Inflammation is a word that is buzzing around the internet right now. But what is it and how is it related to neuropathy? Take a few minutes and read below to understand the connection.
What is neuropathy?
Neuropathy is a chronic condition that is caused by damage to the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is what sends messages to and from the spinal cord and brain, to the rest of the body. When the PNS suffers damage, it causes painful symptoms like:
- Numbness, prickling, or tingling in your feet or hands
- Nerve pain
- Sharp, jabbing, throbbing, or burning pains in your feet or hands
- Extreme sensitivity to touch
- Difficulty sleeping
- Lack of coordination
- Muscle weakness
Having neuropathy can leave people in chronic pain and suffering. Most importantly, neuropathy impacts your quality of life… providing for your family, disrupting sleep, playing with your kids or grandchildren, and being able to enjoy your family and hobbies. It may impact even simple things such as taking care of your home, brushing your teeth, or even making meals.
What is inflammation?
Chronic inflammation is at the root of all diseases, including neuropathy. Inflammation is your body’s way of trying to protect you, but when you are in a chronic state of fighting, your body does not respond in healthy ways. In a neurological disorder like neuropathy, your immune system triggers inflammation when there are no foreign invaders to fight off. This causes your immune system to overreact, and cause damage.
Signs of Chronic Inflammation
Since neuropathy has many different causes, you need to know some other conditions caused by chronic inflammation. If you have any of the issues below, both your neuropathy symptoms and chronic inflammation are more likely to be greatly increased. These are all your “Check Engine” lights going off, alerting you to chronic inflammation.
- Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2),
- High blood pressure
- Kidney disease
- Thyroid problems
- Heart disease, heart attack
- Cancer
- Neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s, Dementia, Alzheimer’s
- Chronic Gut and digestive issues, such as IBS, Crohn’s, UC,
- COVID, long term COVID,
- On a regular dose of medications or had extensive medications for any of the above conditions
- And so much more….
The link between inflammation and neuropathy
When inflammation is increased, neuropathy symptoms can become more intense and difficult to endure. If your body is too busy fighting off and regulating the inflammation you consume, it has no chance to start healing the nerves that are causing your neuropathy symptoms. This means that your body is breaking down faster than it is repairing.
Inflammation most commonly presents as:
- Pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Burning
- "Dead" feeling
Other symptoms could present as:
- Body Aches
- Sinus Congestion
- Fatigue
- Arthritis
- Headaches
How to reduce inflammation - The power is in your hands and your kitchen!
70% of your overall health is related to what you eat on a regular basis and your daily habits. Reducing inflammation in your body can be done naturally, here are some of the easier ways to reduce your inflammation, and painful neuropathy symptoms:
- Reduce alcoholic beverage intake
- Avoid consuming inflammatory foods
- Manage your stress levels
- Stop smoking
According to Harvard Health, avoiding and limiting the consumption of the following highly processed foods can also aid in reducing inflammation:
- Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries
- Fried Foods
- Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
- Processed meat
- Margarine, Shortening, and Lard
If you are struggling to find nutritious and delicious meals, download my new ebook. It includes five days of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, complete with shopping lists and substitutions.
Get treatment for neuropathy
Neuropathy is a chronic condition that worsens over time. Without treatment, any symptoms you have will progressively get worse.
While there is no cure or quick fix for neuropathy, our proven Neuropathy Relief Program has seen success time and time again:
- Reducing pain and numbness
- Improving balance and mobility
- Improving quality of life and overall health
- Helping clients to regain their freedom and independence
To connect with a relief expert today and learn more about your relief options, call 517-883-2291 or click the button below to learn more about our program.
