The peripheral nerves send information to and from the brain. These nerves also carry signals to and from the spinal cord to the rest of the body. The term peripheral neuropathy means that there is damage to these nerves. The nerves may not be functioning properly or there can be some degree of nerve damage. It frequently causes numbness or tingling sensation in the hands and feet.

There are numerous causes of peripheral neuropathy. The condition can be due to physical injury or trauma, infection, toxins, alcoholism, nutritional deficiencies, or metabolic problems. One of the most frequent causes of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes.

Neuropathies are among the most common problems of diabetes. This arises when blood sugar remains elevated for a long time. This is often noted as tingling of the feet or a feeling of pins and needles in the feet. Other times, there is burning or shooting pain in the feet or the feet and hands get very cold or very hot. In more severe cases, there may be numbness of the feet.

In the management of peripheral neuropathy, the underlying cause must first be corrected. The condition often improves on its own when the cause is effectively managed. For instance, those caused by vitamin deficiencies can be corrected with better diet and vitamin therapy. When neuropathy is related to diabetes, the blood sugar levels should be monitored and put under control.

There are a lot of drugs that can be used to relieve the pain of peripheral neuropathy. To control mild symptoms, over the counter pain medications can be used. Early diagnosis and treatment is the key because the peripheral nerves only have a limited capacity to regenerate. In advanced cases, most treatments may only stop the progression but cannot reverse the damage that has been incurred.

The best approach is preventing peripheral neuropathy from occurring. It can be as basic as eating a healthy diet with more fresh fruits and vegetables. It is helpful that essential vitamins and minerals are included in the diet. Low fat meat, whole grains, and low fat dairy products are excellent for the body. Regular exercise and avoiding alcoholic drinks can help prevent nerve damage.

Thiamine deficiency or lack of vitamin B1 is a known cause of peripheral neuropathy. Reversing thiamine deficiency is a good and often highly successful way to nutritionally manage peripheral neuropathy. In addition to thiamine, vitamin B12, DHEA, and alpha lipoic acid are very helpful, and these can be taken as neuropathy supplement such as NeuRx.