Peripheral neuropathy (NP) is a disorder that causes dysfunction of the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. There are many causes of this disease, some of which are irreversible. For causes susceptible to treatment, there seems to be a disproportionate use of drugs.
The main problem with pharmaceutical treatment of PN is to focus on the symptoms and not on the underlying causal factors. The most common symptoms to which treatment is directed in PN are; numbness, tingling, burning, and/or a feeling of weakness. These symptoms may affect the legs, feet, hands, or arms and may occur on one side of the body or both (as PN progresses).
When the effects of prescription drugs wear off, you’ll often find that the nagging pain, numbness, and burning are only managed for a short time. That’s because nothing was done to fix the cause of his neuropathy in the first place. Unfortunately, research and clinical experience reveal that treating the symptoms alone makes the underlying cause worse, leading to potentially serious complications, including:
Cellulitis
falls
leg injury
Ulcers on the skin of the legs
Leg number (bilateral)
The most common medications prescribed for NP were developed for epilepsy, not neuropathy. These medicines work by using a chemical that tells your brain to SLOW DOWN. While this may be fine from time to time, long-term use of these medications can worsen your condition in two ways:
1. These pills can cause dangerous side effects. The more drugs you take, the more likely you are to have side effects. Often the side effects of medications are worse than the numbness, burning, and/or tingling that you take these pills for in the first place. You see, the chemical they deactivate does more than just slow down your brain. Depending on the pill you are taking, you could be setting yourself up for liver failure, kidney damage, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Just read the package inserts and you’ll find out for yourself.
2. Numbness, burning and tingling, as we all know, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Feeling an increase in numbness, burning, or tingling will prevent you from doing things that can make your problem worse. For example, if you sprained your ankle and couldn’t feel it, you would keep walking on it until irreversible damage was done.
Wrist or foot splints are another common treatment sometimes prescribed for muscle weakness that accompanies peripheral neuropathy. Frequently, the user may wear the splints for more hours than necessary, thinking that more is better. Wearing wrist or foot splints may seem harmless enough, but you are only supposed to wear them for the specified amount of time. Using them as a crutch will lead to scar tissue formation on the wrist or foot, which can complicate treatment.
So, if you’re receiving typical PN treatment (medications and splints), you’re hiding your numbness, burning, and/or tingling… your peripheral neuropathy will most likely get worse. Further investigating the cause of your illness and subsequently correcting the underlying problems can achieve natural healing and wound relief.
Some doctors specialize in non-surgical, non-drug methods of treating patients with peripheral neuropathy. One key to successfully defeating PN is staying on the cutting edge of non-surgical procedures and specialized treatment technologies dedicated to helping those who suffer from numbness, tingling, burning, and sharp pain caused by nerve-related conditions.
Additionally, there is a need for a non-drug solution to help offset the injuries and medication burden of the typical patient with peripheral neuropathy.
Many patients have become discouraged and frustrated by conventional medical care for peripheral neuropathy and have stopped taking medications that do nothing more than cover up symptoms by abandoning the underlying cause of the condition.
The key to successfully treating the patient with peripheral neuropathy is for the doctor to perform extensive and sometimes “off-the-shelf” tests to discover underlying causes, such as gluten intolerance, vitamin deficiencies, and reactions to medications or the secundary effects. Once the underlying cause (or causes) is determined, the solution will be apparent.
Often the solution will require:
Diet changes
Changes in lifestyle
Specific nutritional supplementation for nutrient replacement
Highly specialized therapy to treat neurological problems caused by peripheral neuropathy.
Treating the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and treating the patient who has peripheral neuropathy are two very different scenarios. The difference is essential for successful results and requires the full cooperation of the patient with peripheral neuropathy. Are you ready for the change? If so, consider exploring the wonderful world of non-drug, non-surgical care for peripheral neuropathy.