How To Treat Nerve Pain
Acute and chronic nerve pain can be difficult to live with. It is often associated with a diminished quality of life due to pain and lack of mobility. Pain levels vary widely, with patients describing anywhere from numb and tingling extremities to sharp, stabbing sensations. Neuropathy is often caused by underlying conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune disorders, but this is not always the case. To determine if there is a root cause for chronic nerve pain, doctors perform an extensive neurological examination. If there is an underlying health problem causing the nerve pain, treating the root condition often reduces the pain.
However, many people experience chronic nerve pain with no underlying conditions. The pain is often debilitating and interferes with work and daily life, so people with neuropathy should seek help for nerve pain relief quickly. While there is no cure for chronic neuropathy, there are several nerve pain treatment options to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Some people experience nerve pain that is dull and achy rather than sharp and stinging. While this level of pain is mild, it can still affect daily life, and pain relief is needed to resume normal activities. Many doctors recommend patients use over-the-counter medications as needed to relieve minor nerve pain. Acetaminophen and common NSAIDs reduce inflammation and pain. Some doctors also recommend topical treatments such as sprays, gels, ointments, and creams. Some patients will experience relief taking medications infrequently, while others will need to take them regularly. In many cases, this treatment option is combined with others to improve quality of life.
Prescription Drugs
When over-the-counter medications are not strong enough to relieve nerve pain, doctors may prescribe stronger drugs. These powerful painkillers are often effective but can lead to abuse and addiction, so patients who are prescribed opioids and narcotics are encouraged to work closely with their doctors to manage pain without causing other problems. Some prescription drugs that are typically used to prevent seizures or help depression have also shown to be effective treatments for nerve pain, so they may be prescribed rather than opioids for long-term use.
Lifestyle Changes
There is no cure for chronic nerve pain, but in addition to medical intervention, making a series of lifestyle changes can improve symptoms of neuropathy. Regular exercise improves flexibility and reduces joint inflammation, which often reduces nerve pain. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the amount of stress on your legs and changes to the amount of pressure that hits your nerves. Finally, eating a diet filled with healthy, nutrient-dense foods and reducing nerve inflammation helps with pain.
Treating Nerve Pain Naturally
Some people have experienced relief from nerve pain through alternative or natural treatments. People with vitamin deficiencies often see improvement in nerve pain after adding dietary supplements to their daily routines. Others use acupuncture to improve inflammation around the specific nerves causing the pain. Both treatment options are effective for some people, but they will not work for everyone, so it is important to speak with your doctor before pursuing one of these nerve pain treatment options.
Therapies
For people with severe nerve pain that is not relieved by medication, more extensive treatment options are available. There are several types of therapeutic treatments that may help. If the nerve pain is caused by a tumor putting pressure on the nerves in question, surgery may be necessary to correct the problem. However, the following therapies can be effective in many non-surgical cases.
- Physical therapy: Physical therapists work to improve and maintain muscle strength and range of motion. Many neuropathy patients have problems with mobility due to nerve inflammation and chronic pain, and physical therapy teaches them how to gently stretch muscles and improve balance with a customized exercise plan. Physical therapists can also show patients how to use braces and splints for nerve compression, which can often reduce pain.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: Commonly known as TENS, this treatment option involves placing electrodes on the skin and delivering gentle electric currents at varying frequencies to nerves. Patients should undergo this treatment method for a month, receiving 30-minute sessions each day for best results.
- Intravenous immune globulin and plasma exchange: For patients with chronic nerve pain because of an inflammatory condition, this treatment can be ideal. By changing the antibodies that are present in your blood, you can fight inflammation and reduce nerve pain.
- Pain pumps: Small devices can be placed near the spine via a catheter. These devices hold morphine and other pain management drugs and deliver them consistently to relieve nerve pain. Because the drugs are administered directly to the nerves rather than orally, they come with fewer side effects and offer longer-lasting relief.
Nerve Blocks
If the nerve pain is limited to a specific part of the body, a nerve block may be a more effective treatment than medication. Nerve blocks target specific sets of nerves and prevent them from transmitting pain signals to the brain, and they often come with fewer side effects than medication. For short-term pain relief, patients can choose between steroids, opioids, and local anesthetic injections. If long-term relief is needed, doctors may recommend surgical or neurolytic blocks, radiofrequency ablation or radiosurgery. Each of these invasive options offers immediate pain relief, although patients will eventually need the treatment again.
Advanced Quantum-Based Medical Device
While the treatments discussed above are often effective for managing nerve pain, a quantum-based technology for pain management has emerged that is even more promising. The RST-SANEXAS neoGEN-Series® is an effective, non-invasive treatment that delivers varying parameter energy waves to affected nerves to reduce pain, increase circulation, and improve rehabilitation. The neoGEN® causes fewer side effects than any other type of nerve pain treatment and has a high rate of patient satisfaction. Doctors who use this device report a reduced number of patients they have to refer to other pain-management clinics.
This treatment eliminates the risk of becoming dependent on medication for nerve pain treatment. It also provides longer-lasting relief, so patients do not have to pursue pain management as frequently. This gentle stimulation improves range of motion and circulation so patients can live their best lives. Many people also report improved mobility due to reduced pain.
Pain associated with neuropathy has many causes but treating the root cause of your condition may not be enough to eliminate nerve pain. There is no reason for you to live in pain throughout your life. You may seek out any of these treatment options to treat your nerve pain, and you may have to use a combination of treatments to get effective relief.
Choosing to try the RST-SANEXAS neoGEN-Series® device is a wonderful pain management solution that offers a safe, effective, non-invasive treatment, so if you are looking for a way to reduce your nerve pain so you can resume normal activities, consider finding a doctor that offers the neoGEN® treatment. Contact RST-SANEXAS today to find a doctor in your area who provides this #1 pain management treatment.