Neuropathy is a health condition that can cause intense pain in the feet for those who are affected by it. Many times, people dealing with neuropathy will be prescribed drugs like Gabapentin or Lyrica to fight this pain. These medications definitely do have their place, but what if these and other drugs don't work for you? More and more people are realizing the options that are available for them that are natural. If you or someone you love is dealing with neuropathy, here are 6 natural neuropathy treatments for foot pain.
6 Natural Neuropathy Treatments for Foot Pain
What Is Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is a condition caused by damage to the nerves outside of your brain and spinal cord, known as peripheral nerves. These nerves are important in sending signals between your brain or spinal cord and the rest of the body.
When these nerves become damaged, they can lead to many different symptoms including pain, tingling, muscle weakness, and trouble with balance.
Neuropathy usually begins in the feet, and as it gets worse, it will spread up the legs.
Neuropathy can have many different causes, including diabetes, a history of chemotherapy treatments, alcohol abuse, and other causes.
6 Natural Neuropathy Treatments for Foot Pain Include:
Holistic/Integrative Podiatry
Holistic or integrative podiatry is a type of podiatry that keeps at its core that the patient is a whole person, outside of their foot issue, and because of this, the whole person has to be taken into account when treating a foot problem, including foot infection, or foot pain.
At the foundation of holistic podiatry is chronic inflammation, and getting to the root cause of chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can last for years. This type of inflammation is a problem because healing cannot take place with chronic inflammation in place.
Once the body is supported, and the causes of chronic inflammation are managed, so that chronic inflammation can be removed, primary inflammation, a good, necessary, and shorter-lasting inflammation can take place, to allow for healing. Holistic podiatry is at the foundation of any natural neuropathy treatment and has to be used along side any treatment, in order for them to work well.
EBM Medical Foods
EBM Medical Foods are special formulas of vitamins and minerals designed to manage the unique nutritional requirements of specific diseases or health conditions.
Disease states oftentimes require nutritional support and an increase in certain vitamins and minerals that can be hard to do through diet alone.
Foods are different from regular supplements because medical foods can only prescribed, and used under the guidance of a doctor. They cannot be bought in stores. Medical Foods are regulated by the FDA under the Orphan Drug Act, but don't go through the same approval process as drugs.
Another key way that EBM Medical Foods are different than supplements found in stores, is that Medical Foods has very strict labeling and manufacturing standards. EBM Medical Foods must prove that what they say is inside of each capsule, is actually true, unlike over-the-counter supplements, which have had issues with their products being contaminated, or the active ingredient, not being in the capsule at all.
A study from 2023 found that 40% of supplements sold in the U.S. don't have the key ingredients the label says they do. This is something that you won't have to worry about though with medical foods.
CBD
One of the best-known natural neuropathy treatments is CBD. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a natural chemical found in marijuana, that does not get you high.
CBD works with your body to help lower pain and inflammation. CBD helps calm overactive pain signals and lower inflammation, which are big problems in neuropathy.
For example, one study found that people who used a CBD cream on their feet for nerve pain felt less intense pain compared to those who used a placebo cream. This suggests that CBD can target pain directly when applied to the skin.
When nerves are inflamed, they don’t work properly, and that can lead to more pain or numbness. CBD is known for being anti-inflammatory, by helping to calm down the immune system and lowering chemicals in the body that cause inflammation. Some studies on animals show that CBD can protect nerves from damage caused by things like diabetes or free radical damage. By fighting inflammation, CBD can with pain but may help protect your nerves from getting worse over time.
CBD comes in many forms, including creams and oils, tinctures, and even capsules or edibles. EBM Medical makes its own formulation of a CBD pain cream as well, which is also prescribed by a doctor.
Naboso Technology
Naboso Technology, a company founded by fellow Arizona podiatrist and human movement specialist Dr. Emily Splichal, focuses on the importance of nerve stimulation for optimal foot function and nerve health.
Naboso Technology products include insoles, mats, and other rehab tools designed with different textures and sensations that stimulate the nerves on the soles of the feet. Using these textures has been shown to improve many neuropathy symptoms.
Consistently exposing your feet safely to more sensations through the textured products offered by Naboso can help retrain the nerves in your feet to respond to the right signals, and therefore, can be used as a natural neuropathy treatment.
B12 Injections
B12 shots or injections, around the nerves of the foot or leg, have been shown to improve neuropathy symptoms. Vitamin B12 is also key to nerve regeneration or nerve healing from previous damage.
B12, also known as cobalamin, plays a key role in the formation and maintenance of the myelin sheath, a protective covering around nerves. Myelin also acts as insulation for your nerves. When myelin is damaged, nerve signals slow down, or even misfire, leading to neuropathy symptoms like pain, numbness, tingling, burning, or even muscle weakness in your feet.
Vitamin B12 injections have been linked to fewer neuropathy symptoms over time, with some studies showing less pain and improved sensation in people getting some kind of B12 supplementation.
Vitamin B12 also may help protect nerves from damage caused by free radicals, inflammation, and other factors commonly seen with diabetes, and other chronic diseases. B12 is a very important, but simple, natural neuropathy treatment.
Amniotic Exosomes
Amniotic exosomes are a new cutting-edge, regenerative, option when it comes to natural neuropathy treatments.
Exosomes are compounds like growth factors, enzymes, nutrients, and cell signaling factors that help drive the repair process of chronically inflamed tissues, including nerves.
When exosomes are injected into your foot, they drive the necessary pathway of repair which helps address your neuropathy pain.
Completely safe and free from any potential allergens, it is one of the many overlooked natural neuropathy treatments that isn't considered by both doctors and patients alike.
Key Takeaways
There are many different natural neuropathy treatments available. As always, it's important to arm yourself with knowledge. If you have been dealing with neuropathy for a while without any relief, find a local foot doctor in your area for treatment.
Schedule Your Appointment of Direct Podiatry Arizona Today
Are you interested in neuropathy treatment in Phoenix? My Name is Dr. Tarr, and I am a podiatrist in Phoenix, AZ. To view my available appointment times, click here.
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