Natural Treatments for Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is caused by damage to peripheral nerves. These nerves carry messages from the brain and spinal column to the rest of the body. They also send information back to the brain and spinal column. This happens in many ways, such as injury to the nerves themselves, infection, toxins, diabetes, poor circulation, cancer treatments like chemotherapy, or even aging.

The most common symptom of peripheral neuropathy is numbness and tingling in fingers, toes, arms, legs, or face. Other signs include muscle weakness, loss of feeling, burning sensations, and painful feelings. Some people experience one type of neuropathy while others develop several types.

Some causes of peripheral neuropathy are treatable. Others are not. Treatment depends on what you think is causing it. If the problem is related to a disease or medical treatment, talk to your doctor about how to manage it. For example, some medications used to treat diabetes can cause nerve damage.

If your neuropathy isn’t related to a specific disease or medication, there are natural remedies that can help ease the symptoms. You might try acupuncture, massage therapy, exercise, diet changes, herbs, supplements, homeopathy, and yoga. Your health care provider can suggest additional therapies based on your individual needs.

What are the symptoms of CIPN?

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), commonly known as carpal tunnel syndrome, is a medical condition where damage occurs to the median nerve in the wrist. This leads to numbness, tingling, burning sensations, weakness, and sometimes even paralysis in the hand. CTS usually happens due to overuse of the wrists. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve as it passes through the wrist. Compression causes inflammation, swelling, and degeneration of tissue around the nerve.

The most common symptom of CTS is numbness and tingling in the fingers. Other symptoms include:

• Pain

• Weakness

• Difficulty gripping objects

• Burning sensation

• Aching, throbbing, or stiffness in the neck, shoulders, elbows, or upper arms

What causes CIPN?

Chemotherapy drugs are systemic treatments – that is, they affect every part of your body. They can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, hair loss, fatigue, skin rashes, difficulty breathing, numbness, tingling, pain, bladder problems, kidney failure, heart disease, blood clots, memory loss, mood swings, depression, anxiety, weight gain, and sexual dysfunction.

Some of the chemotherapy drugs associated most commonly with CIPN include paclitaxel (Taxol), docetaxel (Taxotere), vincristine (Oncovin), doxorubicin (Adriamycin), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), cisplatin (Platinol), carboplatin (Paraplatin), methotrexate (Trexall), fluorouracil (5-FU), bleomycin (Blenoxane), etoposide (VePesid), irinotecan (Camptosar), fludarabine (Fludara), gemcitabine (Gemzar), chlorambucil (Leukeran), thiotepa (Thioplex), busulfan (Myleran), melphalan (Alkeran), vinblastine (Velban), dactinomycin (Cosmegen), mitoxantrone (Novantrone), amsacrine (MethoCarmene), cytarabine (Ara-C), idarubicin (Idamycin), cladribine (Leustatin), topotecan (Hycamtin), temozolomide (Temodal), procarbazine (Matulane), and lomustine (CCNU).

How is CIPN treated?

Peripheral neuropathy occurs when nerves in the body become damaged or die because of disease, injury, infection or medical treatments. Peripheral neuropathy affects people of all ages, including children, teens, adults, older adults and those living with chronic illnesses like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, burning, weakness and loss of feeling in fingers, toes, hands, feet, legs or arms.

Cancer patients often experience peripheral neuropathy during or shortly after receiving chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs damage cells throughout the body, causing some nerves to lose their ability to transmit signals properly. As a result, you might feel tired, weak, stiff or clumsy even though you haven’t been exercising much. You could also notice changes in how you move, speak, walk or use your hands.

The good news is that most cases of peripheral neuropathy improve over time. Your doctor can treat it with medication, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, splints, braces and exercise. If you’re experiencing severe symptoms, your oncologist may recommend surgery to remove tumors or radiation to destroy cancer cells.

Natural neuropathy remedies

The most common type of peripheral neuropathy is caused by chemotherapy drugs called chemo neurotoxins. These are chemicals used to kill cancer cells. They affect nerve cells in the body and cause damage to the nerves, causing pain, numbness, tingling and weakness. This is known as Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN).

There is no cure for CIPN, but some people find relief from certain natural treatments. For example, ginger root tea, turmeric powder, vitamin B6, magnesium, ginkgo biloba and coenzyme Q10 have been shown to reduce symptoms in those with CIPN. However, it is important to consult a medical professional before taking any natural remedies to ensure you don’t interfere with ongoing treatment.

Lotions

Some lotions may ease symptoms of eczema. People can try experimenting with gentle creams that don’t irritate the skin. Massaging painful areas with cream may also help.

Cocoa butter and menthol lotions are some good options. You might want to look into products containing salicylic acid too.

Exercise

A recent study found that exercise could help relieve symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, a nerve disorder that causes tingling, burning, or numbness in the hands or feet. Researchers looked at data from nearly 3,500 women with early stage breast cancer who had been diagnosed within five years of participating in the study. They compared those who exercised regularly with those who didn’t. Women who did moderate intensity aerobic activity three times per week for 30 minutes each session saw improvements in their symptoms. In addition, the researchers noted that there was no difference in survival rates among the groups.

The findings suggest that exercise may provide short term benefits for patients with peripheral neuropathy. However, it is important to note that the study involved women who had already been diagnosed with breast cancer, and therefore, the findings do not apply to everyone with neuropathy. The authors recommend consulting with a physician about what type of physical activity might work best for you.

Vitamins

Cancer pain often accompanies chemotherapy treatment. But researchers say it could be because patients aren’t getting enough nutrients. They’re looking into whether taking extra vitamins can reduce the symptoms.

A recent study found that women who took high doses of B vitamins experienced less severe neuropathy than those who didn’t. Neuropathy occurs when nerves become damaged during cancer treatments.

The study included about 200 women. Half got a placebo pill, while the others received daily doses of 800 micrograms of folic acid and 400 micrograms of B12. Both vitamins are needed to produce healthy red blood cells.

Researchers followed participants over three months. Women who had taken the pills reported fewer side effects, such as numbness and tingling.

They also found no difference in how well people did on tests designed to measure their ability to feel pain.

But the study doesn’t prove that vitamins prevent neuropathy. And some experts caution against taking megadoses of vitamins.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking supplements,” says Dr. Stephen Sideroff, medical director of the Center for Cancer Care and Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. “If you look at studies of vitamin supplementation, most of them show that people do better on vitamin supplementation.”

Dietary changes

A healthy diet can help the body combat cancer more effectively and ease some side effects of treatments, according to researchers. They found that patients who ate a healthier diet had better outcomes than those who did not. There are no specific dietary recommendations for cancer, but studies suggest that a healthful diet should include lots of fruit and veggies, lean protein, and whole grains, along with plenty of water. People can discuss different dietary approaches with their doctors.

If nausea causes difficulty eating, people can speak to their healthcare provider about nausea treatment options, such as antiemetics. These drugs work by blocking certain receptors in the brain that cause nausea and vomiting.

Massage

Massage therapy is a popular complementary therapy used to treat many conditions, including cancer-related side effects such as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). This article outlines the benefits of massage for CIPN and offers tips for how therapists can best meet patients’ needs.

Q: What are the most common symptoms of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN)? Are the symptoms the same for every patient?

A: CIPN symptoms range from mild to severe, and can affect different parts of the body differently. Symptoms typically begin within hours or days of starting treatment and continue throughout treatment. Patients often report pain and tingling in their fingers, toes, arms, legs, face, lips, jawline, neck, shoulders, chest, stomach, bladder, rectum, genitals, and buttocks. Some patients describe the sensation as like pins and needles or numbness. Other people experience burning sensations, itching, or twitching. Sometimes patients feel hot or cold, especially in the extremities. Others complain about problems with coordination, balance, speech, taste, smell, sleep patterns, mood, memory, concentration, thinking, and sexual function.

Q: Does CIPN affect every cancer patient? Do certain cancer diagnoses increase risk for neuropathy?

A: Neuropathy does not always occur in patients receiving chemotherapy. Depending on the type of chemotherapy being received, the dose, frequency, and other factors, some patients experience no signs of neuropathy while others develop severe symptoms. However, it is important to note that the risk for neuropathy increases with each cycle of chemotherapy. This means that patients who receive multiple cycles are more likely to suffer from neuropathy than those treated with fewer cycles. There are many types of chemotherapy treatments and there is no one specific cause for neuropathy. Chemotherapy drugs can damage nerves directly or indirectly, such as by damaging blood vessels supplying nerve tissue.

Q: What are other risk factors for developing CIPN?

The most common side effects associated with chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, hair loss, fatigue, and constipation. Other possible side effects include muscle aches, weakness, numbness, tingling, burning sensations, and skin changes. These side effects usually start within the first few weeks of chemotherapy and often resolve over time. However, some people experience long-term symptoms, including nerve pain called chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

CIPN occurs when the body’s nerves become damaged during chemotherapy treatments. This damage can occur because of chemotherapy drugs themselves, or because of the way the drugs affect healthy cells.

Patients with certain medical problems, such as diabetes or heart disease, are more likely to develop CIPN. In addition, older adults and those taking certain medications, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, and anticoagulants, are more likely to experience CIPN.

Some studies suggest that up to 50% of women receiving chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer experience CIPN. Women who receive chemotherapy for ovarian cancer seem to be at greater risk for developing CIPN compared to men.

In many cases, CIPN resolves once chemotherapy is completed. If symptoms persist, however, there are several things patients can do to help manage their symptoms.

Prior to treatment, it is essential that all patients talk with the doctor about any existing health issues, including any diseases or conditions that could increase the likelihood of experiencing CIPN.

During treatment, patients should take steps to prevent further damage to their nervous system. For example, patients should avoid tasks that require fine motor skills, such as writing, typing, and driving. They should also try to limit exposure to loud noises and bright lights.

Q: Are there certain chemotherapy drugs that are more likely to cause neuropathy?

A: There are several chemotherapy drugs that are known to cause peripheral nerve damage, including carboplatin, cisplatin, oxaliplatin and docetaxel (taxotere). These agents can cause painful numbness, muscle weakness, tingling sensations, loss of sensation, pain and/or burning sensations in the hands, feet, mouth, nose, ears, fingers or toes.

Carboplatin and cisplatin are platinum compounds used to treat testicular cancer and ovarian cancer. They work by damaging DNA, which stops cells from dividing and growing. This makes it difficult for tumors to grow. However, both medications can increase the risk of developing painful peripheral neuropathy.

Oxaliplatin is another commonly used drug. Like cisplatin, oxalipatin works by damaging DNA. It is often combined with 5-fluorouracil (5FU), a medication used to treat colon cancer. While oxaliplatin does not seem to increase the risk of neuropathy compared to fluoropyrimidines alone, it can lead to severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Docetaxel (Taxotere) is another common anticancer agent. It is usually given along with capecitabine, a type of oral medicine used to treat breast and stomach cancers. Docetaxel interferes with cell division by stopping the growth of microtubules, the structures inside cells that help transport nutrients and proteins. It can cause symptoms similar to those caused by oxaliplatin, although less frequently.

Q: Are there medications to treat neuropathy?

A: Neuropathy can cause tingling, numbness and burning sensations in the hands, feet and legs. Painful nerves are often damaged by diabetes, high blood pressure, alcoholism, thyroid problems and chemotherapy treatments. There is no cure for neuropathy, but some treatments can provide relief. Your doctor can prescribe medication to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. You may find it helpful to use over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Lifestyle changes may include exercising regularly and eating healthy foods. If you experience severe pain, ask your physician about prescription narcotics.

Q: Are there medications to treat neuropathy?

A: Neuropathy isn’t curable, but it can be managed. If you’re experiencing numbness or tingling in your feet, hands or arms, talk to your doctor about what might work best for you. Your doctor may recommend certain treatments such as vitamin supplements, physical therapy or even surgery. But don’t worry too much about the cause; most types of neuropathy are caused by diabetes, high blood pressure or some cancers.

Q: Does neuropathy happen right away, or soon after chemotherapy treatment? Or, is it possible for patients to get neuropathy years after treatment is finished?

A: Neuropathy can happen anytime during or after your chemotherapy treatments. However, it is rare for symptoms to develop several months or even years later.

While there are many different types of cancer drugs, each one causes nerve damage differently. For example, some medications cause numbness or tingling in hands or feet, while others cause pain or weakness. Some drugs affect nerves throughout the body, while others target certain areas such as the arms or legs.

The good news is that most people recover completely within weeks or months after starting treatment. If you experience problems, talk to your doctor about what might help. You may want to consider taking anti-anxiety medication like Valium or Xanax.

Q: Is neuropathy genetic?

There are many types of neuropathies. One of those is called I-A type and it is associated with autoimmune disorders. This form of neuropathy is caused by a lack of immune cells in the body. This leads to nerve damage. When you receive chemotherapy treatment, there is a chance that you could develop neuropathy symptoms. If you do, then you might want to know about this type of neuropathy.