How To Ease Nerve Pain In Feet

How To Ease Nerve Pain In Feet

How To Ease Nerve Pain In Feet

What Is The Difference Between Neuropathy And Peripheral Neuropathy

Treatments for Pinched Nerves in the Foot

Neuropathy is the general term used to describe damage of nerves while peripheral neuropathy is a type of neuropathy that involves the damage of peripheral nerves. The peripheral nerves send sensory information from the central nervous system to the other parts of the body. The peripheral nerves also send sensory information from the other parts of the body to the central nervous system.

What Is Peripheral Nerve Damage

According to the Mayo Clinic, Peripheral nerves send messages from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body, helping you do things such as sensing that your feet are cold and moving your muscles so that you can walk.

Peripheral Neuropathy is common in individuals over the age of 55 and refers to general diseases or malfunctions of the nerves as they try to carry messages from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.

Identifying The Cause Of A Neuropathy

Your GP can usually identify the underlying cause of a peripheral neuropathy.

If diabetes is suspected, they can usually make a confident diagnosis based on your symptoms, a physical examination and checking the levels of glucose in your blood and urine.

If you’re taking a medication known to cause peripheral neuropathy, your GP may temporarily stop or reduce your dose to see whether your symptoms improve.

If the cause is uncertain, you may be referred to a neurologist for more extensive blood tests to check:

• whether you have a rare acquired cause that may be responsible
• whether you have a genetic abnormality, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

You may need a lumbar puncture to test the cerebrospinal fluid for inflammation.

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How Much Do You Use Or Abuse Your Feet

On the average most people take about 1 miles worth of steps a day. It is not until we get to about 1 1/2 miles of walking that any health benefits are realized. But, as long as we can do it pain free, we take it for granted.

When pain and especially nerve pain foot is present, you may be one of those who suffer in silence. It is first important to identify the kind of pain that is being experienced.

The ligaments, joints, tendons and nerves can all experience injury or exposure that will have the affect of causing pain.

Diabetic Foot Pain Home Remedies

There are numerous lifestyle changes that you can make and natural supplements or creams that you can take aside from prescription medications to help relieve diabetic foot pain. We will review remedies that you can use to temporarily relieve pain, as well as those that can help you to slowly reverse this pain over time.

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Lifestyle Changes For Nerve Pain

While making changes to your lifestyle is unlikely to eliminate your nerve pain, it might help — especially when combined with other treatment. Here are some suggestions.

• Eat a good diet. There’s no special eating plan for nerve pain. But a well-balanced diet — with lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains — help to ensure that you’re getting the nutrients you need. Your doctor might also recommend reducing the amount of alcohol you drink — or cutting it out entirely.
• Get regular exercise. Many studies have shown that people with chronic pain who exercise feel less pain, have more energy, and have improved mood than those who donââ¬â¢t.
• Don’t smoke. In addition to all of its other bad effects, smoking can reduce the blood supply to the nerves and worsen nerve pain. If you smoke, you need to quit.

In some cases, sensible changes to your lifestyle have an additional benefit. They might also help treat the underlying cause of your nerve pain — particularly with diseases like diabetes.

Importance Of Living A Healthy Lifestyle

When people experience pain, it means that their tissue is injured or inflamed, and/or that they are ill. Often, pain starts suddenly and it is common for it to get worse under emotional distress. This means that mental health must also be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of pain. This is particularly true in people who suffer from chronic pain, such as neuropathy, as they must be able to accept a continuous reduced quality of life.

Often, chronic pain is a symptom of an underlying disease. For instance, neuropathy is commonly associated with diabetes. However, many people who suffer from this condition find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle. They experience pain, which causes emotional distress, which makes the pain worse. The knowledge that this medical condition is hard to treat makes this even worse.

What this demonstrates is just how important it is that people focus not just on medical treatments and medication, but that they also focus on themselves. They must identify the root cause of the pain they experience and treat it appropriately. Someone who does not lead a healthy lifestyle, in other words, will experience the symptoms in a far stronger degree.

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Topical Creams And Ointments

Many are uncomfortable with ingesting drugs of any kind. For these people, the use of topical medication treatments for relief from nerve pain like creams, gels, and ointments can be very beneficial. Painkilling gels and patches can be applied directly to the region of the skin where the feeling of discomfort is prevalent and they come with minimal side effects. For most people, aside from localized spots of irritation there is little to worry about.

Commonly, physicians will prescribe capsaicin, which changes the pain receptors in the peripheral nerves and is derived from hot peppers or lidocaine, which is an anesthetic. Generally, topical medication is only offered if the pain is chronic and localized, which is often seen in people who have herpes zoster neuralgia pain.

Foot And Ankle Neuropathy And Nerve Entrapment Treatment

Relieve Diabetic Nerve Pain in Feet Nerve Renew Natural Nerve Pain Relief

Depending on the cause of the neuropathy, specialists will develop a personalized treatment to help relieve symptoms and restore movement. We can treat most foot and ankle neuropathies and nerve entrapments without surgery. Although surgery may be needed in severe cases. Treatments may include:

• IcingIcing can relieve swelling and inflammation to help the nerve heal.
• MassageMassage can relieve compression of the nerve and help with pain.
• Anti-inflammatory medicinesMedicines available over the counter or by prescription can reduce inflammation and pain. Cortisone injections into the affected nerve may be recommended if oral medications are not effective.
• Physical therapyA physical therapist can help strengthen and stretch your foot and ankle muscles. This can help reduce stiffness and increase flexibility.
• OrthoticsPlacing custom inserts or shoe pads inside your shoes can relieve pain and help with mobility.
• SurgeryIf nonsurgical treatments do not relieve symptoms, your physician may recommend surgery to decompress the nerve and repair or remove the damaged area. Specialists perform many foot and ankle surgeries using minimally invasive techniques. This involves smaller incisions, less bleeding and often a faster recovery time.

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How Do I Stop Nerve Pain In My Feet

Pain in a foot is always cause for at least a certain degree of concern. After all, this is how your body alerts you to the fact something isnt right.

When that pain is nerve-related , the level of concern can go up drastically.

Some of the key reasons for that include:

• Nerve pain presents in a variety of different forms, like burning, electrical, tingling, and prickling sensations. At best, these are annoying. When the pain is intense, however, it can be downright debilitating.
• The pain may be a precursor toor experienced in tandem withmotor function issues. Your nervous system is responsible for enabling movement, and damaged nerves can either inhibit or reduce proper functionality in the musculoskeletal system .
• According to the American Podiatric Medical Association , approximately 14-24 percent of patients with diabetes who develop a foot ulcer will require an amputation. Neuropathic pain and disfunction often accompanies diabetes.

To help you better understand when you should seek professional care and possible treatment options we might recommend, well start by looking at symptoms you should recognize and why you are experiencing nerve pain in your feet.

Peripheral Neuropathy In Your Feet

There are a few different causes of peripheral neuropathy. The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes, which can lead to pain, numb or tingling feet. Other reasons for developing peripheral neuropathy include injuries where your nerves are damaged, certain cancers, smoking, alcoholism, and blood disorders. While there is no cure for peripheral neuropathy, there are ways to safely manage your symptoms and reduce their effects on your daily life.

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Why Are The Feet More Affected

In many cases, neuropathy starts with a loss of sensation, rather than pain. While that is worrisome no matter where it occurs, it is particularly dangerous around the feet. The reason for this is that the feet are in almost continuous use, which means that they are also more likely to be affected by injuries. And when people lose sensation in their feet, they will likely not be aware of injuries, which implies that the injury will get worse.

For instance, through walking, patients may have a blister underneath their feet. If they are unaware of this, because they cannot feel it, the blister could become an open wound and then get infected. These situations are frequently seen in people with diabetes, who sometimes even have to undergo an amputation of the affected limb. This is also possible if the aforementioned infection starts to affect other parts of the body, including the bones.

While this sounds like a horror movie scenario, it is not that uncommon. On the other hand, this scenario can be avoided. It is very important, if you have neuropathy and particularly if you have diabetes, that you learn how to look after your feet properly. In fact, you are likely to find that your physician will want to conduct an examination of your feet whenever you have an appointment. But you need to be committed to doing this on a daily basis as well.

For Those With Peripheral Neuropathy

Most who suffer from peripheral neuropathy experience painful symptoms that can range anywhere from mild to severe. In cases where the condition is mild to moderate over the counter medications have been very effective in keeping the painful sensations at bay.

However, for more severe cases, prescription medications in the form of tricyclic antidepressants, and the antidepressant duloxetine hydrochloride, pregabalin, and gabapentin may be used. While these drugs were specifically designed to control seizures in epileptics or to treat cases of depression, they have been found to be extremely effective in bringing relief from the unwelcome feelings caused by this condition.

For those who wish to try a more natural approach to their nerve pain, using time tested therapies like acupuncture and biofeedback have been very successful. These therapies work by either redirecting the flow of energy through certain pressure points or helping the patient to get a better understanding of their body’s responses and strategies to help you manage them. Others have tried treatments like physical therapy and massage to get some nerve pain relief.

Let’s take a look at various steps you can take:

• Consult with your doctor. Your doctor can prescribe some medications like duloxetine, pregabilin, amitryptyline, and a number of combination therapies.
• Make sure to follow the prescription properly, especially if opiates have been prescribed.

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  Treatments For Peripheral Neuropathy Include The Following:

• Eating the right foodsEating fruits and vegetables and other foods rich in B vitamins will help nerves to communicate better. If you have diabetes, managing blood glucose levels with medication and by eating a proper diet is essential.

• Mineral supplementsYour nerves require minerals like magnesium and calcium for proper functioning. Supplements may be needed since it is difficult to get enough minerals through your diet alone.

• MedicationsA variety of prescription medications can be used to alleviate neuropathy symptoms.

• SurgeryIn more severe situations, surgery may be necessary to release swollen and compressed nerves.

• MLS Laser TherapyThis non-invasive therapy is the latest technology in neuropathy pain treatment.

• Try These Strategies To Stay Comfortable At Night If Your Have Peripheral Neuropathy Pain:

  • Control your blood sugar. Work to keep your levels between 80-130 mg/dL before eating and under 180 mg/dL after meals.
  • Soak your feet in a warm bath to relax your nerves at night. Be sure to check the water temperature to avoid burning your feet.
  • Exercise regularly. It increases blood flow and oxygen to your feet, reducing pain. Listen to your body, though, and take breaks when needed.

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  How Can We Help You Overcome Neuropathic Pain

  If you suffer from any kind of foot or ankle pain, Burlington County Foot & Ankle Associates is here for you.

  We can create a treatment plan to address your nerve pain. The specifics of this will depend on your particular situation, as you might expect.

  One potential nerve pain treatment option patients are often interested in learning more about is our laser therapy.

  Specifically, we offer Multiwave Locked System laser therapy.

  This kind of therapeutic laser both enhances the bodys natural healing processes and improves blood flow. That meansno matter if diabetes is in the picture or notyour tissues can heal more quickly.

  In particular, improved blood flow can slow neuropathic progression, which keeps your nerves healthier for longer periods of time.

  Strategies For Easing Nerve Pain

  Natural Diabetic Nerve Pain Relief Relieve Foot Pain

  In addition to relieving pain, many self-care and home treatments can help prevent more serious problems and protect overall health. Some of these strategies may even trigger the body’s natural painkillers, having the added benefit of making you feel good.

  Keep on top of diabetes. If you have diabetes, keep blood sugar under control. Normal blood sugar levels are the best possible treatment for diabetic nerve pain.

  Walk it off.Exercise releases natural painkillers called endorphins. Exercise also promotes blood flow to the nerves in the legs and feet. Researchers believe that regular exercise may create a long-lasting expansion in blood vessels in the feet, nourishing damaged nerves back to health. Start with a daily walk, gradually increasing pace and distance.

  Pamper your feet. If the feet are affected by nerve pain, it’s time to focus on good foot care. Nerve pain usually means impaired sensation, making injuries and infections more likely. Reduce the risk by examining your feet daily, wearing comfortable shoes, and seeing a podiatrist regularly. No wound or injury to your feet is too minor for a consultation with a doctor.

  Soak it away. A warm bath might be the easiest — and least expensive — home treatment for nerve pain. Warm water temporarily increases blood flow to the legs and can help ease stress as well. Avoid burns by measuring water temperature with your arm before stepping in.

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  Empower Your Bodys Natural Sleep Cycle

  Our bodies crave rest, and that rest is especially important if youre living with chronic pain. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up around the same time this will help your body to become consistent with a rest schedule, allowing your body to fall asleep easier and become adequately rested each night. Creating patterns around the time you go to bed can also help your sleep cycle, such as reading from a book or taking a warm shower/bath to relax your muscles and soothe your nerves. Avoid caffeine four to six hours before bed, and minimize it daily to allow your body time to become tired. Less caffeine will help with overstimulated nerves that can intensify nightly pain. Turn off electronic devices such as your smartphone and TV an hour or more before bed to help your brain wind down.

  How Do Nerves Work

  Our nervous system is made up of two systems, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system .

  The peripheral nerves take messages to and from the brain and spinal cord which interpret the messages and send a responding signal back down to the starting point.

  There are three types of nerves in our bodies:

  • Sensory Nerves: These receive information on different sensations such as hot/cold, sharp/dull, light/heavy pressure
  • Motor Nerves: These control how the muscles work telling them when, how long and how strongly they should contract and relax
  • Autonomic Nerves: these control things like bladder and bowel function, heart rate and digestion

  Damage to the nerves causes them to behave abnormally. They may stop sending messages altogether e.g. causing numbness or weakness, or fire erratically, sending excessive or incorrect signals e.g. causing pain or pins and needles.

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  You Should See A Doctor

  If you have what you think is nerve pain, you should go and see a doctor. They will check for diabetes and blood pressure to name a few things you will be looked at for. Because our feet have a lot of blood vessels, you will be checked for viral illnesses and toxin exposure. This is the best way to know what is going on inside your body.

  How To Relieve Nerve Pain In Your Legs

  

  Have you been suffering from sharp, burning pain that radiates down through your leg? Do you experience numbness or tingling in your lower extremities? Does it feel like your leg muscles are becoming progressively weaker?

  Most importantly Are negative symptoms such as these controlling your life?

  If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may have a pinched nerve in your leg. While nerve damage may seem a little bit scary, conservative treatmentseven things you can do in the comfort of your own homecan relieve these troublesome symptoms.

  First, however, lets start by taking a closer look at what causes nerve pain in the leg.

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