Peripheral Neuropathy Treatments

Neuropathy is defined as a disease (pathos) of the nerves (neuro).

Peripheral neuropathy is a disease condition of nerve deterioration where there is damage to the peripheral nervous system...  the vast communications network that transmits information from the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system) to every other part of the body.  Discomfort in the extremities is usually the first sign noticed by sufferers.  Especially the feet and/or hands.

Many symptoms are grouped together in the catch-all diagnosis called "idiopathic peripheral neuropathy" (cause uncertain), or diabetic peripheral neuropathy (associated with diabetes), or poly neuropathy (more than one place).  They all have a basic common cause... ultimately, they have been deprived of oxygen (anoxia) and nutrients due to one or more of many possible causes.  As a method of self preservation, the nerves have begun to shrivel and atrophy and have essentially begun to go dormant.  In severe and/or prolonged cases, the thin insulating coating (myelin sheath) can become depleted of essential minerals and nutrients, which can lead to 'irreversible' damage.  These severe cases are the hardest to recover from. 

Anoxia Causes Neuropathy

When your peripheral nerves are deprived of oxygen (anoxia) or critical nutrients... whether it is because of too much sugar or insulin in your blood, chemotherapeutic drugs, or toxins like metals and chemicals (these things can displace oxygen)....  the nerve cells begin to 'protect' themselves.

In order to survive in this oxygen/nutrient depleted environment, the nerve cells can temporarily shrink (atrophy) in order to present a smaller surface to the world and stay alive. Inside your body, each nerve cell is separated from the adjacent cell by a synaptic junction and the shrinking of each cell can increase this gap. A larger gap makes it harder for the electrical nerve impulse to get across. With peripheral neuropathy, once this gap inhibits peripheral nerve impulses, the minerals that are dissolved in the synaptic junction's fluid can leach out and this makes the fluid less conductive, thus worsening the condition even further.  (Water alone does not conduct electricity - water needs minerals dissolved in it to make it conductive.)

What Causes Peripheral Neuropathy?

There are numerous reasons for nerves to malfunction. In some cases, no direct cause can be pin pointed.  This is because most cases involve a combination of factors, each of which must be addressed carefully.  It has been well established, however, that all neuropathies involve the following conditions:

►	Poor Circulation to Nerves
►	Oxygen Deprivation
►	Nutritional Deficiencies

Although we know these are the "end stages" that lead to slow nerve degradation, we must actually see what is "causing the causes".  What is it in our daily lives that directly contributes to poor circulation and oxygen starvation?

Most Common Daily Causes

1) Dramatic changes in glucose and insulin in the blood (diabetes) that displace oxygen.

 

2) Side effects from drugs, such as those for cholesterol, blood pressure and arthritis that change the metabolism of the nerves thus altering the way they use oxygen. (ex: Pravachol Amytriptyline)  Common drugs like statins (to reduce cholesterol) can eat away the myelin sheath of the nerves which is composed mostly of cholesterol.  Statins also thin the blood, which means less oxygen and nutrients get to the nerves. High blood pressure medicine can cause neuropathy by decreasing blood flow at the extremities, like the feet or hands.

3) Exposure to toxic compounds that makes oxygen unusable. Especially solvents (ex: benzene, 1 1 1-Trichloroethane, M.T.B.E, chlorine, etc.) and metals (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadnium, etc.) other toxic compounds include, Nitrous oxide, glue, ammonia, some food dyes, and fluoride!!!, etc..)

4) Inflammation in the lower back, hip, joints which reduces blood flow to the nerves in the spinal column. Arthritis sufferers often suffer from peripheral neuropathy as well.

 

5) Infectious conditions, such as AIDS, cancer, hepatitis, tick fever, diphtheria Guillain-Barre syndrome, HIV, lyme disease, polyarteritis nodosa, sarcoidosis, syphilis, lupus, amyloidosis, etc.  There are MANY viruses, bacteria, and parasites that can invade our nervous system!

 

6) Nutritional deficiencies, especially vitamin B1, B12, B2, B6, folic acid, and omega oils 3 & 6.

 

7) Excessive cigarette and alcohol use.

8) Food Allergies. Especially the artificial sweetener Aspartame.  This is very toxic to the body, including nerves and brain. As it metabolizes in the body, it transforms into Wood alcohol.    TERRIBLE FOR DIABETICS!!!!

9) Chemotherapy that affects cancer and other fast growing or functioning cells like hair and nerves.

10) Sciatic nerve entrapment (piriformis entrapment) caused from standing on concrete too much, sitting too long in one position putting pressure on the sciatic nerve or its blood supply, and aging, where muscles lose tone.

11) Trauma & Inflammation: Sometimes physical effects from trauma or inflammation in the lower back can restrict blood flow to the legs and can compress the sciatic nerve, which can directly affect the nerves in the legs/feet.  Even subtle repeated trauma like knuckle 'cracking' (leads to inflammation) or long term typing can physically damage nerve cells. Rheumatoid and other forms of arthritis that can cause inflammation can impinge (pinch) nerves. 

 

12) Surgery complications which can lead to severe inflammatory conditions, excessive drug use.  Even allergic reactions to anesthesia can affect nerves.

 

13)  Old age.  Let's face it... our bodies wear out.  As circulatory function becomes less and less effective at delivering oxygen and nutrients, our peripheral nerves suffer.

 

---

Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms

With peripheral neuropathy, sufferers report moderate to severe pain and/or a numbing and/or tingling sensations, especially in the feet and hands.  As the condition worsens, very sharp shooting pains can become common.  People with this painful condition often complain of lack of sleep due to discomfort.  Mobility and balance can also become affected.   The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy depend on which type of nerve is affected. The three main types of nerves are sensory, motor, and autonomic. Neuropathy can affect any one or a combination of all three types of nerves. Symptoms also depend on whether the condition affects the whole body or just one nerve (as from an injury).

Sensation Changes

Damage to sensory fibers results in:

♦	changes in sensation
♦	burning sensations
♦	nerve pain
♦	tingling or numbness
♦	an inability to determine joint position, which causes incoordination.

For many neuropathies, sensation changes often begin in the feet and progress toward the center of the body with involvement of other areas as the condition worsens.

 

Movement Difficulties

Damage to the motor fibers interferes with muscle control and can cause weakness, loss of muscle bulk, and loss of dexterity. Sometimes, cramps are a sign  of motor nerve involvement.

Other muscle-related symptoms include:

♦	Lack of muscle control
♦	Difficulty or inability to move a part of the body (paralysis)
♦	Muscle atrophy
♦	Muscle twitching (fasciculation) or cramping
♦	Difficulty breathing or swallowing
♦	Falling (from legs buckling or tripping over toes)
♦	Lack of dexterity (such as being unable to button a shirt)

 

Autonomic Symptoms

Exams and Tests

A detailed history is needed to determine the cause of the neuropathy. Neurological examination may reveal abnormalities of movement, sensation, or organ function. Changes in reflexes and muscle bulk may also be present. Tests that reveal neuropathy may include:

♦	EMG (a recording of electrical activity in muscles)
♦	Nerve conduction tests
♦	Nerve biopsy
♦	Blood tests to screen for medical conditions, such as diabetes and vitamin deficiency, among others.

Tests for neuropathy are guided by the suspected cause of the disorder, as suggested by the history, symptoms, and pattern of symptom development. They may include various blood tests, x-rays, scans, or other tests and procedures.  Some people are told they have a problem with the myelin sheath that coats the nerves. While this is 'common sense' assumption, that diagnosis can only be confirmed via a biopsy (cutting the nerve and removing a portion of it), which destroys the nerve. You have to be careful not to accept the common catch-all explanation of the cause of your neuropathy being from damage to the myelin sheath.  If your physician did not surgically remove a section of your nerve and send it to a lab for analysis, then the actual condition of your myelin sheath is unknown and probably just a guess. 

References:

Delalande S, de Seze J, Fauchais AL, et al. Neurologic manifestations in primary Sjogren syndrome: a study of 82 patients. Medicine (Baltimore). 2004 Sep;83(5):280-91.

Mori K, Iijima M, Sugiura M. Sjogren's syndrome associated painful sensory neuropathy without sensory ataxia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry . 2003 Sep;74(9):1320-2.

---

Peripheral Neuropathy Treatments

Current Treatments

There are few options for neuropathy sufferers. At present, the main steam established medical community does not recognize a cure for neuropathy and have adopted a very ineffective policy of simply trying "mask the discomfort". Unfortunately, the most common remedies are short sighted and usually involve the use of prescription medication and in some cases injection therapy, and physical therapy. Surgery may be needed to treat some causes of neuropathy (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome).

Although powerful drugs are often prescribed to control pain (they do not work for numbness), they can have severe side effects and can cause neuropathy to worsen over time. Imagine your nerves as a bundle of telephone wires. The center one is the one causing problems. Drugs can work by inhibiting those "wires" that encircle this bad nerve so you do not feel it. For a while this seems OK, but then those inhibited nerves go bad and you need more of the drug. Finally all the nerves have been inhibited, the drug no longer works, and your symptoms are worse. Manufacturers of certain drugs like Neurontin (Pfizer) have been fined millions of dollars by the government and are the subject of class action law suits. Even seemingly safe drugs like Vioxx and other cox 2 inhibitors have had bad press about side effects like heart attacks.

In many cases, prompt diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause can reduce the risk for permanent nerve damage. For example, controlling diabetes may reduce diabetic neuropathy and in extreme cases renal dialysis often improves neuropathy that develops as a result of chronic renal failure. Removing toxicity inside the body and minimizing toxin intake are important for long term wellness.
 

Current Treatments Consist of...

♦	Pharmaceuticals - Cymbalta®, Neurontin®, Topamax®, Elavil®   Temporarily reduces pain. No lasting therapeutic effect.
♦	Surgery - Addresses correctable physical issues. Carpel Tunnel, back, knee, hip, etc.
♦	Injection Therapy / Skin Creams - Temporarily reduces pain. No lasting therapeutic effect.
♦	Light / Laser Therapy - Intention is to improve circulation and control infection.  No lasting therapeutic effect.
♦	Physical Therapy - Improve Circulation, reduce inflammation, physically stimulate nerves.  No lasting therapeutic effect.
♦	Nutrition Therapy - Correct Vitamin / Mineral Deficiencies
♦	Address Daily Causes - Cigarettes, Alcohol, Sugar, certain pharmaceuticals, etc.
♦	Address Underlying Causes - Diabetes, lyme's, AIDS, MS, obesity, control infections, etc....
♦	HBOT - Hyperbaric Oxygenation Treatment for advanced Type 2 Diabetes
♦	Holistic Therapies - Body detoxify (liver/kidneys/parasite), Oxygen, Ozone, Magnets, TENS, Nutrition
♦	TENS for pain ● -Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation     See note below.
●	TENS is a very VAGUE term.  It stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. TENS devices can deliver quite different signals, designed to do different things!   We point this out because it is very confusing to many.  WHAT EXACTLY IS THE SIGNAL DOING? is the question.  A cheap generic off-the-shelf TENS device produces just that... a generic 'one size fits all' signal designed to BLOCK nerve impulses, thereby controlling pain.  These are fine if you have an injury or pull a muscle, etc... but they are NOT therapy devices designed to treat, cure, or reverse neuropathy.  Yet they are routinely prescribed by physicians for this.  In FACT, a generic TENS signal can actually make it worse over time, because you are blocking nerve signals that are already having trouble getting through!

Pharmaceuticals

Prescription drugs can only relieve pain temporarily, and do little or nothing to mitigate or cure the underlying condition. They may provide some level of temporary relief, but as the disease progresses, the effective dosage of the drug needed to continue suppressing the pain increases concurrently.  The side effects of these types of drugs can be difficult to deal with and even add to the patient’s discomfort.  When the increased drug dosage reaches a threshold level, the patient can become confused, ataxic, constipated, confined to a wheelchair or may become bedridden. Symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s can follow.

Because analgesics (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen) are usually ineffective against pain caused by neuropathy, treatment often involves medications that target nerve cells.

Duloxetine hydrochloride (Cymbalta®) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Common side effects include constipation, diarrhea, dry mouth, and nausea. In some cases, Cymbalta® causes dizziness and hot flashes.

Although anticonvulsants such as gabapentin (Neurontin®) and topiramate (Topamax®) and antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil®) are not approved by the FDA to treat neuropathy, they are often prescribed to treat this condition.  Side effects of these drugs include drowsiness, dizziness, low blood pressure, and fatigue.

Other medications include anticonvulsants (e.g., carbamazepine [Tegretol®], lamotrigine [Lamictal®]), local anesthetics (e.g., lidocaine [Xylocaine®]), and antiarrhythmics (e.g., mexiletine [Mexitil®]). Anticonvulsants may cause low white blood cell counts, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Side effects of lidocaine and mexiletine include nervousness, lightheadedness, drowsiness, and double vision.

Topical treatment with capsaicin cream (Zostrix®) may be prescribed for patients with focal neuropathy. Capsaicin causes stinging upon application and is often combined with a local anesthetic to reduce this side effect. Axsain® (.25% capsaicin in Lidocare® vehicle) contains a higher dose of capsaicin in a cream that reduces stinging and burning. Lidoderm® (lidocaine patch 5%) has been shown to be helpful for localized areas of tingling or burning.

Pregabalin (Lyrica®) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat post-herpetic neuralgia (shingles pain). Common side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, weight gain, and swelling (edema).

 

Injection Therapy

Injection therapy involves injecting a nerve block (e.g., lidocaine) into the area surrounding affected nerves, preventing the nerve from carrying impulses to the brain and temporarily reducing symptoms. Injection therapy is often used with other treatments (e.g., medication, physical therapy).

Hyperbaric Oxygenation Treatment

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can be an effective treatment for diabetic neuropathy. By driving oxygen deep into tissues, it reduces cell death and pain symptoms. Hyperbaric oxygen also stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, enabling the body to increase effective oxygen and nutrient delivery. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a medical treatment that uses pure oxygen to speed and enhance the body’s natural ability to heal. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an American Medical Association, FDA and Medicare approved modality. While sometimes hyperbaric medicine procedures are used as a primary emergency treatment, it is more often used as a cost effective adjunct or enhancement therapy.

Other "Treatments"

Discontinuing certain medications may eliminate or reduce neuropathy symptoms.  Pay close close attention to see if pain, numbness, tingling subside.  Physical therapy (e.g., exercise, massage, heat) and acupuncture (i.e., insertion of fine needles into specific points on the body) may be used to treat symptoms short term.  Light therapy can help to reduce toxicity and improve circulation, but has NEVER been proven effective to treat nerves.  In short, these therapies have never produced long term relief or reversal of neuropathy symptoms.

"Alternative" Peripheral Neuropathy Treatments

If you talk to your doctor, you will probably be told that there is no cure for neuropathy, period.   While in some rare cases this may true, in most cases, significant lasting relief may in fact be possible.  Not just a short term masking of pain like drugs, but true long term results can be achieved.

As with most alternatives approaches to reversing a disease, the idea is to remedy the causes at work, while jump-starting the body back to healthy state with safe, proven methods.  Reduced blood flow, oxygen deprivation, nutritional deficiencies all are directly causal in neuropathy, leading to very poor electrical current flow through the tiny nerve cells and fibers. These alternative approaches address these issues directly.  It might be obvious to many, but the idea is simple... remove as many causal factors as possible and provide enough nutrition, oxygen, and corrective stimulation as possible.  This can take time of course, but consider that it probably took the victim decades to get to the point of suffering.   If it takes several months to start seeing reversal, that only makes sense.   This is true therapy... not just a band aid for the symptoms.

♦	Precise Electrical Stimulation **
♦	Nutritional Supplements
♦	Oxygen and Ozone Therapy
♦	Reduce Body Toxicity
♦	Energy Applications
♦	Control other diseases

 

** Aggressive Neuro-stimulus:  The ReBuilder

The ReBuilder reverses neuropathy for the vast majority. The ReBuilder’s patented electrical stimulation device has been proven 94% effective in clinical studies in reducing and even REVERSING the symptoms of neuropathy.   Unlike common TENS devices that merely block pain signals, the ReBuilder does the opposite... the ReBuilder opens up the nerve paths and re-educates them so that normal signals can finally get through.  The increase in blood flow from the ReBuilder causes muscle contractions and actual healing can be accomplished, not just masking your pain.

If you've been suffering, today is your lucky day.

We understand how debilitating neuropathy can be.  Constant pain or irritation, no sleep, bad moods, depression.  We've been there.  We have suffered. For 2 years we researched  and tried everything.  Finally, 16 years ago, we discovered an amazing device designed specifically for peripheral neuropathy called The ReBuilder.  This device is a significant advance in peripheral neuropathy treatments that uses very unique, adaptive, patented, electrical signals to stimulate, rehabilitate, and even rebuild damaged nerve pathways and surrounding tissue!  Nothing else out there works like the ReBuilder.  BEWARE IMPOSTERS!

It has helped nearly 3000 of our own clients over the years. It can help you to!