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Natural treatment for diabetic neuropathy
One the most common complications of diabetes is neuropathy of the feet. Over time, this complication will occur in over half of diabetics. Once diabetic neuropathy occurs it almost always gets worse.
Neuropathy can be a serious complication of diabetes
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Diabetic neuropathy is a nerve disorder caused by diabetes. Symptoms of neuropathy include numbness and sometimes pain in the feet, hands or legs. The nerve damage caused by diabetes can also lead to problems with internal organs such as the digestive tract causing constipation, indigestion, diarrhea, or the heart causing dizziness, or the sexual organs causing bladder infections or impotence. 60% of patients with diabetes have some form of neuropathy, but in most cases (30 to 40%), no symptoms are present.
| While there are several types of neuropathy, the common ones affect the feet first, then move to the hands, which is referred to as "sensory neuropathy". Usually you first notice sensory changes such as tingling and numbness. |
At first, these symptoms may come and go, but as the disease gets worse these changes become constant. These unpleasant symptoms may disturb your sleep or cause you to awaken from your sleep. Over long periods of time, this loss of sensation may affect your ability to determine whether your shoes fit too tightly, as well as your ability to determine hot from cold while bathing. This lack of sensation is the leading cause for ulceration, infection, loss of toes and amputation.
People with diabetes need to take special care of their feet. Neuropathy increases the risk of foot ulcers. The nerves to the feet are the longest in the body, and are most often affected by neuropathy. Because of the loss of sensation caused by neuropathy, injuries or sores to the feet may go unnoticed and may become ulcerated.
| Around 15% of all people with diabetes eventually have a foot ulcer, and 6 out of every 1,000 people with diabetes undergo an amputation. Proper foot care is very important for people who suffer from diabetic neuropathy. |
The main reason that many diabetics are susceptible to sensory neuropathy is that their peripheral nerves are swollen. Sugar such as glucose enters into the nerve to give it energy. Glucose is then converted to another sugar called "sorbitol". Sorbitol's chemical nature makes it attract water, causing water to be drawn into the nerve, causing diabetic nerves to swell and become pinched or compressed against the adjacent tendons. This compression of the nerve will cause tingling and numbness, similar to the feeling you get after crossing your legs for long periods and then attempting to straighten them out.
Natural treament of diabetic neuropathy
Since neuropathy is a progressive disease early detection is vital. If you are at risk for neuropathy, it's important to have yearly measurements made of sensitivity in your feet by a natural doctor. This way the earliest stages of neuropathy can be identified.
A recent study has shown that people who have diabetic neuropathy do not appear to benefit from a synthetic version of human nerve growth factor (rhNGF).(1)
Researchers compared 418 patients who received injections of rhNGF 3 times a week for 48 weeks with 461 patients who received placebo injections.
Of those receiving the drug:
- 31% of the patients improved
- 38% worsened
- 31% remained unchanged
The benefits offered by the drug were actually slightly worse than those experienced by patients who received placebo.
Patients who received rhNGF were also much more likely to suffer from sensitivity or pain at the injection site, as well as swelling and muscle aches.
The drug is a genetically engineered version of a naturally-occurring growth factor which plays a major role in the development and maintenance of the peripheral nervous system.
The best thing you can do to help diabetic neuropathy is to adopt a healing diet and to follow a strict regimen of daily exercise. Exercise improves the body's use of insulin and improves blood flow.
Topical cayenne pepper abstract for neuropathy
There is a topical treatment for diabetic neuropathy based on the use of a cream containing a cayenne pepper abstract, known as "capsaicin". The cream is applied to the burning area, usually the feet. Initially this causes irritation but eventually the skin adapts and becomes desensitized to the irritation and eventually to the underlying burning sensation caused by the neuropathy. The effect is similar to the the tissues of the mouth becoming desensitized to the effects of spicy foods if exposed often enough.
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Capsaicin is frequently used in diabetic neuropathy and while the first days require a lot of patience, eventually some patients get relief. Capsaicin temporarily stimulates the release of various neurotransmitters from sensory nerves, leading to their depletion of a neurotransmitter called substance P. Substance P is believed to be the principal transmitter of pain impulses. Without the neurotransmitters, pain signals can no longer be sent. Although this effect is temporary, capsaicin naturally reduces the body's pain response mechanism so that pain is lessened.
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(1) The Journal of the American Medical Association November 1, 2000; 284: 2215-2221
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