If you have numbness in toes my heartfelt sympathies are with you. What you are experiencing is called peripheral neuropathy and is typically a side effect of diabetes and not a very fun side effect either. Peripheral neuropathy occurs when the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are damaged and can be due to any number of causes including traumatic injury, infection, chemotherapy, and diabetes. However, diabetes is a typical cause because of damage to the nerves when blood sugar levels are out of control over an extended period of time, generally several years. If you suffer from numbness in your toes you need to know that the pain is only temporary and relief is available.

If the numbness in your toes is because of your diabetes the first thing you will need to do is to get your blood glucose levels under control through a combination of a strict, non-starchy diet and regular exercise. This is only the first step however and what you will also want to do is relieve the pain as soon as possible.

One of the following will probably be recommended by your physician: anti-depressant or anti-seizure medication which works with your brains receptors to numb the pain; narcotic pain relievers such as morphine, hydrocodone, codeine, , or oxycodone can get rid of the pain however the possibility of addiction is high so you will want to regularly visit your physician; acupuncture or TENS therapy which are designed to inhibit the pain signals you are receiving through the use of needles or electrical shocks; topical ointments including lidocaine patches or capsaicin cream which will anesthetize the toes.

Further relief can be found in a dietary supplement known as Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA). ALA has been found 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 and keep them in the recommended range.

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

Diabetic neuropathy in feet< means that damage has occurred to the nerves leading to your feet as a result of long term high blood glucose levels. These nerves are part of the peripheral nervous system that carries messages from your brain and spinal cord, or central nervous system, to and from the extremities of your body. Research has shown that elevated blood glucose levels impair the tiny blood vessels that lead to the nerves. If the blood vessels are damaged they can’t carry oxygen and nutrients to the nerves as they should, which eventually will lead to nerve damage.

Those who suffer from neuropathy in their feet have burning and tingling sensations in their legs and feet and have sharp pains which can, at times, feel unbearable. While there are some people who are more susceptible to peripheral neuropathy than others simply because of pre-existing conditions such as diabetes there are others are diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy due to outside assailants such as toxic substances that are capable of lessening the oxygen levels in your body.

Foot care is especially important if you are suffering from diabetes. It is important that you regularly check your feet for sores, cracks, and other injuries. Keep them dry, wear cotton socks that don’t bind around your ankles, avoid wearing flip-flops and sandals that have thongs between the toes, and check your shoes for debris such as rocks that might irritate your foot. If you have diabetes, it is vital that you manage your blood sugar levels and keep them under control to prevent damage to your peripheral nervous system. The best preventative tools are proper diet and exercise throughout your life however hindsight is always 20/20. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it is vital that you learn as much as you can and take your illness seriously. It is important to take preventive measures such as watching where you walk and not exposing your feet to dangerous situations. These measures will help decrease any potential problems you will have.