If you experience the burning or shooting pain associated with neuropathic pain, or neuropathy, you will be fully aware of the many steps it can take to find something that helps reduce your pain. More often than not, your doctor will prescribe a set of medications specifically for your particular brand of neuropathic pain, and as with many such debilitating problems, it can take a while to find the perfect combination of treatments. While less targeted, there are some treatments that are not prescription medicines that can be used for your neuropathic pain.
Any medication comes with risks, but if you find an over the counter medicine that works for you – perhaps ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin – discuss with your doctor to see if you can continue using them. Your doctor will be able to tell you if these drugs will interfere with others. It is worth noting, though, that while these might work for most people’s everyday pain, they may not have the strength to deal with chronic and severe nerve pain.
Vitamins are important for all of us to take, but vitamin deficiencies can be particularly obvious if you suffer from neuropathic pain. For instance, if you don’t get enough vitamin B12, there is a chance that your nerve pain could become more severe. Other supplements show potential for nerve pain treatment as well, such as gamma linolenic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid. As with any supplement, discuss these options with your doctor, as they will have a good idea as to whether or not these will help with your specific case.
The kind of nerve damage associated with neuropathic pain is the kind of damage that spreads, often causing muscle wasting and muscle weakness. A skilled physical therapist will know the types of exercises that can help bring your muscle mass back up and to help strengthen them as well. While the extra physical movement might be painful for some time, the process can potentially help reduce your overall neuropathic pain, as well.
Acupuncture, while still considered experimental in many circles, regularly shows promise in targeting nerves in order to help reduce pain in certain parts of the body. This can also be attempted in order to treat neuropathic pain. One theory as to how these tiny needles affect your pain is that they help release pain-numbing chemicals in the body; another is that they may help block that pain entirely.
You may be resistant to physical touch because of your neuropathic pain, but some people have felt results in the reduction of muscle pain from massage. It is inconclusive if massage has much broad benefit to chronic pain, but if you suffer from muscle pain as a result of your neuropathy, massage could be an avenue to explore for pain relief.
If you suffer from neuropathic pain, please contact Maryland Pain & Wellness Center to discuss your medication-based and other options for treating it.
