, warm water baths improve blood circulation to the extremities, thereby soothing and bringing sensation to the cold nerves.
One of the causes of neuropathy is the deficiency of vitamin B-12. Once your diet has the necessary nutrients such as biotin, symptoms of neuropathy begin to fade away. For this reason, start eating more nuts like almonds and walnuts, which are rich in nutrients.
Certain oils work well to alleviate the pain of neuropathy. Brahmi oil is one such example. It helps grow new cells, strengthen blood vessels, and improve blood circulation. Mustard oil, similarly, reduces pain. Castor restores nerve tissues when massaged on the affected area. Botanical oils too have many benefits. These oils can be massaged onto the sensitive areas frequently in liberal amounts.
These home remedies make a significant difference in the way you handle the discomfort that comes with neuropathy. Along with the quicker remedies, long-term change in lifestyle also relieves neuropathic pain. Diet changes such as abstinence from alcohol are the first step, as alcohol consumption has been proven to worsen the pain. Similarly, a balanced diet improves nerve function gradually.
Once your diet and lifestyle are up to the mark, handling Neuropathy would get easier.
Has this post helped you? Please do let us know in the comments section below.