If you are suffering from nerve pain my heartfelt sympathies are with you. Nerve pain occurs when the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are damaged and has a variety of causes including traumatic injury, infection, chemotherapy, and diabetes. Diabetes is one of the most common causes of nerve pain due to damage the nerves endure when blood glucose levels are out of the normal range for an extended period of time. If you suffer from nerve pain relief is available and I will help you find a variety of methods to reduce the discomfort you are feeling.

If your nerve pain is directly related to your diabetes the first step will be to get your blood sugar levels under control and keep them that way through a combination of a strict diet and routine exercise regime. Regardless of the cause of the pain, the following treatment suggestions will help relieve pain.

Your physician might recommend one of the following: anti-depressant or anti-seizure medication that will work with your brains receptors to mute the pain; opioids such as morphine, codeine, oxycodone, or hydrocodone can relieve pain but the potential for addiction is high; acupuncture or TENS therapy which are designed to interfere with the pain signals that you are receiving; topical ointments such as lidocaine patches or capsaicin cream which provide anesthesia to the area of your leg that is causing the most pain.

A further source of relief can be found in Alpha Lipoic Acid, a dietary supplement that has been proven to not only help reduce pain, burning, itching, tingling, and numbness in people who have nerve damage caused by diabetes but also helps lower blood sugar levels.

You don’t need to live with the pain. Relieving nerve pain must first begin with lowering your glucose levels so that the nerves can heal themselves. Once this has been accomplished have a variety of methods available that can help you deal with the pain of this side effect of diabetes.

There are four general types of neuropathy, understanding each type and its causes can usually lead you down a path of treatment. The main symptoms of diabetic neuropathy include irritation, tingling, or numbness. People suffering from this may also experience weakness, foot sores and infections. Autonomic neuropathy, the second most common type, affects the nerves at the heart, lungs, eyes, digestive system, and sex organs. The most typical symptoms include urinary problems, digestive issues, erectile dysfunction, and frequent changes in blood pressure. Proximal neuropathy, the third type of neuropathy, mainly affects the hips and thigh area. The basic symptoms of this type include pain and weakness near the buttock area, difficulty with movement as well as weight loss.  Focal neuropathy, the last type, is usually seen in the elderly and affects only a particular nerve. The most common indicators of this type are facial paralysis or distortion and double vision.

While high blood sugar is related to diabetic neuropathy, scientists are unsure how the nerves become damaged. It appears that high blood sugar hinders the nerves ability to transmit signals as well as destroying the capillaries. Diabetic neuropathy can also be triggered by smoking and alcohol abuse.Neuropathy treatment is associated with diabetes treatment, since it is diabetes that leads to this disorder in the first place. To treat this disease you want to keep your blood pressure and blood sugar levels in control and avoid smoking and drinking. There is no complete cure for diabetic neuropathy, you can only manage the pain you have or try to alleviate it through diet, exercise and good blood sugar control. It is also vital to take proper care of your feet and make sure you do not develop any kind of sores or ulcers. The best way to manage your condition is to speak with your physician and ask for proper medical advice. Unfortunately diabetic neuropathy can be fatal if not treated properly.