7 Powerful Natural Remedies for Peripheral Neuropathy...

QUESTION:

What are the best natural treatments for peripheral neuropathy? I suffer badly from this condition and desperately need help.

ANSWER:

Peripheral neuropathy is a form of nerve damage. This causes the nerve signals that are transmitted from the brain and spinal cord, as well as to other parts of the body, to become distorted. People with peripheral neuropathy often feel numbness or burning or a tingling sensation in the hands and feet. This can lead to weakness and paralysis, along with anywhere from dull to excruciating pain in the extremities.

It's estimated that around 20 million Americans and 60-70% of diabetics suffer from peripheral neuropathy in some form or another. If you have diabetes then there's a high chance you'll suffer from diabetic neuropathy at some point. Unfortunately, chemotherapy induced neuropathy is also a very common problem that can occur after a cancer patient receives this form of treatment.

Thankfully though, peripheral neuropathy is reversible and curable - even if you do have diabetes or suffer from chemo induced neuropathy. So here's the top 7 natural remedies and treatments for neuropathy in order of importance. For these to work, you must follow the directions and recommendations to-the-letter. You must also continue to use them for the rest of your life and not treat them like a prescription. You don't just want a bit of relief from your peripheral neuropathy, you want to cure it for good. That's what these remedies will do...


Home Remedy for Peripheral Neuropathy #1... Calcium, Magnesium & Vitamin D: When nerve damage occurs (such as with peripheral neuropathy), the protective layer or insulation material that surrounds the nerves known as myelin is what gets damaged. Without this "protection" peripheral nerve impulses get distorted and neuropathy is the result. So once you repair the myelin sheath, the nerves start working properly again. Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D are crucial for this.

Calcium and magnesium are essential for the development, structure and stability of the myelin sheath. Calcium is needed for the transmission of nerve signals between the brain and body and magnesium is involved in muscle contraction, nerve conduction and muscle relaxation. And recent studies have shown that vitamin D can help to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with neuropathy, along with actually repairing the nerves and myelin sheath... Study: Vitamin D May Repair Nerve Damage.

To get your required daily amount of calcium and magnesium, you need to forget about eating calcium and magnesium rich foods. They don’t exist anymore! Unfortunately, modern farming methods have now left our foods almost totally void of calcium and magnesium - so you will definitely need to supplement. Taking coral calcium supplements is one of the best ways to receive calcium and magnesium at the correct ratio and many also come with added vitamin D for good measure (such as this one). They work a treat!

In addition to taking coral calcium, you need to make sure you use a transdermal oil spray for an extra supply of magnesium. Magnesium is the most important mineral for the human body, especially the nerves, but is quite poorly assimilated internally. However, with a transdermal magnesium spray it gets absorbed 100% through the pores of the skin straight into the blood stream. This is a very powerful way to get the magnesium you need into the nerve fibers and myelin sheath. The only down side to a transdermal spray is it can be a bit uncomfortable on the skin (it gives a tingly feeling), but the inconvenience is definitely worth it. You can either buy a pre mixed oil spray or make up your own (which is much cheaper). Here’s how to make it yourself…


-What You’ll Need

1/2 cup of Magnesium Chloride Flakes (like these)

1/2 cup of Distilled Water

Glass Bowl

Spray Bottle to Store the Mixture


-Directions

Boil the ½ cup of distilled water and tip into the glass bowl

Add the ½ cup of magnesium chloride flakes

Stir the mixture until the magnesium chloride flakes are dissolved.

Leave to cool completely then store in the spray bottle


-How to Use

Spray the oil on arms, legs, and stomach once daily using 10-15 sprays per application. You’ll find it will tingle on the skin, especially the first few times you use it. This is normal and means it’s working. Leave on for at least an hour before showering. Use a natural skin moisturizer afterwards.

For vitamin D, be sure to take a good quality high strength vitamin D3 supplement with added K2 for absorption and get plenty of regular sunshine. The recommended daily intake for vitamin D according to vitamin D expert, Dr Cedric Garland, is between 4000 and 8000 IU's per day, so make sure you get this amount. You can read more about the importance of this here... Why You Need Lots of Vitamin D.


Natural Remedy for Peripheral Neuropathy #2... Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's): A study reported by Kathleen A. Head in the 2006 issue of Alternative Medicine Review, found the EFA's alpha-Lipoic acid and gamma linolenic acid, along with omega-3's, can help with peripheral neuropathy by increasing nerve blood flow. This in turn reduces and even completely alleviates the symptoms including the numbness, burning, tingling and coldness. Essential fatty acids also help to reduce inflammation, another common trigger for peripheral neuropathy.

The best source of these particular EFA's is definitely evening primrose oil. Fish oil or wild krill oil are also excellent for omega-3 fatty acids. For evening primrose oil, take 1,300 mg's daily and for fish oil take around 4000 mg's each day. Daily intake of wild krill oil should be in the vicinity of 2000-2,500 mg's.


Natural Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy #3... L-Carnitine: The University of Maryland Medical Center reported that diabetics who suffer from peripheral neuropathy symptoms can regain the normal sensations back in their limbs when they increase their intake of L-Carnitine (acetyl-L-carnitine). This amino acid is perfectly safe and can be found in red meat, fish and chicken. However, to get the required daily dose supplements will usually be required. Dosages should be around 1000 mg's every day.


Natural Cure for Peripheral Neuropathy #4... B Group Vitamins: B group vitamins, particularly, B6 and B12 are crucial for reducing neuropathic pain and inflammation. Most diabetic sufferers are chronically deficient in B12 so this nutrient should be of particular importance if you have diabetes. You can find B complex vitamins virtually anywhere. 1-2 tablets per day is usually all that's required.


Home Remedy for Peripheral Neuropathy #5... Castor oil: Castor oil helps to restore nerve tissue and heal damaged nerves - and is particularly good for alleviating the tingling and numbness. Simply massage your limbs, hands and feet with the oil and leave on so it penetrates the skin. Do this once to twice daily for best results.


Natural Remedy for Peripheral Neuropathy #6... Capsaicin Cream: Cayenne pepper contains a powerful pain and inflammation relieving substance called capsaicin. Many peripheral neuropathy suffers use a topical capsaicin cream daily and report astonishing results - so be sure to give this one a go. Just make sure you test it out on yourself first using a small amount as capsaicin can sometimes burn sensitive skin. Here's a few good quality peripheral neuropathy relieving creams that contain capsaicin if you're interested... Capsaicin Creams for Nerve Pain.


Natural Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy #7... Diet: What you eat and your lifestyle factors are critical when it comes to treating peripheral neuropathy. Alcohol and cigarettes should be completely eliminated. Other harmful foods you want to avoid include sugar, processed foods, fast food, junk food, sodas, processed milk products, foods sprayed with pesticides, and trans-fatty acids. Sweeteners and artificial additives contained in diet sodas and processed foods, such as MSG and aspartame, harm the nervous system tremendously and must be avoided.

For the foods you need to be eating, the standards apply... Plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. And don't forget to drink plenty of clean filtered water everyday to flush out the toxins and chemicals from bodily organs.

Finally, try and do some light moderate exercise each day. Exercise helps to control blood sugar levels and promote circulation. And it doesn't have to be fancy either. A simple brisk walk or cycling for 30-40 minutes is all you need.


So hopefully these tips and remedies help you out.


Good luck and all the best to you!


Regards,

Troy (Certified Holistic Nutritionist & Herbalist, Health & Wellness Coach)


P.S. If you suffer from diabetes then we would strongly recommend you take the time to read our informative article on natural treatments and home remedies for diabetes. You can view it here... Natural Diabetes Treatment That Gets Powerful Results.