Nerve pain in legs is very common when you have diabetes especially in lower extremities. Even numbness and tingling in legs are also common in diabetic patients.
Blood vessels usually get damaged due to diabetes, this makes improper blood circulation which in turn leads loss of sensation in feet and causes pain, heat and cold.
According to world health organization millions of people suffer from diabetes around the world. This is the only disease which is considered as deadly if not controlled. High blood sugar may affect different parts of the body and may lead to many complications. One of such complication is called diabetic neuropathy.
Diabetic neuropathy is a result of nerve damage because of high blood sugar levels and poor blood circulation in body. High blood sugar levels damage the nerves that send signals from your hands and feets.
Due to neuropathy, you may experience burning sensation as well as pain in your legs. While the pain may be mild in beginning but once it spreads from one part to other it gets worse.
So the first thing you need to do when you suffer with nerve pain in legs with diabetes is to monitor your glucose levels. If your blood glucose levels are under control then you can see automatic improvement in pain.
The loss of sensation in feet may increase the possibilities of foot injury and then develop into ulcers which become infected. So what you need to do to get rid of this nerve pain?
Here are some of the home remedies to get rid of diabetic nerve pain in feet.
Home Remedies For Treating Diabetic Nerve Pain in Feet
Keep Your Blood Pressure Under Control
Try to keep your blood pressure under control because if you’re having diabetes then, it damages your blood vessels and reduces your blood flow as mentioned above.
So it is better to monitor your blood pressure in the presence of doctor and make sure you check it regularly.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise will not only keeps your body fit and healthy but also helps to get rid of diabetic nerve pain.
Exercise helps to improve blood flow in damaged nerve cells and help them to nourish and get back to normal condition. It also helps in lowering blood sugar levels and increases tolerance level of nerve pain and keeps your diabetes in control.
To gain the benefits of exercise, you need not join gym instead opt for routine walking, jogging and swimming.
Cut Down Sugar
High amount of sugar makes difficult for your body to produce insulin and cannot be managed in blood stream. Avoid taking baked foods, desserts and junk food, this way you can cut down the sugar intake. Most importantly read the labels of food products you buy to know the hidden sugar in numerous packaged products.
Eat Healthy Fats
Make sure you avoid unhealthy fats. The best types of fats are monosaturated fats in almonds or the polyunsaturated fats found in walnuts and sunflower oil. It will also help you to lower the cholesterol levels. Avoid intake of Tran’s fat products which are mentioned as hydrogenated on the labels of packed food products.
Warm Bath
Warm bath is an excellent remedy to get relief from diabetic nerve pain in feet. Well, heat provides comfort and helps to heal the damaged nerve cells.It also improves blood circulation at the site of damaged nerve and gets rid of pain and makes you feel relaxed.
Massage
Diabetic nerve pain can be reduced by using a simple massage therapy. A simple massage on the affected area for some time may relieve you from pain and improves blood circulation of the damaged nerve.
According to recent study massage have positive effect on blood glucose levels and diabetic neurotherapy.
Follow the tips for massage
- Apply coconut oil, lukewarm mustard or olive oil on the affected area.
- Massage the area gently for 5 to 10 minutes and cover it up with warm towel.
- Repeat this daily.
Quit Smoking
If you are suffering with diabetic nerve pain, then it’s time to quit smoking. Because it restricts the flow of blood and impairs the circulation and speeds up the long term complication in diabetes like kindey problem, heart stroke etc.
In order to avoid all such complications it is better to stop using the things that causes such problems.
Avoid Alcohol
Excess consumption of alcohol may lead to severe damage of nerves and may worsen up the neurotheraphy. It also makes your body to deficient in some nutrients.
Limit the consumption of alcohol until you get rid of these nerve pains.
Acupuncture
This is the oldest Chinese therapy used for relieving pain on the affected area. To follow this therapy you need to stimulate some of the needles on your body, to help and relax the tighten muscles, boosts blood circulation and healing damaged nerves.
Several studies have concluded that acupuncture is useful clinically for radical treatment for diabetic peripheral neurotherapy. Always have acupuncture done by skilled and experienced acupuncturist.
Chiropractic Care
This is a natural and very popular in treating nerve pain associated with diabetes.
This is a care center where people use number of techniques like massaging, exercise programs, lifestyle counseling which helps to reduce pain, swelling and inflammation.
These techniques help to relieve the tightness in muscles, aiding the circulation and nerve connections in body.
Always make sure, you choose the best and excellent chiropractic care center to get instant relief from the nerve pains.
Capsaicin Cream
This cream consists of anti inflammatory properties which help to reduce the pain due to diabetes. Apply the cream topically to the skin, it produces a warm sensation which is a sign of reducing the pain.
Just make sure you do not apply cream on irritated or infected skin directly.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation(TENS)
This is a simple therapy which may help to prevent pain signals from reaching your brain. This is the process of delivering electrical impulses to specific nerve pathways through the electrodes placed on skin.
This treatment is completely painless but cannot be done on all types of skin.
Additional Tips
- Shed the excess weight to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol level in control.
- Mix two teaspoons of cinnamon in your daily meals to control blood sugar levels.
- Take proper care of your feet because nerve pain may also leads to infection in rare cases.
- Always try to wear socks.
- Strictly follow diabetic friendly diet to maintain blood glucose levels under control.
- Try to manage your stress because it may have negative effect on your pain.
- Consume nuts, walnuts, almonds every day morning to improve the symptoms of neuropathy
