Peripheral Neuropathy Relief
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that causes weakness, pain, and numbness in your extremities (typically the hands and feet).
What is it?
Your peripheral nerves send messages from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. When those nerves are damaged, these messages are interrupted and affect how your body responds to pain, temperature, and other reflexes
Cause?
It’s often a result of damage to the peripheral nerves. A few things can cause tthis damage:
- diabetes mellitus
- traumatic injury
- alcoholism
- infection
What Works?
Prevention works so much better than treatment. That being said...
- Oral Herbs: Curcumin, Gingko
- Oral Supplements: Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Magnesium
- Topical cream: Magnesium, Peppermint, Arnica Oil, Eucalyptus
Site Content
A number of herbs have anti-inflammatory qualities that may help with topical pain relief
- cayenne pepper (Capsicum)
- tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
- turmeric (Curcuma longa)
- black cumin (Nigella sativa)
- holy basil (Ocimum sanctum)
- rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- sage (Salvia officinalis)
- Sagebrush
These suggested herbal remedies are for external application i.e. creams, lotions or oils.
For idiopathic peripheral neuropathy with mainly neuropathic pain, topical arnica and topical magnesium chloride are best thought of as symptom-modulating (pain relief), not as treatments that likely reverse nerve injury.
What each is plausibly doing
- Topical arnica: local anti-inflammatory / mild analgesic effects; could reduce localized pain sensitivity if it doesn’t irritate the skin. For neuropathic pain, it’s generally a weak-to-moderate “pain modulation” hypothesis.
- Topical magnesium chloride: if it helps, it’s likely via transient effects on peripheral nerve excitability/cramps or local sensory modulation—not durable neuropathy treatment. Skin absorption is variable, so effects (if any) may be inconsistent.
- For internal herbal aids check out the suggestions for Nerve Pain
Notes:
Prevention works so much better than treatment. Keeping your blood sugars within the normal range will help prevent your neuropathy from worsening. If your neuropathy is related to alcohol intake, stop drinking now to prevent the condition from getting worse. Some people have sensitivity to essential oils - always test on a small area of skin before topical use.
Natural remedies have some success in alleviating the pain symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. However, be sure to consult with your doctor prior to participating in a new treatment method. If you begin experiencing irregular symptoms from natural remedies, or if your conditions worsen, visit a doctor immediately.