Living With Neuropathy

Key Takeaways

• Peripheral neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that causes burning pain, numbness, or tingling, often in the hands and feet, and can affect about 190 million people worldwide.
• Lifestyle changes such as reducing repetitive strain, limiting alcohol and smoking, following a B12 rich nutrition plan, and exercising regularly can reduce symptoms and help prevent neuropathy from worsening.
• Conventional therapies mainly focus on symptom control with drugs, while pluripotent stem cell therapy is being explored as a way to repair damaged nerves and address deeper causes of neuropathic pain.

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that is attributed to the damaging of your nervous system. This nerve damage causes high levels of pain, discomfort, or numbness, usually in the hands and feet, but it can also occur in different areas of the body. This pain stems from false signals being sent to the brain from damaged or malfunctioning nerves. According to studies by the National Institute of Health, approximately 190 million people suffer from neuropathy. The ratio of neuropathy cases increases with age, as well as half of all chronic diabetes cases struggle with some form of neuropathy.

Living with peripheral neuropathy can be extremely challenging, as pain can be debilitating. Neuropathy is most commonly presented as a side effect of diabetes but is also attributed to metabolic issues, infections, or due to a traumatic injury that causes nerve damage.

Lifestyle Changes To Manage Neuropathy Symptoms

If you are looking for ways to reduce or prevent the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, there are changes you can make that can positively influence how the condition affects you. Keep in mind that these are not going to cure your condition, but prevention is extremely important as you don’t want your condition to worsen. The methods for managing symptoms are as follows:

Lifestyle Change

Your daily routine could be causing additional damage and worsening the state of your neuropathy. If your job requires consistently repetitive motions or unnatural posture, these can place added stress on your nerves. If you are able to stop performing these tasks, it serves as a good preventative measure to reduce unnecessary stress.

Another important lifestyle change that needs to be addressed is the overconsumption of alcohol or smoking. If you are able to reduce or completely remove either of them from your daily life, it can have a profound effect on your health

Nutrition Plan

Speak with a doctor or nutritionist about what nutrition plan can help with your condition. The goal isn’t necessarily to lose weight but to provide your body with essential nutrients necessary for optimal nerve function and prevent your condition from worsening.

You should follow nutrition plans that are high in vitamin B-12, which can include a healthy variety of fruits, vegetables, and lean forms of omega-rich protein such as fish or eggs.

Exercise Regularly

It’s important to speak with your doctor about what exercises are right for you, identifying which ones will benefit you and not exacerbate your pain. You want to incorporate exercise into your routine to receive the benefits that go along with it. Even exercising three times a week for 30-60 minutes can benefit your health and act as a preventative measure.

Stem Cells May Provide A Solution

Conventional therapeutic methods for dealing with neuropathic pain do little to alleviate the condition, focusing solely on managing the symptoms. As neuropathy is typically thought of as difficult to treat, traditional therapies are centered around drugs. Stem cells are currently being studied as a healing agent that can reverse damage caused by peripheral neuropathy and thereby alleviate pain.

If you have tried adapting your lifestyle, altering your diet, and exercising regularly and still are not seeing results, pluripotent stem cell therapy may provide relief. At Stemaid Institute Baja California, we specialize in the use of pluripotent stem cells to regenerate and repair damaged nerves. This targeted use of unprogrammed cells allows damaged nerves to repair themselves and may help you find relief from neuropathic pain. Stem cell therapy could present a safer option for dealing with peripheral neuropathy.

FAQs

What does it feel like to live with peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy can cause ongoing burning, stabbing, or tingling sensations and loss of feeling that interfere with walking, sleep, and daily tasks. The blog notes that this pain comes from false signals sent by damaged or malfunctioning nerves, which can be physically and emotionally draining.

Which lifestyle changes can help manage neuropathy symptoms?

Helpful changes include modifying daily activities that strain nerves, cutting down on alcohol and smoking, and working with a doctor or nutritionist on a nerve-supportive diet. Gentle, regular exercise tailored by a physician can also support better circulation and nerve health without worsening pain.

How do standard treatments usually address neuropathy?

Standard care often relies on pain medications, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants to reduce symptoms and on managing conditions like diabetes that contribute to nerve damage. These approaches improve comfort but usually do not directly regenerate damaged nerves.

How might pluripotent stem cell therapy support people with neuropathy?

Stemaid Institute describes pluripotent stem cell therapy as a regenerative option that may help nerves repair themselves and lower chronic pain levels. It is presented as a potentially safer and more comprehensive strategy, but still as an emerging therapy that should complement ongoing medical care and lifestyle changes.