Neuropathic Pain

• According to Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, "Neuropathic, or nerve, pain is caused by a wide range of problems that lead to diseases of--or injury to--the nervous system." There is no single cause for neuropathic pain, but rather it is an outcome of other ailments. According to Dr. Teitelbaum, "It can arise from malfunction of nerves or the brain associated with illness (e.g., diabetes, low thyroid, etc.), infections (e.g., shingles/PHN), pinched nerves, nutritional deficiencies (e.g., vitamin B6 and B12), injury (e.g., stroke, tumors, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis), and medication/treatment side effects (e.g., radiation and chemotherapy, AIDS drugs, Flagyl®)."
  
  Neuropathic pain is typically described as pain that feels either burning, numbing, shooting or tingling. It feels this way because the nerves are malfunctioning in a way that the brain is having difficulty understanding. It is also quite common for the pain to be ongoing.
  
  

Who Can Help

• A naturopathic physician can assist someone seeking a solution for this type of pain. Initially the nMD will run a number of tests to rule out treatable conditions that could be causing the pain. He will usually check a patient's blood count, thyroid levels, vitamin levels, and blood sugar/insulin levels. Once the doctor has an accurate idea of a patient's overall health, she can determine the best natural treatment route to take.
  
  

Herbal Treatments

• Under the care of an nMD, a topical treatment is typically tried first. Topical treatments are normally a penetrating oil infused with concentrated herbs. Typical herbs for neuropathic pain include lavender, arnica and Tiger Balm.
  
  Sometimes oral supplements may be required as well for a stronger treatment option. Oral supplements are most often either dried or, in cases where extra strength is required, distilled and formed into a pill. These supplements are either taken orally (swallowed) or sublingually (under the tongue) depending upon the concentration of the herb.
  
  

Additional Natural Regiments

• In addition to offering herbs, an nMD will also encourage dietary changes that will enhance the effects of the herbs and assist in eliminating anything in the body that is preventing the nerves from healing. For example, it may be required that patients remove any alcohol or caffeine from their diet as these chemicals directly interfere with the nervous system.