Neuropathy is the result of damage or malfunction that affects one or more nerves, which usually results in numbness, muscle weakness, tingling, and discomfort in the area.
Neuropathies typically begin with your feet and hands; however other areas of your body may be affected as well.
Symptoms
Depending on the cause and varying by patient, symptoms of neuropathy may include permanent or temporary numbness; burning or tingling sensations; increased sensitivities to the touch; pain; weakness or loss; the paralysis of glands or organs, or impairment of urination or sexual function.
Types Of Neuropathy
Four major types of neuropathy that may have an effect on the nervous system include:
- Peripheral symmetric neuropathy: This affects the hands and feet. This is by far the most frequent type of diabetic neuropathy.
- Autonomic neuropathy occurs in the nerves that regulate involuntary functions within the body, including digestion, urination, and heart rate.
- Thoracic and lumbar root or proximal neuropathy: The nerves are damaged within a particular area of the body, for example, the chest wall and legs.
- Mononeuropathies: These may affect any individual nerve.
What is the cause of neuropathy?
Nerve damage can result from a variety of conditions, injuries, or infections.
- Diabetes: Diabetes is the most frequently associated condition with neuropathy. It is more common among those suffering from diabetes for a long time and tends to be more severe in people who struggle to manage their diabetes, or who are overweight or suffer from an elevated level of blood lipid hypertension.
- Vitamin deficiency: Such as deficiencies in vitamin B12 and folate in addition to other B vitamins, could result in nerve damage.
- Autoimmune Neuropathy: Autoimmune conditions such as arthritis-like rheumatoid (RA), systemic Lupus, and Guillain-Barre syndrome could trigger neuropathies.
- Infections: Certain infections like HIV/AIDS Lyme disease, leprosy, and syphilis, may cause damage to nerves.
- Post-herpetic Neurogia: Postherpetic Neuralgia is a complication of the shingles (varicella-zoster virus), a type of neuropathy.
- Acute alcohol-related neuropathy: Damages to nerves due to alcohol as well as low nutrition and nutritional deficiencies typical for alcoholics.
- Amyloidosis: Amyloidosis refers to an illness in which abnormally sized protein fibers accumulate in organs and tissues. These protein deposits may cause different degrees of organ damage and could be the source of neuropathy.
- Uremia: Uremia (a high amount of waste products in the blood due to kidney failure) could lead to neuropathy.
- Toxins and poisons: Examples are lead compounds, gold mercury, arsenic, mercury, some industrial solvents, nitrogenous oxide, and organophosphate pesticides.
- Certain medications or drugs: Certain medications and drugs may cause nerve damage to the nerves. Examples include chemotherapy medicines like vincristine (Oncovin, Vincasar).
- Trauma/Injury: Injury or trauma to nerves, such as the pressure put on the nerve or group of nerves, is the most common reason for neuropathy.
- Tumors: Malignant or benign tumors of nerves or nearby structures can affect nerves directly to cause neuropathy
- Idiopathic: Idiopathic Neuropathy is a type of neuropathy with no known cause.
Can acupuncture help in treating neuropathy?
Acupuncture can be extremely effective in treating and reversing small nerve fiber injuries in the feet and hands. It has been proven to reduce nerve irritation and numbness.
The advantages of the acupuncture method is to reduce the sensation of numbness and pain, as well as reduce sharp/burning and eliminates the "ant creeping feeling" and healing nerve damage to improve balance. It also increases the capability to move on surfaces that are uneven and also increases grip while drinking coffee.
Acupuncture is highly effective in treating Chemotherapy caused neuropathy in cases where acupuncture treatment is initiated from the start of Chemotherapy to bring back the function of the nerve.
Also read,
- How can acupuncture help people suffering from side effects of cancer?
The needles used for acupuncture are placed into your body's pressure points to stimulate your nervous system. The result is the release of endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers within the muscles, spine, and the brain. This procedure alters the body's response to pain.
Also read,
- How acupuncture works in relieving pain?
A lot of people suffering from neuropathy resort to acupuncture in order for relief from chronic pain. Acupuncture also increases blood flow to repair the nerves damaged by it.
How Does Acupuncture Improve Neuropathy?
The main principle of acupuncture treatment for peripheral neuropathy involves nerve regeneration and preservation.
If you're suffering from peripheral neuropathy, you are aware that the resulting numbness and pain can be nearly unbearable. Walking, particularly on hard cold surfaces such as tiles, may feel like you are walking onto glass that is sunk into the ground.
In peripheral neuropathy, damaged nerves within the peripheral nerve system trigger burning, tingling or even a loss of sensation in feet and hands.
For those suffering from peripheral neuropathy, the aim is to restore the stimulation of damaged nerve fibers and stop them from dying. That's the place where acupuncture really can make an impact. For instance, local acupuncture around the fingertips stimulates the flow of blood to capillaries and results in making the nerves work more efficiently.
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- Why is Acupuncture an effective treatment for sciatica?
- What Are The Benefits Of Acupressure?
Research has shown that acupuncture can be a successful remedy for peripheral neuropathy with fewer adverse consequences than drugs. The concept is to avoid neuropathy in the long run by keeping your nerves in a state of active and active.
If you're seeking alternative therapies for neuropathy along with traditional methods, You may be able to achieve success using acupuncture. It is crucial to choose an acupuncturist who is well-experienced in treating neuropathy.