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Motor Neuropathy Care- Long Term Strategies are Key

If you are a regular NeuropathyDR® blog reader, you know that we tend to focus on the latest developments and research in treating neuropathy pain. With peripheral neuropathy, though, pain is only one component. This week, we’re going to talk about how neuropathy can affect your muscles, also called motor neuropathy.

There are essentially three kinds of motor neuropathy. The first is the overall weakening effect of the muscles, especially in the extremities, which often accompanies peripheral neuropathy. This can occur because the nerves which control motor function in the muscles have become damaged, or—in the case of a compression neuropathy—constricted. The second kind is called multifocal motor neuropathy, and takes place when the immune system itself begins to attack the nerves, as can happen after a series of infections or after an illness. The third kind is Hereditary Motor Sensory Neuropathy, which, as the name suggests, is genetic in nature. Hereditary Motor Sensory Neuropathy, or HMSN, occurs when there is a naturally-occurring deterioration in the nerves that control the muscles, causing the muscles to not be used, become weak, or even atrophy.

Motor neuropathy usually starts in the hands and feet, and can affect the full extension of fingers and toes. In addition to the dexterity problems this obviously causes, it often also has a visual appearance of “clawlike” fingers. The condition is degenerative, getting worse over a period of months and years. Twitching and spasms can also happen in affected limbs. While motor issues associated with peripheral neuropathy usually accompany pain, tingling, and numbness, multifocal motor neuropathy involves no pain (only the motor nerves are affected). Generally, none of the varieties of motor neuropathy are life-threatening, although they can absolutely impact your comfort and quality of life if you suffer from them.

When we met our patient Robert, he complained of a steady and declining loss of strength in his feet, which he had experienced over the past 4 years. Robert had had cancer during that time, culminating in having his prostate removed. His motor neuropathy caused Robert to have trouble walking or standing for long periods, and he even had trouble feeling his feet on some occasions. He also complained of shooting pain, tingling, and soreness in his feet, all typical calling cards of peripheral neuropathy. Since in cases of multifocal motor neuropathy, the sensory nerves are usually unaffected, Robert’s pain and numbness ruled that out. Sure enough, when we performed a battery of tests, we found that Robert’s sensation to vibration was all but gone in several places on his feet.

fallinggirl 200x300 Motor Neuropathy Care Long Term Strategies are Key

Motor Neuropathy is Characterized by Weakness of The Muscles

Robert did not respond with the typical level of relief we usually see after treating a patient with electro-stimulation. Over the course of three treatment sessions, Robert’s level of strength and comfort in his feet did not change in any meaningful way. While this is unusual, it highlights an important theme: neuropathy is a complex problem with many symptoms and manifestations, and NO single therapy technique or tool—even those with a very high rate of success—can stand on their own as a complete treatment.

We designed a treatment for Robert intended to produce more long-term benefit, as his short-term progress was not substantial. Motor neuropathies require an extensive MULTI-MODAL level of treatment, sometimes pharmaceutical and sometimes homeopathic, and usually involving some level of regular exercise and controlled diet. Robert is currently improving steadily, and is seeing his NeuropathyDR® clinician as prescribed to monitor his condition and progress.

If you suffer from weakness or pain in your limbs, you may have peripheral neuropathy. If so, we are here to help! Contact NeuropathyDR® right away and we will help you find the best course of treatment for your specific symptoms. We can even put you in touch with a specially-trained NeuropathyDR® clinician who can help you develop a therapy plan that will get results.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/multifocal_neuropathy/multifocal_neuropathy.htm

A lot of people hear that there is no cure for neuropathy, and they get discouraged. Not Susan…

A lot of people hear that there is no cure for neuropathy, and they get discouraged. They resign themselves to the idea that they will live with their symptoms forever, and might never find relief. One of our favorite things is being able to dispel this misconception and let someone know that NeuropathyDR® has the means to lessen their pain and improve their life. “No cure” isn’t the same thing as “no help!”

A great example of a patient we have been able to help with the NeuropathyDR® methodology is Susan. Susan is a diabetic in middle age who has suffered for more than twenty years with neuropathy symptoms. Most prominently, Susan has tingling and severe pain in her feet, with the same problem less severely in her hands and arms. Susan’s pain was so bad that she had trouble telling hot from cold, and even experienced trouble walking.

When she came to us, Susan was taking prescription-strength Advil several times a week for the pain in her hands and feet. Medication has its place, and can be effective in some cases, but it is too often the first—and last—course of action people with neuropathy are given. NeuropathyDR® takes a different approach. We use newer, non-pharmaceutical methods that have been proven to reduce pain and numbness in cases like Susan’s. We are pleased to report that after applying the NeuropathyDR® protocols, Susan’s symptoms subsided drastically and her quality of life began to improve by leaps and bounds.

footCMT 200x300 A lot of people hear that there is no cure for neuropathy, and they get discouraged. Not Susan...

Welcome relief at the hands of highly trained NeuropathyDR professionals!

Especially in the short term, we want to help reduce the overall level of chronic pain and restore any mobility that might be lost. In a case like Susan’s, the NeuropathyDR® protocols target three specific areas of treatment:

Specifically-directed manual therapies to correct aberrant motion or misalignment in areas of the spine and pelvis, as well as addressing the soft tissue contractures in the neck, legs, feet, arms, and hands.
Our NeuropathyDR® nutrition protocol, consisting of a daily regimen of combined nutrients that have been proven to be supportive of the nervous system in slowing the progression of neuropathy and healing damage.
Finally, the application of ReBuilder neuro-stimulation in the affected areas. We use a waveform treatment in the office and at home that opens up nerve pathways to let them heal.

Susan came back for a round of treatments with us three times a week for five weeks, for a total of fifteen treatments. Following each treatment, Susan reported that the level of pain and tingling had subsided by two-thirds or more!

After applying the NeuropathyDR® protocol, Susan noticed a terrific improvement in her lifestyle. In her own words, her energy level tripled, and the inflammation and pain in her feet had reduced by ninety percent. Our objective tests, going by a round before and after the treatments, showed that Susan’s range of motion without pain had also increased, and her ability to sense heat, cold, and vibration had drastically improved. Perhaps the biggest lifestyle-boost of all, Susan experienced much less pain when walking after applying the NeuropathyDR® methods for five weeks.

We followed up with Susan three months after her treatments with us, and she was continuing to do extremely well. She has been diligent about keeping up her assigned home-care treatments, and she visits her clinician as-needed for checkups. Since Susan has struggled with symptoms of diabetic neuropathy for more than twenty years, this kind of progress makes her a real success story!

If you have neuropathy symptoms, whether they are similar to Susan’s or a completely different kind, we are here to help! Remember; never wait when it comes to neuropathy—the sooner we establish there is a problem, the more a clinician will be able to help you! Contact us, and we can put you in touch with a NeuropathyDR® clinician who is specially trained to treat you.

Alternative Therapies for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Alternative Therapies for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy, you know what the side effects can be. Most side effects are well known, even to the person who has never experienced them.

- Nausea

- Hair Loss

- Digestive problems

Another less widely discussed side effect is chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

It’s virtually impossible to predict which chemotherapy patients will develop chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. Some never do. Others suffer terribly with symptoms like[1]

- Shooting pain

- Burning and numbness

- Tingling in the hands and feet

- Inability to sleep because of the pain

For many, their symptoms last well beyond their chemotherapy.

If you suffer from CIPN, there are drugs that can be prescribed to help deal with the pain. If you want to be even more proactive and do everything you can to alleviate your current symptoms and lessen the possibility of permanent nerve damage, you might want to check into additional, alternative therapies to help you deal with the chemotherapy induced neuropathy symptoms.

What Else Can You Do?

While many think of anything outside of conventional medicine as “alternative”, that’s really not accurate. Alternative treatments are defined as anything not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The treatments we’re talking about here are more complementary or integrative therapies. In other words, they’re therapies you use in addition to and to complement traditional medicine, not take the place of it.

Because of the growing popularity (and effectiveness) of these complementary and integrative therapies, the medical community has actually named them – Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Some complementary and alternative therapies providing good results for chemotherapy induced chemotherapy patients are:

- Cancer treatment specific diets

- Herbal supplements

- Non-herbal supplements (like Vitamins B6 and B12, alpha lipoic acid)

- Acupuncture

- Massage therapy and Reflexology

sorefoot 200x300 Alternative Therapies for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

The NeuropathyDR Protocol is Based Upon Combination Therapies

- Exercise

- Homeopathic and ayurvedic medicine

Any of these therapies, in the hands of skilled practitioner, is a great complement to your chemotherapy and other cancer treatment and can provide substantial relief from chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy pain[2].

Talk to Your Oncologist

Before you start any Complementary and Alternative Medicine regimen, talk to your oncologist. Make sure that what you’re planning to do will not have an adverse effect on your chemotherapy regimen (some antioxidants do). Always keep your oncologist in the loop on what you’re doing to complement your chemotherapy regimen.

Many of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine regimens we mentioned above will help you deal with and even alleviate some of your chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms.

The body is a finely tuned instrument and all the systems work together. Massage therapy, acupuncture and Reflexology can help with muscle pain and stimulate the systems within your body you need to fight your cancer.

Herbal and non-herbal supplements can help give your body the nutrients and vitamins it needs to repair itself and eliminate the possibility of permanent nerve damage caused by your chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy.

Your Treatment Specialists Need to Get Acquainted

None of the medical specialties you employ to help you fight your cancer and treat your chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy operates in a vacuum. They all need to know what the others are doing.

Luckily, most oncologists these days are familiar with the Complementary and Alternative Therapies chemotherapy patients are turning to for relief from the chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms. Make sure your treaters are communicating with each other. That will help them help you and design an effective treatment program that will get you the optimum results you deserve.

model 2407 close up leads no background CORRECT MANF Name 300x240 Alternative Therapies for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

The ReBuilder Can Be Used In a Variety of Ways in our Centers To Enhance Results...

For more information on complementary and alternative therapies to deal with your chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] http://www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/ncicancerbulletin/archive/2010/022310/page 6

[2] http://ndnr.com/web-articles/oncology/mar-09-chemotherapy-induced-peripheral-neuropathy/

Even Healthy People Can Develop Neuropathy

Diabetes…

Lupus…

Cancer and chemotherapy…

Any of these conditions can lead to peripheral neuropathy…

But what you might not realize is that you can develop peripheral neuropathy even if you’re perfectly healthy.

Athletes who take part in sports that require consistent overhead movement of the arms (like tennis, baseball, kayaking, volleyball) place a lot of strain on their shoulders. That places them at a much higher risk of overuse injuries.

And that can lead to a very specific type of neuropathy – suprascapular neuropathy.

What is Suprascapular Neuropathy[1]?

Suprascapular neuropathy- that’s a real mouthful isn’t it? It may sound complicated but it really isn’t.

Suprascalupar neuropathy is nerve damage to the suprascapular nerve – the nerve that runs from the brachial plexus (a group of nerves in the neck and shoulders) to nerves that help the body fully rotate the arms. Suprascapular neuropathy causes shoulder pain and weakness and can lead to career ending pain for professional athletes or stop weekend warriors from doing what they love.

The most common symptoms of suprascapular neuropathy are[2]:

- Deep, dull aching pain in the shoulder

- Weakness or muscle pain

- Frozen shoulder (inability to move the shoulder)

- Numbness and tingling

If any of these symptoms are keeping you sidelined, talk to your doctor or your local NeuropathyDR® clinician today.

Exactly What Causes Suprascapular Neuropathy?

As the suprascapular nerve passes over the shoulder blade, it can be compressed and stretched. When that happens repeatedly over a period of time, the nerve can become damaged and neuropathy develops. The first symptoms are usually pain and weakness when you try to rotate the shoulder. More than just being uncomfortable, the pain can disrupt your life on a daily basis.

Imagine trying to put on a t-shirt or reach for a can on the top shelf of your pantry with a frozen or extremely painful shoulder…

If your experiencing any of the above symptoms, contact your doctor or your local NeuropathyDR® clinician immediately to determine if you have nerve damage. You’ll need to start treatment immediately to prevent permanent damage.

What You Can Expect From Treatment

Your NeuropathyDR® clinician will start with nerve conduction studies to find out exactly where the nerves are damaged. Electromyography will show exactly how severe the damage is.

Once you know for sure you have suprascapular neuropathy, the first step will be stop participating in the sport that caused the injury (until the damage is repaired).

Next, you’ll start a course of physical therapy and prescribed exercise. Therapy will concentrate on maintaining your full range of motion and strengthening your shoulder muscles.

Your NeuropathyDR® clinician will employ a very specific treatment protocol depending on

- The location of your injury and how severe it is

- Your age, general health and typical activities

- How long you’ve had your symptoms and whether or not they was caused by overuse or a specific injury

If your shoulder pain is keeping you on the bench and stopping you from participating in the sports you love or even from living a normal life, call your doctor or your local NeuropathyDR® clinician today. Early intervention is one of the best ways to minimize the damage caused by suprascapular neuropathy and repair any nerve damage you may have suffered.

For more information on coping with suprascapular neuropathy, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11497489

[2] http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Shoulder_Problems/

Acute Kidney Failure and Its Deadly Sidekick – Uremic Neuropathy

This requires comprehensive medical care...

When you hear the words “acute kidney failure”, what do you think of?

Dialysis?

Hospitalization?

Symptoms too obvious to ignore?

Then you might be surprised to learn that acute kidney failure often doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms. Many times it’s detected when the patient is already in the hospital for something else and evidence is found through tests.

When the symptoms finally do appear, they’re usually

∙ Swelling, especially in the legs and feet

∙ Cramps, muscle twitching or muscle weakness

∙ Little or no urine output

∙ Thirst and a dry mouth

∙ Dizziness

∙ Rapid heart rate

∙ Nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite

∙ Confusion

∙ Anxiety or restlessness

∙ Pain on one side of the back just below the rib cage but above the waist

∙ Fatigue

While none of these symptoms appear to be life threatening on their own, in combination they can be a sign of a deadly illness – acute kidney failure. And the root cause of many of these symptoms is a serious complication of kidney failure – uremic neuropathy. Uremic neuropathy or neuropathy associated with kidney failure is a very common complication of kidney failure.

If you have two or more of these symptoms, you need to see a doctor immediately. A good place to start would be a physician well versed in diagnosing and treating nerve disease and damage, like your local NeuropathyDR® clinician.

What Is Uremic Neuropathy[1]?

Uremic neuropathy is a type of neuropathy caused by an increase in uremic toxins in the blood (the toxins urine usually removed from the body when the kidneys function properly.) The severity of your uremic neuropathy is directly linked to the severity of your kidney failure. If your kidney failure is acute, your uremic neuropathy is pretty serious.

There are several conditions that cause kidney failure that will make it more likely that you’ll develop uremic neuropathy because they directly affect the central and/or peripheral nervous system. The more common ones are:

∙ Diabetes

∙ Systemic lupus

∙ Hepatic (liver) failure

How Can Kidney Failure Lead to Neuropathy?

Neuropathy is one of the worst results of chronic kidney disease[2]. Acute kidney failure damages the kidneys. When the kidneys are damaged fluids, waste products and toxins build up in the body. Because many organs and bodily systems (particularly the nervous system) are directly affected by this build up of toxins, acute kidney failure leads to overall poor health and inflammation and nerve damage.

Once the nerves are damaged, they cease to function properly. One complication leads to another and, in 20% to 50% of patients with acute kidney failure, you develop uremic neuropathy.

If you have one of the conditions we listed above that directly affect the nervous system, pay particular attention to your daily state of health. If you develop any of the symptoms of kidney failure, contact your doctor or your local NeuropathyDR® clinician immediately for treatment.

Treatment and Prognosis

Uremic neuropathy is a serious condition that can arise from acute kidney failure. Your best course of action is to catch your kidney issues before they become acute and you develop uremic neuropathy.

Your NeuropathyDR® clinician will work with you and your other physicians to treat your neuropathy and manage your underlying condition. They do this through:

∙ Diet Planning and Nutritional Support

You need to give your body the nutrition it needs to heal.

A low protein diet is best for patients with kidney disease. Talk to your NeuropathyDR® clinician about a diet plan that will work for you.

If you have diabetes, you need to follow a diet specifically designed for diabetics and to control your blood sugar.

∙ Individually Designed Exercise Programs

If you experience dizziness, rapid heart rate, extreme thirst or issues with impaired sensation in your feet and legs, you have to be every careful with your exercise program. Make sure that you don’t overexert yourself, take it slowly. Your NeuropathyDR® clinician can design an exercise program specifically for you that will allow you to exercise but won’t push you beyond what your body is capable of. And, even more importantly, they will continually monitor your progress and adjust your program as needed.

These changes in conjunction with medications and possibly dialysis will make it easier to live with acute kidney failure and uremic neuropathy. Early intervention with a NeuropathyDR® clinician is still the best policy if you have any of the underlying conditions that can cause uremic neuropathy. If you already have symptoms, start treatment immediately.

For more information on coping with autonomic neuropathy, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] www.kidney.org/professionals/kdoqi/guidelines_ckd/p6_comp_g11.htm

[2] http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/chronic-kidney-disease-topic-overview

Could Your Digestive Problems Be Caused by Autonomic Neuropathy?

So…

You finally bit the bullet and had gastric bypass surgery…

Or maybe you opted for the lap band…

Everything went really well with the surgery and now you’re back home and on your way to your new life and brand new you.

You started to lose weight almost immediately and you couldn’t be happier with the results.

You knew you’d have some side effects[1] but you really didn’t expect anything you couldn’t handle.

But you never expected:

• Heartburn

• Bloating

• Nausea and/or vomiting

• Difficulty in swallowing because your esophagus no longer functions properly

• Inability to empty your stomach

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

None of these symptoms is pleasant. And what’s even worse is that they can last from days to weeks on end.

You knew you needed to take off the weight but it’s beginning to feel like it might not have been worth it.

They warned you about possible side effects but one they may not have mentioned could be causing one or several of your symptoms.

Your problems could be a result of Gastrointestinal or G.I. Autonomic Neuropathy.

Exactly What Does That Mean?

It means that your body is suffering from nutritional deficiencies caused by the lack of certain nutrients and vitamins. The bypass surgery or lap band procedure may have stopped your body from taking in too much food, but it also substantially reduced the amount of nutrients and vitamins you’re getting from your food.

You no longer take in enough food with the nutrition your body needs[2]. When that happens, the body begins to break down. One of the many issues you can develop due to what is basically malnutrition is G.I. Autonomic Neuropathy. The nerves, specifically the Vagus Nerve is damaged by the lack of nutrition and it begins to malfunction. That means difficulty in digesting food, difficulty in swallowing, an inability to eliminate waste properly…

Basically an inability of the digestive system to do anything it was designed to do.

Before the advent of gastric bypass surgery and lap band procedures, most people who developed G.I. A

utonomic neuropathy or other types of neuropathy were diabetics, alcoholics or they live in countries where malnutrition was common.

Now gastric bypass surgery has brought on a whole new subset of patients who suffer from G.I. Autonomic Neuropathy.

The Nutrients You Probably Lack

G.I. Autonomic Neuropathy is usually caused by deficiencies in:

• Vitamin B1 or Thiamine

• Vitamin B3

• Vitamin B6

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin E

Many of the symptoms caused by your G.I. Autonomic Neuropathy can be lessened and possibly even controlled by a healthy diet and management of whatever underlying condition you have that could be contributing to your neuropathy.

What If You’re Not a Gastric Bypass Patient But You Have These Symptoms

What if you haven’t had gastric bypass or lap band surgery but you still have the symptoms we talked about above? If you have

• A history of alcohol abuse

• Hepatitis C

• Crohn’s Disease

• Celiac Disease

And you’re having the problems we discussed above contact your doctor immediately. Ask him to test to make sure that you are indeed suffering from nerve damage that could be linked to any of these causes. Once that diagnosis has been made, ask them about treatment options.

Treatment Options

A highly skilled medical professional well versed in diagnosing and treating nerve damage is your best place to start for treatment of your G.I. Autonomic Neuropathy. An excellent place to start is with a NeuropathyDr clinician. They have had great success in treating patients with your symptoms using a multipronged approach that includes:

• Care and correction for your muscular and skeletal systems

• Treatment for any underlying medical problems

• Nutrition education and diet planning

• A step by step exercise regimen

• Medication as needed or necessary

If you have a confirmed diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Autonomic Neuropathy or think you may have it, you don’t have to just live with it. In fact, just living with it could be downright dangerous due to intestinal blockages, continued malnutrition, etc. Contact us today for information on how G.I. Autonomic Neuropathy can be treated, your suffering lessened and exactly how to find a NeuropathyDR in your area.

[1] www.mayoclinic.com/health/autonomic-neuropathy/DS00544/DSECTION=symptoms

[2] http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Nutrition-for-Neuropathy

Entrapment Neuropathy…Pain By Any Other Name

Ever heard of carpal tunnel syndrome?

Repetitive motion disorder?

Nerve compression syndrome?

How about a “trapped nerve”?

Chances are, you’ve probably heard of at least one of these conditions.

These medical conditions are entrapment neuropathies.

Entrapment neuropathies or compression neuropathies are a type of peripheral neuropathy caused by direct pressure on one nerve. The pressure can be caused by trauma or injury to the specific nerve, repetitive use of a specific part of the body, a cast or brace that doesn’t fit properly or just frequently sitting with your arm over the back of a chair.

If you’re experiencing[1]

- A burning or stinging pain in one part of your body

- Tingling

- Numbness

- Muscle weakness

You could be suffering from entrapment neuropathy. To avoid permanent nerve damage, you need to see a doctor immediately, like your local NeuropathyDR® clinician, for proper diagnosis and treatment.

What Exactly Causes Entrapment Neuropathy?

You might be wondering why something as simple as sitting with your elbows on the table all the time can cause entrapment neuropathy for you but your Uncle Harry worked in a coal mine for 40 years swinging a pick axe and never had a problem with his arms, back or anything else.

Entrapment neuropathy occurs when some kind of external pressure disrupts the flow of blood through vessels that supply specific nerves.[2] This oxygen starvation can sometimes occur because of internal problems as well such as lesions, cysts or tumors or even substantial weight gain. When this happens over and over again, the nerve is starved of its oxygen supply and becomes damaged and eventually scarred. Once this happens, it no longer functions properly.

If you have a chronic condition like diabetes[3] that already compromises your blood flow, the fact that Uncle Harry never had these issues and you do is probably more indicative of your overall physical condition than genetics. Your body is just more susceptible to this type of injury. You need to be more mindful of how you move and use whichever part of your body is affected.

How Will My NeuropathyDR® Diagnose Entrapment Neuropathy?

The symptoms you report will vary depending upon which part of your body is affected by entrapment neuropathy. Your condition will probably start with tingling or pain in the nerves followed by loss of sensation or numbness. Muscle weakness will be the last to develop and usually occurs because the muscles have atrophied due to lack of use (i.e., your hand hurts so you stop using it as much).

Entrapment or compression neuropathy can usually be diagnosed based on symptoms. Be sure you keep a good record of when and how your symptoms started.

Your NeuropathyDR® clinician will probably use nerve conduction studies to confirm the diagnosis and rule out the involvement of other nerves. If entrapment neuropathy is suspected, your health care provider will then order an MRI to determine which nerve is damaged, how badly and to see if an internal issue such as a tumor or cyst is putting pressure on the nerve.

It is vitally important that you choose a health care provider with the clinical skills and experience to recognize your symptoms for what they are and distinguish them from other diseases. Entrapment neuropathies can mimic other conditions and vice versa. The longer it takes to get the appropriate diagnosis and treatment, like the treatment protocol used exclusively by NeuropathyDR® clinicians, the more likely you are to have permanent nerve damage.

Treating Entrapment Neuropathy

If your NeuropathyDR® clinician determines that an underlying medical issue is causing your entrapment neuropathy, such as a tumor, cyst, inflammation or even weight gain, steps will be taken to first treat that condition.

If a tumor or cyst is the underlying problem, surgery may be ordered to remove the growth. If you have issues with inflammation or weight gain, your NeuropathyDR® clinician will work with you to design a weight loss program and nutrition plan to resolve either of these issues.

The nutrition counseling provided by your NeuropathyDR® clinician is part of an overall lifestyle modification plan that will help you control your weight and increase your physical activity, within your abilities, to reduce the likelihood of your entrapment neuropathy causing permanent nerve damage or recurring once your immediate problem is taken care of.

In concert with these two steps to treat your entrapment neuropathy, your NeuropathyDR® clinician will also prescribe manual manipulation to readjust your skeletal structure and nerve pathways and nerve stimulation therapy to assist your damaged nerve in healing and open up the flow of blood to help the nerves repair themselves.

All of these steps are integral parts of the exclusive NeuropathyDR® designed specifically for the treatment of peripheral neuropathies, including entrapment neuropathies in all its forms.

For more information on coping with entrapment neuropathy, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] http://www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/249784-overview

[2] http://www.neuropathy.org/site/DocServer/Entrapment_Neuropathies.pdf?docID=939

[3] http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/7/1783.full

The Power of Nutrition in Healing Postherpetic Neuropathy

When you were diagnosed with shingles, you thought that as soon as the rash disappeared you would be free and clear…

You didn’t count on the nerve damage and pain you’re still dealing with.

The pain of postherpetic neuropathy.

You’re frustrated…depressed…irritable.

Yes, you know you can take pain medications to help ease some of the discomfort but you don’t want to do that forever.

The good news is that there are other things you can do to help your body heal. With a little patience, perseverance and the help of medical professionals well versed in dealing with postherpetic neuropathy, like your local NeuropathyDR™ specialist, you can live a normal life again.

It Starts With Good Nutrition

The human body is a very well designed machine. If you put junk into it, you get junk out of it. But if you give it what it needs to function properly and to repair itself, the results can be awe inspiring.

The very first thing you need to do is make sure you’re giving your body the right tools to fight back against postherpetic neuropathy. And that means a healthy diet.

Your diet should include[1]:

- Whole grains and legumes to provide B vitamins to promote nerve health. Whole grains promote the production of serotonin in the brain and will increase your feeling of well-being.

- Fish and eggs for additional vitamins B12 and B1.

- Green, leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, and other greens) for calcium and magnesium. Both of these nutrients are vital to healthy nerve endings and health nerve impulse transmission and, as an added bonus, they give your immune system a boost.

- Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables (such as squash, carrots, yellow and orange bell peppers, apricots, oranges, etc.) for vitamins A and C to help repair your skin and boost your immune system.

- Sunflower seeds (unsalted), avocados, broccoli, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, peanuts (unsalted), tomatoes and tomato products, sweet potatoes and fish for vitamin E to promote skin health and ease the pain of postherpetic neuropathy.

- Ask your neuropathy specialist for recommendations on a good multivitamin and mineral supplement to fill in any gaps in your nutrition plan.

Foods you should avoid[2]:

- Coffee and other caffeinated drinks.

- Fried foods and all other fatty foods. Fatty foods suppress the immune system and that’s the last thing you need when you’re fighting postherpetic neuropathy.

- Cut back on animal protein. That’s not to say you should become a vegetarian. Just limit the amount of animal protein you take in. High-protein foods elevate the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine which are both tied to high levels of anxiety and stress.

- Avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol consumption limits the ability of the liver to remove toxins from the body and can make a bad situation worse.

- Avoid sugar. You don’t have to eliminate sweets completely, just control them. Sugar contains no essential nutrients and “gunks up” your system. Keeping your blood sugar level constant will help control your irritability.

- Control your salt intake. Opt for a salt substitute with potassium instead of sodium and stay away from preserved foods like bacon, ham, pickles, etc. Reducing the amount of salt you eat will help ease inflammation and that alone will work wonders in the healing process.

Talk to your local NeuropathyDR™ treatment specialist for a personalized diet plan to help you to help your body to heal with the right nutritional support for postherpetic neuropathy.

Give Your Body A Break by Managing Stress

We all know that stress is a killer. But few of us really take steps to manage the stress in our lives. By keeping your stress level under control, you give your body a chance to use the resources it was using to deal with stress to actually heal itself.

Some tips for managing your stress level:

- Exercise regularly. You don’t have to get out and run a marathon. Just walk briskly for about 15 minutes a day, every day, to start. You can build from there.

- Employ relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, tai chi, yoga or meditation. Any of these will calm the mind and, in turn, calm the body and nerves.

- Find a hobby that will take your mind off your pain.
Ask your local NeuropathyDR™ clinician for suggestions and make stress management a part of your treatment plan to overcome postherpetic neuropathy. But remember, healing is a process not an event. Be patient with yourself and start the healing process today.

We hope this gives you some tips to get started on the road to putting postherpetic neuropathy behind you. Working with your medical team, including your local NeuropathyDR™ specialist, to design a nutrition and treatment plan tailored to your specific needs is a great place to start.

For more information on recovering from shingles and postherpetic neuropathy, get our Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/default.htm

[2] http://www.healingwithnutrition.com/sdisease/shingles/shingles.html

Nutrition Support for the Cancer Patient

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, no one has to tell you how devastating that diagnosis can be…

Your life literally changes overnight…

You’re faced with the reality of treatment and that usually means

∙ Surgery

∙ Chemotherapy

∙ Radiation

∙ Experimental treatments including possible hormone therapy

And all the side effects that come with each of those cancer treatment options.

If you’re a cancer or post chemotherapy patient and you suffer from

∙ Loss of appetite

∙ Nausea

∙ Post chemotherapy peripheral neuropathy, including nerve pain and/or balance and gait issues

∙ Dry mouth

You may be missing a very important piece of the cancer recovery puzzle…

Nutritional support for cancer treatment and recovery.

Trying to recover from cancer without giving your body what it needs to build itself back up is like trying to rebuild a house after a tornado without 2×4’s and nails.

If your body doesn’t have the essential materials it needs to heal, no medical treatment has any hope of succeeding.

Granted, food may not sound appealing right now. Talk to your medical team to put together a cancer recovery diet plan that will make food taste good and give you the nutrients you need to heal.

Here are some things to think about when designing a cancer recovery nutrition program:

Basic Cancer Nutrition Tips[1]

If you’ve undergone chemotherapy or you’re preparing to, you need to support your immune system. Your best option for doing that is a diet rich in whole foods that are easy on the digestive system. Make sure your cancer recovery diet includes foods that are high in anti-oxidants and protein. Your diet plan should include foods rich in vitamins, especially vitamins C, D and E and nutrients like soy isoflavones, amino acids, folic acid, l-glutamine, calcium and carotenoids. Drink as much water as possible and don’t worry about keeping your calorie count low. This is the time to take in all the calories you need.

Chemotherapy and radiation may affect your ability to digest foods so invest in a good food processor and/or juicer. Both of these tools will allow you to prepare foods that are easy to ingest and digest while still getting the nutrition you need.

Try These Foods To Rebuild Your Body[2]

It’s easy to say “eat foods that are high in vitamins” but you may not know exactly which foods you need. Here are some suggestions for foods to aid in your cancer recovery and chemotherapy symptoms:

Vitamin C

∙ Red cabbage

∙ Kiwi fruit

∙ Oranges

∙ Red and Green Bell Peppers

∙ Potatoes

Vitamin D

∙ Salmon and tuna

Vitamin E

∙ Nuts, including almonds and peanuts

∙ Avocados

∙ Broccoli

Carotenoids

∙ Apricots

∙ Carrots

∙ Greens, especially collard greens and spinach

∙ Sweet potatoes

Soy Isoflavones

∙ Soybeans

∙ Tofu

∙ Soy milk – this could also be helpful if you need to go lactose-free

Folic Acid

∙ Asparagus

∙ Dried beans

∙ Beets

∙ Brussels sprouts

∙ Garbanzo beans

∙ Lentils

∙ Turkey

These are just a few examples. Talk to your local NeuropathyDR™ clinician for a specially prepared diet plan that incorporates all the foods you need to rebuild your immune system.

Use Herbs and Spices to Give Your Food More Flavor

Herbs and spices are a natural way to flavor your food without adding man-made chemicals. And many herbs have natural medicinal properties of their own. Try some of these to make your food taste better:

∙ Cinnamon

∙ Basil

∙ Coriander

∙ Cumin

∙ Ginger (natural anti-inflammatory properties, too)

∙ Garlic

∙ Mint (great for fighting nausea as well)

∙ Fennel

∙ Turmeric

We hope this gives you the basic knowledge you need to talk with your health care team, including your local NeuropathyDR™ treatment specialist about cancer recovery nutrition and your pre and post chemotherapy diet. Working with your medical team to design a cancer recovery diet plan that works for you will ensure that you’re not neglecting the missing piece of the cancer recovery puzzle – good nutrition.

For more information on cancer recovery nutrition and coping with the symptoms of your cancer treatment, including peripheral neuropathy, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] www.cancer.org/Treatment/SurvivorshipDuringandAfterTreatment

[2] www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer-survivor

NeuropathyDR® and Cancer

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, your diagnosis was just the beginning of a long battle…

Surgery…

Chemotherapy…

Radiation…

Hormone therapy…

These are all weapons in your fight against a dreaded disease.

But what you may not have realized is that these treatments, especially chemotherapy, can have some serious side effects. Side effects in addition to the nausea, hair loss, etc., that first come to mind. If you’ve completed your chemotherapy treatment and you’re now suffering from

• Tingling and/or burning in your hands and/or feet

• Pain in your nerves

• Loss of the sense of touch or an inability to feel vibration

• Temperature changes in the flesh–extremities that are excessively warm or cold

• Side effects from pain medication that cause insomnia or difficulty staying asleep

You could be suffering from peripheral neuropathy caused by the very same drugs that saved your life.

The good news is that your peripheral neuropathy can be treated. Many post-chemotherapy patients are finding relief with combined therapies of

• Specialized NeuropathyDR® Treatment Center Care

• Nutrition Therapy

• Nerve stimulation therapy, such as the ReBuilder®

The precise combination of these complementary therapies in NeuropathyDR® protocol can bring relief from your peripheral neuropathy and put you back on the road to a full life.

To understand the effectiveness and importance of these complementary therapies in treating your post-chemotherapy peripheral neuropathy, it helps to understand each piece of the therapy “puzzle”.

Chiropractic

Chances are very good that if, in your pre-cancer life, you never suffered a sports injury or some other type of injury or accident, you may have never been treated by a chiropractor.

Traditionally, chiropractors have diagnosed and treated injuries and illnesses affecting the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. By employing a gentle manipulation of the spine and other joints, chiropractors assist your body in healing itself.

Chiropractors and Physical Therapists 1 use exercises, and manual manipulation of your joints and muscles to help realign the spine and put your bones and joints back into more natural movement.

Cancer patients are increasingly turning to chiropractors and physical therapists as their team to alleviate pain and the stress of not only their cancer but also the side effects resulting from their course of treatment. While chiropractic cannot prevent or cure cancer, it can help you deal with the symptoms and pain associated with cancer. By addressing a healthy spine and joints, chiropractic promotes a healthy nervous system and that’s a basic building block for regaining your pre-cancer health.

Your local NeuropathyDR® practitioner is often a specialist in chiropractic or physical therapy and can design a personalized program around your needs to treat your peripheral neuropathy symptoms.

Nutrition

As a cancer patient, you’re already familiar with the effects chemotherapy and other treatments can have on your digestive system. The side effects of cancer treatment can not only affect your ability to eat but they can also prevent your body from getting the nutrition you need to heal.

If you have cancer, you need to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients to prevent or reverse nutritional shortfalls, lessen the side effects of treatment and improve your quality of life.

If at all possible, you need to make sure you’re eating enough high calorie, high-protein food to give your body proper nutrition. 2 But sitting down and eating a big meal may not be possible. Try eating small meals or snacks frequently instead. Frequent small meals will give your body a steady supply of nutrients, be easier for your sensitive digestive system to handle and maintain a consistent blood sugar level. All of this will often make you feel much better.

Talk to your local NeuropathyDR® clinician to discuss a meal plan that will give your body what it needs to repair the damage done by cancer treatment. Good nutrition will boost your immune system and let it do its job in fighting off illnesses brought on by the damage of chemotherapy.

NeuropathyDR® practitioners often use diet plans and our nutrition guidelines to complement their chiropractic and ReBuilder® treatment protocols to treat the whole patient from the inside out.

Nerve Stimulation

Once a chiropractic course of treatment has been designed and a nutrition plan established, the final piece in the overall treatment of your post-chemotherapy peripheral neuropathy treatment plan is nerve stimulation.

There are several nerve stimulation techniques to help peripheral neuropathy patients. One that is having great success is the ReBuilder® treatment protocol. By employing electrical stimulation to the nerves, in a wave-like motion rather than the straight line current of a TENS unit, the nerves may be stimulated to self-repair. This specialty treatment allows the nerves to communicate more normally again and that, in itself, starts the process of reversing some damage of peripheral neuropathy.

The combination of chiropractic, nutrition and nerve stimulation is showing great promise in helping post-chemotherapy peripheral neuropathy patients return to a pain free life, without the debilitating effects of neuropathy.

1 http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/chiropractic-pain-relief
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrition#Cancer

For more information on coping with your peripheral neuropathy, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.