How to Ease Neuropathy

Neuropathy is a painful condition that causes pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet. Common causes are diabetes, injury, toxins and infections. You can take several actions to ease neuropathy; they include a combination of medication and self-care measures.

Instructions

• 1

  Use medications that ease symptoms. Talk to your doctor to determine the most appropriate treatments for you and take as prescribed. You might be given pain relievers, a lidocaine patch, antidepressants or anti-seizure medications; while normally used for other conditions, the last two have been shown to treat nerve pain.

  If you are already using medications to treat your neuropathy, take them as directed and do not discontinue without consulting your doctor.

• 2

  Commit to healthy lifestyle habits. Regular exercise can ease neuropathy pain. Thirty minutes of exercise five times a week is a good goal. Break exercise into smaller chunks of time if needed. You can start slowly and work your way up. If you have neuropathy, talk to your doctor about appropriate exercises for your condition; he can help you design a regimen.

  Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and eat low-fat meats and dairy. Eat complex carbohydrates; their high fiber content causes them to break down more slowly, keeping blood sugar stable. Examples include fruits, vegetables, whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal and beans. This is especially important for diabetics. Avoid simple carbohydrates like cookies, candies and white flour products; they cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and cause inflammation, which will aggravate nerve pain.

• 3

  Massage the affected areas. You can do this yourself or have someone do it for you. Rub the affected areas in a gentle, circular motion. Do not do it so hard that you feel pain or discomfort. Massage improves circulation and eases nerve pain. You may purchase foot and hand massagers for home use as well.

• 4

  Use nutritional supplements that encourage healthy nerves and relieve pain. Take one B-complex vitamin daily. This contains all the B-vitamins in proper doses. Take 100mg of alpha-lipoic acid daily; after one month, increase to 300mg daily.

• 5

  Try acupuncture. The University of Maryland Medical Center reviewed studies and found that acupuncture effectively eased symptoms of neuropathy. Be sure to visit a licensed practitioner.