CONTENTS:
What is peripheral neuropathy and what are its causes?
It is certainly worth knowing what is peripheral neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is a disease in the area of the peripheral nervous system. As a result of damage or the occurrence of inflammation of different origin, there is damage to neurons and disturbances in the transmission of impulses between them. It is treated as a separate disease entity or a symptom of another disease process.
Peripheral nerve disease may involve the musculoskeletal system as well as the sensory nerves responsible for sensation of temperature or pain. In the latter area is associated with impaired functioning of the endocannabinoid system [source].
In rare cases, the disease may affect the functioning of internal organs: heart, bladder or bowel. It is then called autonomic neuropathy and can disrupt the body's pressure and temperature regulation (through sweating).
Inflammatory processes of nerve connections can intensify demyelination of peripheral nerves. Demyelinating neuropathy with an inflammatory basis is a common symptom of many currently untreatable diseases within the nervous system.
Neuropathy - causes
The causes of neuropathic lesions may be congenital or acquired. The former are relatively rare. The acquired ones, on the other hand, can affect between 7 and 10% of the general population to varying degrees. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
Despite tremendous progress, modern medicine still is unable to determine the cause with 100% accuracy the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy in each case. Hence, the doctor often uses the term "of unknown origin".
Among the most frequently mentioned causes of peripheral nerve disease indicated:
- Deficiency of B vitamins (B1, B12), folic acid or vitamin E
- Diabetes
- Alcoholism (according to WHO, as many as 5.1% of neuropathic disorders are caused by alcohol abuse)
- Intensive and prolonged pharmacotherapy many drugs
- Metal poisoning: lead, mercury, gold, arsenic, thallium
- Mechanical injuries (accidents, combat sports)
- Complications of progressive cancer
- Parasitic infections
- Metabolic problems, kidney or liver failure
- Chronic inflammatory conditions
- Viral (e.g. HIV, Lyme disease, shingles) and bacterial (e.g. syphilis, diphtheria) diseases
- Blood diseases (haematological)
- Endocrine disruption
- Poor eating habits, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle can promote the development of the problem
The term 'neuropathy' itself is very general. It can include paralysis of one (mononeuropathy) as well as multiple nerves in different functional areas of the body (polyneuropathy).
Types of peripheral neuropathy
One method of classification is breakdown by number of damaged nerve connections.
Here we distinguish between the concepts mentioned earlier:
- MONONEUROPATIA - occurs most often as a result of physical trauma, due to a sedentary lifestyle or mechanical repetition of certain movements (e.g. prolonged daily typing); examples include neuropathy of the elbow joint sensation in the fingers and on the outside of the hand and in the forearm (numbness, tingling); the most common case is carpal tunnel syndrome affecting people who work intensively at the computer while typing.
- POLINEUROPATHY - involves a larger area and number of peripheral nerve connections, may be chronic or recurrent, or may involve nerve damage to internal organs causing diarrhoea or constipation, incontinence (urinary incontinence), bowel disorders, abnormally low blood pressure or sexual dysfunction; examples include alcoholic polyneuropathy.
Diabetic neuropathy
Diabetes leads to neuropathic symptoms in about 50 per cent of cases. It manifests itself Most commonly weakness, pain, numbness, tingling or burning in the limbs.
The risk of peripheral nerve inflammation in diabetes increases with the length of time blood sugar levels remain too high. The most important factor reducing this risk is to continuously monitor blood glucose levels and maintain normal blood glucose levels.
There are no effective causal treatmentsand the changes involving nerve damage are irreversible.
In practice, symptomatic treatment and minimisation of pain includes the following. intravenous administration of lipoic acid of 600 mg along with painkillers (unfortunately not all of them work). Supportively, patients are prescribed antidepressants and sometimes anticonvulsants. Sounds like a task for CBD and other cannabinoidsbut more on that later. For the time being, lipoic acid therapy alleviates the symptoms of the disease, but does not succeed in inhibiting it, let alone curing it.
Alcoholic neuropathy
On average, 20% alcohol-dependent people suffer from alcoholic polyneuropathy. In the process, the central nervous system is damaged, the sheaths in the peripheral nerves break down, there is a B vitamin deficiency and acetaldehyde, which is the first metabolite of ethanol, destroys healthy nerve cells.
This is not the end of the trouble. Over time, in addition to the typical symptoms of weakness, sensory disturbances, pain in the feet and legs, tingling, burning, tightness, hypersensitivity to stimuli, muscle atrophy, blood pressure spikes, sweating and frequent urination, problems with speech, hearing and vision (up to blindness) occur.
The prognosis is moderate as long as the patient gives up alcohol completely, follows a special diet and replenishes vitamin deficiencies in the body. Patients are also recommended rehabilitation, lifestyle changes and exercise. Pharmacological assistance is also in the spectrum of available treatments.
Vitamin B deficiency neuropathy
The problem is mainly deficiency of vit. B12 (cobalamin) and B1 (thiamine). Both are involved in processes that support the normal function of the nervous system. Chronic B vitamin deficiency can promote the development of inflammatory processes in the central and peripheral nervous system.
Vitamin deficiencies occur in people with poor eating habits, a terrible diet, obesity and in alcohol abusers. They can increase seasonally in autumn and winter.
It also happens that the body, for various reasons, has absorption problem B vitamins provided.
Insufficient amounts of B vitamins are characteristic of many strictly vegan diets.
Neuropathy - symptoms
The symptoms of neuropathy are numerous and may occur independently or in combination. Some are transient, recurrent and others chronic.
Neuropathies of the sensory system may result in the patient not feeling certain stimuli at all or, on the contrary, feeling them much more intensely. Within the sensory symptoms in neuropathy, the following may occur:
- tingling,
- numbness,
- pain perception disturbances including hypersensitivity and severe neuropathic pain,
- stinging sensation,
- baking,
- there may be problems with the sense of orientation of the positioning of parts of one's own body, leading to clumsiness of movement and falls.
Neuropathic process in the musculoskeletal system is associated with pathology in the nerve fibres responsible for muscle function.
Typical symptoms of neuropathy in the musculoskeletal system are:
- so-called neuropathic pain
- spasms and uncontrolled muscle movements,
- general muscle weakness,
- disorders of the deep reflexes of the biceps, triceps, knee and ankle muscles,
- muscular atrophy.
Last set symptoms include autonomic neuropathies.
Damage to vegetative fibres (which act independently of our will) in the neuropathic process is associated with:
- urinary problems (incontinence),
- poor or excessive sweating,
- dry mouth,
- a feeling of dryness in the eyeballs,
- vision problems,
- sexual dysfunction,
- difficulty swallowing food,
- diarrhoea or constipation,
- severe and sudden drops in blood pressure with changes in body position,
- cardiac arrhythmias,
- not feeling hungry and not responding to a drop in blood sugar levels.
Diagnosis of neuropathological diseases I leave it to the specialists. I will only say that a mass of analytical laboratory tests is necessary, and which specifically you need to perform in your case your doctor will tell you.
Treatment of neuropathy
Among those recognised by conventional medicine treatments for peripheral neuropathy you will find such as:
- Intensification of the treatment of the underlying diseases, e.g. diabetes, together with minimisation of the symptoms of the underlying disease, slows down the progression of the neuropathic process; unfortunately, it is not possible to reverse the damage already done and this is why time plays a key role in improving prognosis
- Supplementation with B vitamins
- In some cases, surgery is required, e.g. to remove the tumour causing the pressure (carpal tunnel syndrome)
- The use of electrostimulation treatments is declining
- And increasingly, rehabilitation and massage are being incorporated into the treatment process
- For neuropathic pain traditional painkillers do not workAntidepressants and anticonvulsants, and sometimes anaesthetics and opioids are used instead.
- Among modern methods of relieving pain and symptoms, there is an increasing number of medicine in the form of medical marijuana available on prescription
- There are a number of opinions including doctors' opinions that CBD oil shows high and medically relevant efficacy during the treatment of neuropathies of all types.
Home remedies for neuropathy
Hanger available treatment options for neuropathy and nephropathic pain using home remedies is quite broad. In my opinion, it is worth starting by changing your diet and eating habits and, if possible, increasing your physical activity. This will improve your metabolism and give you a chance to slow down the degenerative processes of your muscles and musculoskeletal system - this alone is invaluable.
Home remedies for neuropathy and accompanying pain include such non-medical activities such as:
- Changing diet and eating habits
- Supplementation including supplementation of cannabinoids in CBD oils
- Inclusion of herbal preparations and infusions in the diet
- Lifestyle changes
- Getting rid of any addictions
- Increased physical activity
- Hot baths
- Meditation and acupuncture
- Aromatherapy and essential oils
- Rehabilitation and massage
- Wim Hof's method for reducing inflammation in the body
A combination of these measures combined with regularity and discipline can slow down the disease process and help you manage neuropathic pain. You will feel better and minimisation of symptoms and pain may be lengthy.
Neuropathy - treating pain with herbs
Despite appearances there are herbswhich, under domestic conditions help alleviate Inflammation of the peripheral nerves and associated pain. To say that herbs cure neuropathy is perhaps a bit of a stretch, but it is worth looking at what scientific research has to say here.
Well, the review of available scientific studies that you will find here recalls On the clinical effectiveness of CBD and THC in minimising neuropathic pain. This implies, as it were, that the authors of the publication considered hemp to be an herb. I agree with this approach. It does not change the fact that medical cannabis is a medicine issued on medical prescription. Of course, there are other, less legal ways of obtaining cannabis with a high THC content, but there is no question of the controlled, pharmocological quality of such a commodity bought on the black market. Why take the risk when you can cannabis herb for smoking for medical purposes to legally buy and possess.
Included in the list of herbs that have been tested on humans in a scientifically valuable way in double-blind, randomised trials with a placebo control group are also gosha-jinki-gan and colocynthis watermelon (citrullus colocynthis). The former delayed the onset of symptoms of drug-induced neuropathy of cancer patients treated with Oxaliplatin. In contrast colokwinta significantly reduced neuropathic pain in patients with diabetic neuropathy.
In turn list of herbs that have undergone animal testing is much more extensive and includes, inter alia.
- Sucupira-branca (Pterodon pubescens Beth) - Brazil
- Lamiophlomis Rotata - Tibet
- Amalaki or Amla or Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis) - India
- Sercollae (Rubia cordifolia) - Tibet
- Holy basil or Asian basil or Tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) - India
- Tatarack or ajer or tartarian herb (Acorus calamus) - India, China
- Sage (Salvia officinalis) - open to the public
- Gelsemium sempervirens and the cumina it contains
- Incarvilla (Incarvillea Sinensis) - China
- Curcumin contained in long oyster (Curcuma longa)
- Windstorm or stone breaker (Phyllanthus niruri) - coastal tropical areas
- Bitter melon or cucumber balm (Momordica charantia)
- Saffron
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Cumin or black cumin (Nigella Sativa L.) and thymoquinone contained therein
- Cannabis Sativa L. (hemp) and the cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids it contains, which have a mass of properties indicating a potentially effective use in the home treatment of neuropathy.
The list is not complete. There are more herbs indicated as potentially effective for painful peripheral neuropathy. I will try to update this list in some time.
Home remedies for neuropathy enriched with herbs give a higher probability of minimising the symptoms of the disease.
Remember to use of any herbs always precede a consultation with a specialist in herbal medicine or natural medicine. It is also worth knowing that scientific studies on animals do not mean that the same mechanisms will work in humans. Above and beyond that, they are carried out under medical supervision, the herbs are in the form specified in the study and precisely planned dosage. This is hard to repeat without extensive knowledge at home, and incorrect the use of home-made herbal infusions and preparations can be dangerous. Herbs can interact with pharmacological drugs - if you are using any the more so consult your doctor.
Supplements, preparations, vitamins and non-prescription drugs
Vitamins are not a special controversy - simply before supplementation begins it is worthwhile to carry out analytical tests indicating their level in the body. The analyte needs to be repeated from time to time. This will help to determine the dosage and any intervals or breaks in use. Long-term over-supply of vitamins is not advisable and may lead to adverse effects.
Some specialists point to doubts about the efficacy of certain supplements in the treatment of neuropathy. This does not change the fact that there are more or less relevant studies indicating their potential and effectiveness in minimising symptoms, pain and inhibiting the development of peripheral nervous system cachexia.
The following list contains prompts (items 1-6) from the portal Healthlinewhich is considered to be trustworthy. I have completed the list on the basis of my own research, analysis of the studies mentioned here and valuable opinions of doctors at home and abroad to which I have been able to access.
Among supplements, herbal preparations, vitamins and non-prescription drugs worth highlighting:
- Vitamins B1, B6 and B12 - as B complex or separately + folic acid approx. 1 mg / day.
- Lipoic acid - in capsules from 600-1200mg per day, not recommended for people with alcoholic neuropathy (latest study finds here)
- Acetyl L-carnitine - use with meals in capsules 2 x 500 mg per day
- N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) - 1200mg 1-2 times a day
- Curcumin
- Tranium - 2400-5400 mg per day
- CBD oil - used 3 times a day, 2-3 drops each, in concentrations of CBD 10%read more in the next paragraph
- Vitamin D - in difficult cases of diabetic neuropathy administered intramuscularly at doses as high as 600,000 UI (Sources: 1 i 2], the standard supplementation I found in the available recommendations for patients is 400-1000 UI per day
- Vitamin E - 50-200 UI per day, slightly higher doses up to 400 UI per day are also possible
- Vitamin C
- Capsaicin - high concentration patches capsaicins may help to reduce neuropathic pain locally, and reasonable increased consumption of black pepper rich in this compound can also bring positive results in the home treatment of neuropathy
- Quercetin
- Naringina - flavonoid abundant in grapefruit, is also available in 500 mg capsules
- Vitamin H a.k.a. Biotin - promotes the normal function of the nervous system
- Magnesium - 2 x 200 mg
- Potassium - preferably from food, bananas, tomatoes, oranges, kiwis, prunes, apricots preferably dried, nuts have a high potassium content
To the question of supplementation it is worth approaching with a lot of common sense and at least a little patience. Using all available options at once does not sound like a sensible solution. Do your research, consult your doctor or a supplement specialist before you start. You want to help yourself and not harm yourself.
CBD oil - a home remedy for neuropathy
The combination of CBD and THC is an effective treatment for neuropathy symptoms. Medical merijuana as a registered medicine is increasingly being prescribed and used by patients in Poland. Smoking cannabis therapy not among the cheapest. With the price of medical-grade dried cannabis averaging around £65 per gram, a month's treatment can cost more than £2,000 in the extreme. For many of us, this is an unattainable amount, and medical cannabis is not reimbursed by the National Health Service.
So what can you do to support the body with cannabinoids during home treatment?
Complete Home remedies for treating neuropathy with CBD oil with the full spectrum of phytocannabinoids.
Contained in the oils cannabidiol has properties and effects of interest in the home treatment of peripheral neuropathy:
- Anti-inflammatory and analgesic - key properties of CBD for home treatment of neuropathy
- Neuro-protective - CBD inhibits and alleviates neurodegenerative disorders, extends lifespan and promotes nerve cell regeneration, protects against neurodegeneration
- Strong antioxidant effect
- Supporting the maintenance of a state of homeostasis in which your body has more 'power' to heal itself
- Antispastic, muscle relaxant
- Facilitates falling asleep and promotes good quality, restorative sleep
- Reduces stress levels, calms and balances emotionally which promotes homeostasis and self-healing of the body
Find out more about the properties of CBD in this article: https://purehemp.pl/baza-wiedzy/wlasciwosci-cbd/
In addition to CBD, you'll also find a spectrum of hemp extracts other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. Each of these compounds shows bioactivity in the body. It is believed that the greater the effectiveness of the oil, the richer and more varied the composition of all hemp phytochemicals encapsulated in a bottle. By the way, there is no significant risk of adverse effects associated with CBD supplementation. Those we are aware of are of low severity and transient, and basically only occur with overdose.
It appears that CBD oil is an effective supplement for neuropathy irrespective of the reasons for its creation.
Available on the market CBD hemp oils may differ precisely at the level of phytocomposition. For the treatment of peripheral neuropathy at home, choose an oil of the type full spectrum. It contains a trace but lagal amount of THC or tetrahydrocannabinol. There is too little of it in the oils to intoxicate you, but enough to act as a complement with other cannabinoids. By the way, Delta-9 THC has strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.
How to use CBD for neuropathy at home?
Medical marijuana is vaporised or simply smoked. For some of you, this may be an insurmountable problem.
CBD oils are used orally, by sprinkling a certain number of drops under the tongue. This solves the problem of inhaling anything.
CBD oil dosage for neuropathy is relatively straightforward:
- If this is your first contact with cannabinoids, the dose should be limited to the minimum for the first 1-2 days, i.e. 1 drop three times a day, in order to find out at a minimum risk whether you have an allergy (which is very rare), or whether any of the following occur adverse effects and you will gradually accustom your body to the new compounds
- Standard Dosage starts at 2-3 drops x 3 per day with 10% preparation
- Try to maintain regular 6-hour dosing intervals
- If you do not notice anything worrying then after about 2 weeks you may decide to increase the number of drops by e.g. 1 per dose
Complementing other home treatment methods for neuropathy with CBD oil is a really good idea. CBD is safe, well tolerated by the body, and the risks of use are low and low-impact.
Sources and links to scientific studies discussed in the article:
- https://przychodniaojcapio.pl/typy-neuropatii-obwodowej/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/demyelinating-neuropathy
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4208100/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/neuropathy-supplements
- https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20030326/opioids-effective-for-chronic-nerve-pain
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