Avoid caffeine four to six hours before bed, and minimize it daily to allow your body time to become tired. Less caffeine will help with overstimulated nerves that can intensify nightly pain. Turn off electronic devices such as your smartphone and TV an hour or more before bed to help your brain wind down.
At night our body temperature fluctuates and goes down a bit. Most people tend to sleep in a cooler room as well. The thought is that damaged nerves might interpret the temperature change as pain or tingling, which can heighten the sense of neuropathy.
Vicks VapoRub also has other popular off-label uses—and these have more support than use of the product on the feet to improve a cough. Vicks is sometimes used on the feet to relieve neuropathy pain, treat toenail fungus, and soften callouses.
Some recommended sleeping positions include sleeping in a recliner, sleeping on the back with a pillow underneath the legs, and sleeping on one side of the body with a pillow between the thighs.
Smoking constricts the blood vessels that supply nutrients to the peripheral nerves and can worsen neuropathic symptoms. Exercise can deliver more blood, oxygen, and nutrients to far-off nerve endings, improve muscle strength, and limit muscle atrophy.
About 30% of all nerve pain (neuropathic pain) happens because of diabetes, but other diseases like alcoholism and shingles can cause neuropathic pain. Treatment might include medicines, physical therapy, psychological counseling, and even surgery.
Fried foods – Fried foods are unhealthy and can worsen neuropathy symptoms. They are also difficult to digest and can cause stomach upset. Grain products with Gluten – Those with neuropathy should consider avoiding refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pastas, pizza, crackers and other snacks.
"Abbott's Proclaim XR spinal cord stimulation system provides patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy the opportunity to obtain a better quality of life while more seamlessly fitting into their current lifestyles."
If you have neuropathy, it's critical that you stay as active as possible. Regular activity and physical fitness promote healthy circulation and make your body more nutritionally efficient, which helps limit the progression of nerve damage and keep symptoms to a minimum.
What's the best painkiller for nerve pain? Tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline and anti-epileptic drugs like gabapentin and pregabalin are very effective at treating nerve pain.
Similar to sleeping, lying down can increase pressure on the nerves. When you are upright, your body's weight is evenly distributed. However, when you are lying down, most of your weight is pressing down on one area. This can increase pressure on the nerves and cause pain.
Wear soft and comfortable socks. The right kinds of socks have shown to help eliminate burning sensations and control the overall foot discomfort that those with peripheral neuropathy experience. Some people even wear these types of socks to bed to keep their feet warm and to prevent irritating contact with bed sheets.
Some medications, such as nortriptyline and gabapentin can treat both neuropathy pain and sleep for some people3. And for anyone, getting either neuropathy pain and sleep disorders diagnosed and treated is likely to improve the other problems as well.
Drink lots of water
Water should be a staple in any diet, and even more so for those looking to reduce nerve pain. It's critical to stay hydrated throughout the day to reduce inflammation and avoid triggering pain receptors. Aim to drink eight 8-oz. of water each day.
Initial research conducted at the North Carolina Research Campus has found that bananas can relieve pain and inflammation just as well. Bananas eaten during exercise are equal to sports drinks and they contain metabolites that function like ibuprofen.
PN was strongly associated with earlier mortality. Mean survival time for those with PN was 10.8 years, compared with 13.9 years for subjects without PN. PN was also indirectly associated through impaired balance.
One of the most common causes of peripheral neuropathy in the U.S. is diabetes. The most common type of peripheral neuropathy is diabetic neuropathy, caused by a high sugar level and resulting in nerve fiber damage in your legs and feet.
Peripheral neuropathy can result from traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic problems, inherited causes and exposure to toxins. One of the most common causes is diabetes. People with peripheral neuropathy generally describe the pain as stabbing, burning or tingling.
Whether or not neuropathy can be reversed depends on the cause of the nerve damage. In some cases, the pain may go away entirely. In others, nerve damage may be permanent. For example, when neuropathy is caused by an infection, symptoms might go away completely when the infection is treated.
Is it possible to die from peripheral neuropathy? Peripheral neuropathy is rarely fatal but may cause serious complications if left untreated. These complications may affect a person's life expectancy. A healthcare professional can advise on their condition, their outlook, and how they can manage it.