Neuropathy, or peripheral neuropathy, results from damage to the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves). This condition often causes tingling, numbness, pain, and muscle weakness in the hands, feet, or other parts of the body.
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Medical Treatment for Neuropathy
Treatment options aim to control and manage symptoms to prevent further nerve damage. Doctors may recommend pain relievers, over-the-counter pain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve mild symptoms, anti-seizure medications, topical treatments, antidepressants, and various types of therapies.
- Oral medications
- Topical treatments
- Therapies
- Alternative medicine
- Lifestyle and home remedies
Oral medications
Doctors may prescribe different medications including pain relievers,
antidepressants such as duloxetine or nortriptyline, antiseizure medicines such as gabapentin and pregabalin, and in rare cases, drugs containing opioids, such as tramadol or oxycodone, depending on the severity of the symptoms.
Topical treatments
Capsaicin cream, which contains a substance found in hot peppers, and lidocaine patches can significantly improve peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
Therapies
Doctors may recommend various therapies and procedures to ease the signs and symptoms of neuropathy. These include plasma exchange and intravenous immune globulin, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), physical therapy, and surgery.
Alternative medicine
Some patients find relief from their neuropathic pain by trying out complementary treatments such as acupuncture, alpha-lipoic acid, certain herbs like primrose oil, and amino acids.
Lifestyle and home remedies
Regular exercise, refraining from smoking and excessive alcohol, monitoring glucose level, taking care of the feet area, especially for the diabetic, and a healthy diet all help manage neuropathy.
Still curious? Click here to find more medical treatments for neuropathy.
What do the experts say?
Dr. Rachna Patel notes the effectiveness of CBD in neuropathy treatment.
Medical studies suggest that CBD is an effective treatment for neuropathy.
