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A lot of people are tolerating the consequences of peripheral neuropathy. If we talk about the number– it’s around 30%. They are basically those adults with diabetes, aged 40 or beyond.
The culprits? Blame poor diet, poor quality of life, and carelessness.
Although once attacked, it might not be possible to get rid of PN completely, there are some ways to alleviate the issue. Some good techniques are obvious.
Speaking of which, the list includes:
Our nervous system has 2 parts-
CNS just means the brain and spinal cord. On the other hand, PNS involves almost all the nerves that branch into different body parts.
Peripheral nerves stay outside the central ones. They have bundles of nerve fibers and axons. These nerves send information from different parts of your body to your brain and carry out commands from your brain to those areas.
So, their primary roles are-
When illness, injury, or disease affects these nerves, you get peripheral neuropathy. It can result in issues in different body parts— especially your hands, feet, and arms.
The issues are—
Poor diet means multiple nutritional deficiencies and this is enough to trigger peripheral neuropathy. So, you must include good nutrition in your diet to fight it.
When it comes to a healthy diet, we suggest foods rich in nutrition and anti-inflammatory properties.
Vitamins B, C, D, and E are extremely beneficial for peripheral nerve pain. Besides, foods that have omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants can help reduce nerve-related pain.
To prepare a diet around fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, and lean protein sources, consider these options:
Regular exercise helps a lot in promoting your muscle tone and making you stay active. When you’re active, it brings you improvements in nerve function and reductions in peripheral neuropathic pain.
Although you can work out anytime, the best is considered early in the morning.
Some Prominent Benefits Include:
Although you’re free to do any kind of exercise, some work more effectively than the other.
Low-impact activities have been proven to reduce peripheral neuropathy symptoms. It can improve flexibility, balance, coordination, and range of motion. The best part is that they don’t put too much strain on your extremities.
You can try brisk walking, yoga, pilates, swimming, cycling, skating, cross-country skiing, and golf.
Routine: 30 minutes a day per session for 3-5 days a week.
Adding strength training to your daily routine can help balance and peripheral neuropathy. Exercises like lunges, squats, squat-jumps, planks, step-ups, and pushups can be ideal for nerve-related issues.
You can also use the free weights, weight machines, and resistance bands for the same.
Routine: two or three 20/30-minute strength training sessions a week
Stretching
Stretching is another essential part of PN treatment because it works to get your blood flowing. Not only does it increase flex and warm up your body but also helps you get ready for heavy activities. The stretching doesn't have to be long or rigorous.
You just need to take a few minutes each day to stretch all the essential body parts. This includes your arms, neck, legs, and feet.
The best suggestion would be to opt for calf stretches and seated hamstring stretches to combat nerve pains.
Routine: 5 to 10 minutes daily before main workouts.
Different kinds of stress management techniques work differently to treat peripheral neuropathy. The combo of gentle physical postures like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing reduces cortisol levels, promotes relaxation, and reduces pain in different body parts.
Low-level light therapy is an ideal method to improve brain health. It helps trigger your mitochondria to produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), or cellular fuel. This supports the ability of your brain cells to protect themselves from damage. Eventually, it combats oxidative stress and chronic inflammation and improves overall well-being.
A natural remedy for neuropathy. Yoga promotes flexibility, relieves tension, and alleviates body pain. Add at least 20 minutes of yoga sessions daily to your routine.
An ideal technique for the body and mind. Meditation helps you with muscle relaxation and distraction away from pain perception. It’s better to meditate between 5 and 45 minutes daily to get visible results.
Breathing works to calm your nervous system and reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and pain sensation. Consequently, it helps alleviate nerve pain.
The 4-6-8 technique will be great. It means, you breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 6 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. Do it for 15-20 minutes daily and you’re good to go.
Natural remedies can help ease different symptoms of pain, especially in muscles, joints, bones, tendons, and ligaments. To alleviate the issue, try these out:
Both hot and cold packs can help alleviate the painful symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.
Make sure the temperature is around 3-6°C. Using it for 10-15 minutes will suffice.
Soaking in Epsom salt baths can ease all the pain and discomfort related to peripheral neuropathy. Such salts usually have magnesium sulfate that gives a calming effect to help relax your muscles, reduce inflammation, and boost nerve function.
Dip the affected areas for at least 20 minutes in a warm bath infused with 2 cups of Epsom salts. You can also add essential oils like lavender to increase the soothing level.
Do this 1-2 times a week, ideally before bedtime. Not only will this treat pain in your legs or hands but also improve sleep.
After a relaxing soak, your muscles will feel less tense and your nerves will feel calmer.
Decreased sensation may develop gradually. You may not notice any injury or infection when your feet go through numbness. So, it’s important to inspect your feet regularly.
Usually, people with diabetes are more likely to have such issues. Hence, make sure to note injuries or infections. Seek medical attention and consult a Podiatrist whenever necessary.
Moreover, consider following these foot care tips:
Reversing neuropathy means alleviating or eliminating the symptoms of this issue that cause pain, numbness, or weakness in different parts of your body, especially your legs and hands.
It’s never possible to completely get rid of the issue. However, you can lessen the degree. Different studies have shown that few drugs and techniques can help reverse peripheral neuropathy.
Capsaicin 8% patch is one of them that can give you pain relief through nerve regeneration and restoration.
A high-quality pair of smart socks can also help reverse the neuropathic pain.
Having a healthy diet rich in plant-based foods and regular workouts also help alleviate neuropathy issues.
Yes. Natural remedies like a healthy diet, regular exercise, soaking in warm baths, and incorporating stress management techniques can help reverse peripheral neuropathy naturally.
The best natural remedies for nerve pain in the legs include red light therapy, acupuncture, warm baths, and vitamin-rich foods.
You can treat neuropathy in your feet through different ways like red light therapy, a healthy diet, exercise, and an Epsom salt bath at home.
Reversing neuropathy in 7 days is not possible but you can alleviate the symptoms in different ways.
It’s never too late to start a good lifestyle. Bringing positive changes might not happen overnight. However, you can take little steps towards the goal.
Start by eliminating fat-rich foods and shifting towards good nutrition. Then, gradually incorporate warm baths, workouts, yoga, meditation, and other good activities into your routine.
It’s going to be even better if you get yourself a good red light therapy. It can help a lot in dealing with Peripheral Neuropathy symptoms.
