Most Effective Neuropathy Therapies

Neurotherapy or peripheral neuropathy is a health condition caused by the damage of nerves outside of the brain. It can create periods of pain and numbness in the various areas of the body, noticeably in the hands and legs.

The brain is responsible for sending neural signals throughout the body. When the signal cannot pass through the nervous system effectively, the body can experience a range of symptoms like muscle weakness, pain, sensation like walking on nails, etc.

Although definitive treatment is yet to be achieved, there are ways to treat the symptoms effectively. Nerve pain medications, various therapies, and home remedies can help ease the pain.

Today, we will talk about the causes of neuropathy and the most effective therapies for managing the symptoms. Keep reading to get the full picture.

Causes and Symptoms of Neuropathy

A number of health conditions can be responsible for neuropathy. Autoimmune diseases, diabetes, infections are some of the prominent causes. Some people can even inherit this problem from their parents or earlier generation.

Tumors and bone marrow disorders are equally responsible for neuropathy. Other than that, extreme alcohol consumption, exposure to toxins, vitamin deficiencies, any injury on the nerve can bring neuropathy syndrome in a person.

The common symptoms of neuropathy are tingling or numbing one’s hands or feet. Eventually, this numbness can spread upward in the arms and legs.

Sharp, throbbing, burning pain is another common symptom. Some may feel way too sensitive to touch.

Some people may lack the overall balance and fall unusually. Eventually, the muscle weakens, and some patients may experience paralysis.

If neuropathy occurs in the autonomic nerves, one may experience heat intolerance, excessive sweating, various digestive problems, even a sudden drop in blood pressure.

Therapies for Neuropathy

To this date, there is no cure for neuropathy. However, there are various therapies for minimizing the symptoms and helping the patients with their condition. Some of the prominent therapies being:

Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

Here low voltage electrical current is provided for relieving the pain. A TENS unit is a battery-powered device with electrodes. These electrodes are placed on the skin surface, and electrical impulse is delivered.

With electrical stimulation, the blockage of the nerve is stimulated. Therefore, the nerve cells that were blocking the pain signals can start to work again effectively. In another theory, the electrical pulse increases the endorphin levels in the nerve cells. As endorphin is the primary pain-killer chemical of the body, the pain is effectively managed.

The therapy is a non-invasive method of pain relief. A patient can use the device along with his medications. In some instances, it is seen to reduce the medicine dosage while using this therapy. The device is portable, so you can use it whenever or wherever you need it.

Among the few disadvantages of this therapy, getting burned or unsuitable materials for the electrodes is more significant. Other than that, some may feel uncomfortable while passing the electricity to the skin.

Plasma Exchange and Intravenous Immune Globulin

Plasma exchange helps in suppressing the activity of the immune system. People suffering from inflammation conditions benefit from this therapy.

In this procedure, blood is first removed from your body. Then the blood is cleansed for antibodies and proteins. Then the blood is again inserted into the body.

In this process, the pathogenic antibodies are removed from the blood. The blood is then infused with high levels of protein. These proteins then work as antibodies.

This procedure has got its drawbacks. However, severe reactions are quite uncommon. As the possibility of the consequences is low, it is very popular among medical practitioners.

Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy is one of the recent therapy methods. Despite being new, it has shown tremendous promise. Research has shown that light therapy can help produce or restore a neuropathy patient’s sensory threshold within two months, depending on the degree of severity.

With light therapy, the energy of the light gets stored in the cells. When the cells are energized, circulation is increased, and pain is reduced. Most of the time, infrared LED bulbs are also used in the lightbox, and the device is kept in skin contact with the user.

The therapy provides you a soothing experience. It enables the normal blood flow to return to the area and get rid of the pain.

Light therapy is natural and has no side effects. There are also portable lightboxes available in the market for getting the benefits of light therapy any time anywhere.

Physical Therapy

If you suffer from muscle weakness, physical therapy can be your best friend. Physical therapy can improve your movement easily. For precaution, keep foot braces, wheelchair, canes handy.

Surgery

If your neuropathy symptoms are caused by tumors or any pressure on the nerves, you should get surgery. The earliest surgery helps the patient to recover from the condition soon. Also, rapid removal of nerve pressure protects the patient from further harm.

Final Words

Neuropathy therapies can be pretty helpful for a patient to recover from unwanted pain and toil. All of the therapies have their benefits and drawbacks. However, light therapy is quite natural, and you will not have to spend a lot of time getting it.

So, if you or someone closer to you are suffering from neuropathy, consider light therapy as a viable treatment option.