Natural Treatments for Diabetic Neuropathy

If you're reading this, more than likely either you or someone you know is suffering from diabetic neuropathy. If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling in your hands and feet, you probably have peripheral neuropathy.

Approximately 60% to 70% of diabetics will develop neuropathy. Considering the statistics, if you're a diabetic, especially if you don't maintain tight control of your blood sugar, diabetes can result in complications. Tragically, one of these complications no one likes to think about is amputation. Severe forms of nerve damage are a major cause of lower limb amputations. Over one half of all amputations in the U.S. are caused by diabetes and the complications associated with it.

Diabetic neuropathy develops when the blood vessels carrying oxygen and nutrients to the nerves become damaged or the nerve coverings become damaged. The risk of neuropathy can rise with age and the length of time you have had diabetes. Tragically, diabetic neuropathy can not only affect the nerve's abilities to function properly and cause pain, it can lead to ampuation too. Nearly half of all ampuations are caused by neuropathy and poor blood circulation.

Diabetic neuropathy can be prevented through maintaining tight blood sugar, a healthy diet, and exercise. Tight blood sugar control are blood sugar levels between 70 and 130 mg/dl before meals and less than 180 mg/dl after starting a meal.

Unfortunately, diabetes can affect nerves throughout the body. There are four types of diabetic neuropathy. They include peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, proximal neuropathy, and focai neuropathy.

• Peripheral neuropathy affects your arms and legs.
• Autonomic neuropathy affects the nerves that regulate bodily functions like the heart, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, digestion, breathing, bladder and bowel function, sexual responses, and vision.
• Proximal neuropathy causes pain in the hips, buttocks, and thighs and may lead to weakness in the legs.
• Focal neuropathy causes weakness in a nerve or group of nerves.

 Treatment for diabetic neuropathy is aimed at controlling blood sugar levels and managing pain. Pain may be managed with tricyclic antidepressants or other antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opiod pain medications. Most of these medications are more effective when used in combination rather than separately.

Most Western medical doctors treat neuropathy by treating the pain and lowering the blood sugar levels. However, there are nutritional supplements that can help too. They include:

• Evening Primrose - Evening primrose oil contains gamma linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Both of these are essential components of myelin and neuronal cell mebranes and helpful in reducing peripheral neuropathy.
• Alpha Lipoic Acid - Naturally produced in the body, alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant. Alpha lipoic acid For neuropathy, doses of 1,000 to 2,000 mg. per day are recommended. Some health food manufacturers also make R-lipoic acid. Produced by a different process, it is 100% utilized by the body. If you take R-lipoic acid, you should reduce the recommended dose by half. Since alpha lipoic acid can deplete the B vitamin, biotin, you should take 100 mg. of biotin for every 1,000 mg. of alpha lipoic acid.
• Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) - In diabetics, the conversion of linoleic acid to gamma linolenic acid can be impaired. This may lead to defective nerve function. In one study, diabetics who took GLA in comparision to those who took a placebo showed improvement in neuropathy while those who took the placebo deteriorated.
• Capaiscin - Capaiscin is an ingredient of the chili pepper. It is usually used for its analgesic qualities. Available in strengths of 0.025% and 0.075%, the latter strength is usually used for diabetes.
• Folate - A folate deficiency can actually cause peripheral neuropathy. Dosages of 10 mg. per day, two to three times daily can help.
• Magnesium - Magnesium levels are lower in those with diabetes and even lower in those with severe retinopathy. Studies have found that a magnesium deficiency can worsen blood sugar control. Scientists think it interrupts insulin secretion and increases insulin resistant. Consequenty, supplementing the diet with magnesium may improve blood sugar levels and in turn, help neuropathy. The recommended dosage is 300 to 400 mg. per day.
• Vanadium - Studies have found that vanadium can normalize blood sugar levels in animals with Type I and Type II diabetes. In humans, it improves insulin sensitivity and diabetic have been able to lower the amount of insulin they take.
• Potassium - Taking insulin can cause a potassium deficiency. By supplementing the diet with potassium, it can improve insulin sensitivity, responsiveness, and secretion.
• Coenzyme Q10 - Diabetics do not process carbohydrates adequately. Coenzyme Q10 has been found to be deficient in animals, but when diabetics diets were supplemented with 120 mg. of coenzyme q-10, their blood sugar levels fell by 31%. Furthermore, it can help retinopathy. Recommended dosages are 50 mg. twice a day, and after three months, reduce it to 30 mg. per day.
• Inositol - Inositol is needed for normal nerve function. By taking 500 mg. twice per day, it may help reduce nerve damage.
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin E - A vitamin E deficiency may also result in peripheral neuropathy. Dosages between 100 and 800 IU. are recommended.

While I was researching this article, I found out one interesting thing I don't think is commonly known. According to HealthCentral.com, researchers at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University found that elevated triglyceride levels correlated with nerve fiber loss independent of the length of disease, blood sugar control, age, and other factors. Consequently, if you want to prevent neuropathy from progressing, controlling blood sugar levels is not good enough. If you have elevated triglyceride levels which is common in diabetics, you also need to reduce your triglyceride levels. Fortunately, many of the positive lifestyle changes to lower triglyceride levels are also beneficial for diabetics.

In a national survey, researchers discovered 54% of patients with Type II diabetes were not given any information about the benefits of exercise. The effects of exercise on your blood sugar levels and neuropathy cannot be underestimated. Choose an aerobic exercise you enjoy and will stick with. In addition to aerobic exercise, there are also a few other exercises you can do.

• Rotate your ankles both clockwise and counter clockwise.
• Hold onto the big toe and try pulling your foot away from the body.
• Flex your feet upwards and downwards and hold for a few seconds.
• Stand on the floor and raise your up on your toes and hold for a few seconds.
• Raise one foot off the ground and try to balance on one leg.
• Practice walking on an imaginary tightrope.

The consequences of uncontrolled diabetes are scarey. Amputation, blindness, and kidney dialysis are just a few of the complications. Don't let diabetes destroy your life. If you eat properly, exercise, and lose weight if you're overweight, you can control diabetes. In fact, when some people get their blood sugars under control and lose weight if needed, they may not even need to take diabetic medication or insulin anymore.