If you haven’t heard of neuropathy yet, there’s a good chance you will at some point.
Neuropathy is estimated to affect 25% to 30% of Americans. Neuropathy in the feet is one the most common affected areas, although it can affect different areas.
While it can affect people of all ages, older adults are at an increased risk.
If you have neuropathy in the feet, the most common symptoms are numbness, tingling, and weakness in the affected area. You may also experience sharp pain, or a burning, throbbing, or stabbing pain.
The most crucial treatment for neuropathy in the feet is to stop the nerve damage.
Some people will find that treatment of the underlying disease will improve their neuropathy symptoms.
In other cases, where a cause for neuropathy can’t be identified, your doctor will instead focus on treating your neuropathy symptoms.
However, there are a few things you can do at home to combat the symptoms you are experiencing from neuropathy in the feet.
We will discuss them in the article below.
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What’s Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is damage to your peripheral nerves. Check out a related blog on the stages of neuropathy.
Your peripheral nerves are the nerves that travel to your arms and legs, which is why neuropathy in the feet often occurs.
When your peripheral nerves are damaged, they can’t function correctly.
People who have peripheral neuropathy have decreased or abnormal sensation in their toes and fingers.
People can even develop issues moving those parts of their bodies as well.
Causes of Neuropathy
The most common cause of neuropathy in the United States is Diabetes.
According to the ADA, 60% to 70% of people with diabetes will develop neuropathy which is referred to as diabetic neuropathy.
There are other common causes of neuropathy, including:
- Medications, like some chemotherapy drugs.
- Heredity. Some people are unlucky and have a family history of peripheral neuropathy.
- Advanced age. Peripheral neuropathy will become more common as you age.
- Arthritis, especially involving your back, can cause peripheral neuropathy.
- Alcoholism. It’s believed that up to half of all long-term heavy alcohol users will develop peripheral neuropathy.
- Toxins. Exposure to toxins like lead, mercury, arsenic, and thalium, can cause neuropathy.
- Neurological disorders. Certain neurological diseases, like spina bifida and fibromyalgia, are linked to peripheral neuropathy.
- Injury. Acute injury to the peripheral nerves can cause peripheral neuropathy.
Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy
The most common symptoms you are likely to experience if you have neuropathy in the feet are burning, numbness, tingling, or shooting or stabbing pain.
Health conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome can also be a symptom of neuropathy.
If you notice a change in sensation in your fingers or toes, it could be a symptom of peripheral neuropathy.
Make sure to report abnormal sensations you experience to your doctor before they start to affect your quality of life.
The sensations are typically the sign of another problem, like diabetes.
Home Treatments For Neuropathy in The Feet
Wear The Right Shoes
If you’re dealing with peripheral neuropathy symptoms in your feet, you may have issues wearing athletic socks and regular shoes.
Even softer dress socks can cause pain.
Look for non-constricting, padded socks. They may reduce some of the foot pain you are experiencing.
Loose, padded shoes can also help you prevent the pain associated with wearing tight, constricting shoes.
Diabetic shoes have wider widths and extra padding designed to accommodate swelling and burning sensations associated with peripheral neuropathy.
You can also buy a pair of slippers designed explicitly for patients with neuropathy in the feet with a broader toe box and extra padding.
Vitamin Supplements
Sometimes peripheral neuropathy can be related to a vitamin deficiency.
Vitamin B is essential for your nerve health, and a deficiency of vitamin B can lead to significant nerve damage.
Vitamin B is present in many foods, but your doctor may recommend a vitamin B supplement to ensure you are getting enough.
Vitamin D can help prevent your nerve pain. Your skin typically produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, and a deficiency can cause neuropathy pain.
Topical Treatments
Since burning sensations in the feet are a common symptom of people with neuropathy, you should know about the topical treatments that can help.
Prescription treatments like SSRIs, Cymbalta, and Wellbutrin can help you if you have peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
But most of them come with adverse side effects that may outweigh the positive impact they will have.
Over the counter treatments can be helpful when trying to address the foot pain associated with peripheral neuropathy.
Some suitable topical treatments to look into are:
- NerveRenew cream
- MyoMed P.R.O.
- Frankincense & Myrrh neuropathy rub.
Most topical treatments have capsaicin that comes from chili pepper seeds.
Capsaicin may reduce the capacity for nerve cells to communicate pain messages to the brain.
Warm Bath
If you’ve been looking for an excuse to take a warm bath, here it is.
Taking a warm bath can be extremely relaxing, and it can also alleviate pain symptoms from neuropathy.
The warm water will increase blood circulation throughout your body, decreasing pain symptoms from numbness.
If your sensory nerves are affected by your peripheral neuropathy making you less sensitive to heat, make sure your bath water isn’t too hot.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Common nonprescription treatments for peripheral neuropathy include over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and aspirin.
These treatments often aren’t strong enough to address the severe nerve pain associated with peripheral neuropathy, and they also come with unwanted side effects.
These medications are only temporarily beneficial, and you should never take them for more than ten days.
Exercise
Exercising regularly will help combat your pain and improve your overall health.
Exercise reduces blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can reduce or slow down your nerve damage.
When you exercise, you will also increase the blood flow to your limbs and reduce stress.
All of this will help reduce your discomfort and pain.
Lifestyle Adjustments
When you are suffering from neuropathy that affects your feet, you need to be open to making lifestyle adjustments that address your issues.
This might mean eating a healthier diet full of lean meats, vegetables, and whole grains.
You should also limit your alcohol intake and quit smoking.
Making these lifestyle changes may offer a holistic approach to addressing peripheral neuropathy foot pain.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper has a lot of capsaicin that is used in the topical creams we talked about earlier.
When you incorporate cayenne pepper into your diet or take a capsaicin supplement, you could help reduce your neuropathy pain.
Be sure to discuss this treatment method with your doctor before using it to prevent adverse symptoms.
Quit Smoking
We mentioned this above when talking about lifestyle adjustments, but this is worth mentioning again.
If you haven’t stopped smoking, please, do your best to quit.
Smoking affects your blood circulation, narrowing your blood vessels allowing less oxygenated blood through.
Without proper blood circulation, you will likely experience more numbness and pain from your peripheral neuropathy.
When you quit smoking, you will help to improve your symptoms.
Get Relief From Neuropathy Of The Feet
These home neuropathy treatments have had success in alleviating pain symptoms associated with peripheral neuropathy.
You should always consult your doctor before starting a new treatment method.
If you begin experiencing irregular symptoms from natural remedies or your conditions worsen, contact your doctor right away.
Ethos Health Group
At Ethos Health Group, our treatment process’s first step is to determine how much nerve damage is present and if your condition can still be treated.
We will perform a series of non-invasive tests that tell us just how much sensation has been lost and what options exist for you.
These tests will show us if your neuropathy has reached the “point of no return” or if you can still benefit from our treatment program.
Our treatment programs at Ethos Health Group consist of cutting-edge, non-invasive therapies designed to stimulate new blood vessels’ growth to help reverse nerve damage in the feet or hands.
If you’re ready to find relief from your neuropathy, you should contact Ethos Health Group as soon as possible.
Click the button below to schedule your free consultation.
