Check every day for blisters, cuts, or calluses. Blood vessels narrow and less oxygenated blood can pass through them. Without proper blood circulation, you may experience increased numbness and pain from peripheral neuropathy. Eliminating smoking habits can help improve symptoms.
Let this motivate you to make positive changes. Regular exercise can help fight pain and improve your overall health. Being active can lower blood sugar, which in turn can reduce or slow nerve damage. Exercise also increases blood flow to the arms and legs and reduces stress.
These are all factors that help reduce discomfort and pain. Meditation techniques can help people struggling with the symptoms of neuropathy overcome their pain. It can help reduce stress, improve their coping skills, and decrease the intensity of pain. Taking a mind-body approach is a non-invasive technique that gives you more control over your condition.
Peripheral neuropathy causes pain, typically in the hands and feet. Learn about simple exercises you can do at home to treat peripheral neuropathy pain. Surgical treatment may be recommended for people with nerve damage due to nerve injury or compression. Mobility aids, such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair, may be helpful.
For pain, the doctor may prescribe painkillers. A warm bath may be the easiest and least expensive home treatment for nerve pain. Warm water temporarily increases blood flow to the legs and can also help relieve stress. Avoid burns by measuring the water temperature with your arm before entering.
Excessive alcohol consumption is toxic to the nerves and can make nerve pain worse. There is no magic number for how many alcoholic beverages you can drink and still avoid nerve pain, but some experts recommend four drinks or less per week. Relaxation techniques can help a person better manage the pain of neuropathy. Deep breathing, meditation, and progressive relaxation can offer some relief.
There are several different treatment options for peripheral neuropathy. However, the most common and effective treatment is the use of anticonvulsant drugs such as gabapentin and pregabalin. Another effective treatment is the use of certain tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, doxepin, duloxetine, and nortriptyline. These medications help relieve neuropathic pain by interfering with the chemical processes in the brain and spinal cord that cause pain.
Just as neuropathy (also called peripheral neuropathy) is not just a condition, nor is there a single treatment option that is best for all forms of this group of health problems.
