Home Remedies for Neuropathic Pain

The article is consulted by Dr. Anesthesiologists - General Surgery Department - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Neuropathic pain is a common condition that causes discomfort and affects daily life. Some neuropathic pain can improve with treatment, and in non-severe cases, the condition can be self-treated at home.

1. What is Neuropathic Pain?

Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain condition. It is often a result of injury, disease, or infection. However, neuropathic pain is not the direct result of any single factor.
Most common causes of neuropathic pain are divided into four main categories:

• Due to accidents: Tissue, muscle, or joint injuries can cause neuropathic pain. Similarly, injuries to the back, legs, and hips can cause long-term damage to the nerves. While the injury may heal, the destruction of the nervous system may remain. As a result, the patient may experience persistent pain for many years after the accident.

Accidents or injuries affecting the spine can also cause neuropathic pain. Herniated discs and spinal cord compression can damage the nerve fibers around the spine.

• Due to infections: This is a common cause of neuropathic pain. People with HIV and AIDS may experience unexplained pain. Those with syphilis infections may also experience burning and stabbing pain of unknown origin. Chickenpox, especially shingles, can cause prolonged neuropathic pain.
   

• Due to surgery: Commonly seen is phantom limb pain, which can occur when an arm or leg is amputated. Although the limb is gone, the brain still thinks it is receiving pain signals from the removed body part. However, what actually happens is that the severed nerves are malfunctioning and sending faulty signals to the brain. Additionally, nerve damage from surgical incisions can also lead to chronic post-surgical pain.
• Diseases such as multiple sclerosis, multiple myeloma, or cancer, especially diabetes, often cause loss of sensation and numbness, followed by pain, burning, and tingling in the hands, feet, and fingers. Long-term alcohol consumption can damage nerves, causing pain. Cancer treatment can also cause neuropathic pain, as both chemotherapy and radiation therapy affect the nervous system and cause abnormal pain signals.
• Other causes include: Vitamin B deficiency, carpal tunnel syndrome, thyroid problems, and spinal arthritis.

2. Symptoms of Neuropathic Pain

Symptoms of neuropathic pain vary from person to person, and common symptoms include:

• Sharp or severe pain
• Pain and numbness or a tingling sensation
• Spontaneous pain or pain not caused by stimulation
• Pain triggered by non-painful stimuli such as rubbing against something, cold temperatures, or brushing hair
• Discomfort causing difficulty sleeping

3. Home Remedies for Neuropathic Pain

Reducing neuropathic pain is one of the strategies in treatment and prevention. However, there are many self-care and home treatment methods that can prevent these serious issues. Some methods can even activate the body's natural painkillers (endorphins), making the patient feel much better.

• Maintain blood sugar levels. In the case of diabetic patients, controlling blood sugar levels is the best treatment for diabetic neuropathic pain.
• Exercise to release natural painkillers called endorphins. Exercise also helps promote blood flow to the nerves in the legs and feet. Researchers believe that regular exercise can create long-term dilation in the blood vessels in the feet and nourish damaged nerves.
• If the feet are affected by neuropathic pain, take good care of them. To reduce these risks, regularly check your feet daily, wear comfortable shoes, and see a doctor if there are any abnormalities.
• Soak your feet: Bathing with warm water and soaking your feet in warm water is the least expensive home treatment for neuropathic pain. Warm water can increase blood flow to the feet and also help reduce stress.

• Limit alcohol consumption: Heavy alcohol use can be toxic to the nerves and can cause neuropathic pain. There is no magic number for the amount of alcohol that can be consumed while avoiding neuropathic pain.
• Sleep on time: Neuropathic pain can worsen at night, disrupting sleep and making it very difficult to endure the pain. However, maintaining a regular sleep schedule will help break these pain cycles. Also, limit caffeine intake in the afternoon and maintain a suitable sleep time of 8 hours a day.
• Use capsaicin cream: Made from hot peppers, capsaicin cream will cause a burning sensation when first used. However, those who have used this cream for many weeks often show improvement in neuropathic pain.
• Some anesthetic gels, ointments, or patches can temporarily reduce neuropathic pain.
• Massage: Some studies have shown that applying vegetable oils such as geranium oil can reduce neuropathic pain. Other oils like lavender have also been shown to help relax and reduce nerve pain symptoms.
• Meditation: Techniques such as biofeedback and hypnosis help some people with neuropathic pain live better.

The optimal remedy for neuropathic pain is to actively implement home remedies combined with healthy living habits such as moderate labor suitable for each person's health, avoiding sudden changes in posture, etc. At the same time, improve eating habits by reducing red meat, fatty foods, and alcohol, and instead use healthy foods rich in calcium, fruits, and vegetables to supplement essential minerals that help improve nerve health. However, to accurately diagnose the cause of the pain, the severity of the pain, and to coordinate optimal and timely treatment measures at each stage, you should visit the Vinmec hospital system for specialized pain doctors to examine, consult, and guide appropriate treatment methods for each individual and each cause to minimize the consequences caused by pain.
Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the hospitals that not only ensures professional quality with a team of excellent doctors and modern technological equipment but also stands out with comprehensive, professional medical examination, consultation, and treatment services; a civilized, polite, safe, and maximally sterile medical examination and treatment space.

To arrange an appointment, please call HOTLINE or make your reservation directly HERE. You may also download the MyVinmec app to schedule appointments faster and manage your reservations more conveniently.

References webmd.com, healthline.com