Often, I see patients in our office concerned about strange feelings to their feet. Many are found to have neuropathy (or peripheral neuropathy). Neuropathy is the poor functioning of nerves and can lead to significant abnormalities in the feet and legs. Do you have neuropathy? Some simple questions are:
- Are your feet numb or do your feet feel dead?
- When you injure your feet, do you feel pain?
- When walking on your feet, do you have difficulty feeling the feet or do you trip regularly because you can't feel your feet?
- Can you feel heat or cold in my feet or hands?
- Do your feet tingle?
- Do you have regular "pins and needles" sensation to your feet?
- Do you have burning, stabbing, shooting or electrical shock pains in your feet?
- Are your feet overly sensitive to touch, including pain from bed sheets or other items that shouldn't hurt?
- Do you feel like there is cotton, leather, or sock on your foot, even when there isn't?
- Do your feet hurt significantly at night and keep you awake?
An abnormal answer to any of these questions usually indicates neuropathy. Neuropathy can be a complex problem with multiple possible causes including diabetes, AIDS or HIV, toxins and metallic poisons, certain chemicals, alcoholism, vitamin deficiencies or nutritional imbalances, it may also occur from systemic diseases (kidney failure, liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis, abnormal blood proteins, cancer especially with chemotherapy, leukemia and shingles). Entrapment may also lead to the symptoms of neuropathy. Diabetes is the most common, however in the United States.
There are multiple theories on the cause of neuropathy, but the most common theories included blood flow interruption to the nerves or nerve fiber damage (or a combination of these). Therefore, for many years it was thought nothing could be done to improve neuropathy. You may have been told this about your discomfort. That is no longer the case. Many new treatments are coming that may help neuropathy.
The most common natural substances to improve neuropathy are B complex vitamins: B1 (thiamine), B6, B12 and folic acid. Many of the over-the-counter vitamins that contain these products, however, are in a form that are not as easily absorbed or utilized by the body. In our research, we have found two products that provide the vitamins in a form that are beneficial and easily utilized by the body.
- Metanx - A prescription item that contains L-methoylfolate, Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and Methylcobalamin (all natural forms of folic acid, B6 and B12 respectively). These products work together to produce increased blood flow to the nerves and assist in nerve repair. Many people are finding not just decreased symptoms but improvment of the neuropathy over time. It usually will require treatment for at least 4-6 months to insure it has sufficient time to help repair nerves.
- Neuremedy - A over-the-counter item that contains a form of B1 (benfotiamine) that is absorbed and modified by the body to the active form of B1 (thiamine). Most forms of this vitamin fail to be absorbed in the body, but the benfotiamine of Neuremedy is easily absorbed and utilized by the body. It has been shown to nourish dysfunctional nerves and allow them to conduct impulses more normally. It has been used effectively in Asia and Europe since the 1960s on thousands of patients.
So, neuropathy although a common problem doesn't need to continue to cause problems in your life. It can be treated often very effectively through the use of one of these two options. Many other options are also in the works.
