Some patients suffering from diabetes and peripheral neuropathy find relief from nerve pain in amazingly simple ways. From time to time a nice warm (but not hot) bath is a sufficient way to relieve stress and alleviate nerve pain. A massage may also be helpful. Other patients turn to biofeedback, meditation, relaxation techniques, or hypnosis - all of which have been proven to be beneficial and helpful.
"These methods of alternative medicine have proven to be really promising," claims Tom Elasy, MD, director of the Diabetes Clinic at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. "I have a lot of patients who have pursued alternative approaches, and I receive very positive feedback about the results."
Biofeedback to Relieve Pain from Peripheral Neuropathy
It is probable, through biofeedback, to train your body to reduce the severity of nerve pain. This involves deliberate controlling a body function that is usually regulated by the body - like skin temperature, heart rate, or blood pressure.
It probably sounds like science fiction, but evidence of the benefits of biofeedback is quite fine. It’s been used to help control migraine pain, epilepsy seizures, high blood pressure, and other popular problems.
How does it really act? You, as a human being, wear sensors on your head and elsewhere that allow you to "hear" or "see" particular bodily functions like pulse, digestion, body temperature, and muscle tension. The squiggly lines and/or beeps on the attached monitors reflect what’s happening inside your body. Then you learn how to control those beeps and squiggles. After several sessions, your mind has trained your biological system to acquire the skills. According to specialists, it is not difficult to master.
Meditation to Relieve Pain From Peripheral Neuropathy
Meditation is a therapy provided by various pain treatment centers. Studies prove that meditation can decrease blood pressure and improve heart rate, breathing, and brain waves. Tension and tightness seep from muscles when the body gets a quiet message to relax.
The soothing power of recurrence is at the heart of meditation. Concentrating on the breath, ignoring thoughts, and repeating a word or phrase - a mantra - makes the body rest. People describe feeling warmth, calm, even a sense of heaviness during the meditation.
Whilst you can learn meditation on your own, taking a class can be very helpful. A trainer can guide you - and help you reach that deeper, more relaxed state.
Relaxation Techniques to Relieve Pain From Peripheral Neuropathy
Stress can worsen the pain, therefore it is relevant to learn to relax. Your breathing pattern is often influenced by changes in your emotions. That is why, managing your breathing is a key tool for achieving relaxation. By becoming familiar with your own breathing patterns, you can learn to control your breathing and your stress level, and your pain as well.
First of all, find a quiet and peaceful location, a comfortable body position, and a good state of mind. Try to block out fears and distracting thoughts.
Relaxation techniques include:
* Rhythmic breathing: Take long, slow breaths. Inhale slowly, then exhale slowly. As you inhale, count slowly to five. Then count slowly to five as you exhale. Keep your mind on how your body naturally achieves relaxation. This will help you relax even more.
* Deep breathing: Imagine a spot just below your navel. Breathe into that spot, filling your abdomen with air. Allow the air to fill you from the abdomen up, then let it out, like deflating a balloon.
* Visualized breathing: Find a comfortable place where you can close your eyes. Imagine relaxation entering your body - and tension that leaves your body. Breathe deeply, but in a natural rhythm. Visualize your breath coming into your nostrils, going into your lungs. Picture it expanding your chest and abdomen. Later, visualize your breath going out the same way. Whenever you exhale, imagine you are getting rid of a little more tension.
* Relax when listening to music: Turn on some music lifting your mood and that you find soothing and calming. There are specially designed relaxation audio tapes or CDs that are perfect for this.
* Mental imagery relaxation: This is also called guided imagery. It is a form of "mental escape" in which you create calming, peaceful images in your mind. You also identify your self-talk - your thoughts about your illness - and focus on positive thoughts and emotions.
Hypnosis to Relieve Pain From Peripheral Neuropathy
Self-hypnosis is the path to training both mind and body to make a desired change such as controlling pain. It is a skill that must be acquired from a trained therapist and involves focusing attention on a desired purpose. Hypnotizing yourself is very easy if you practice. You concentrate on an image that blocks the perception of pain - and you feel less pain. Your subconscious has grabbed hold of that message, replaying it time and again. The mind has learned to control the body.
Researchers are convinced that hypnosis seems to block nerve receptors in the brain. Those receptors control sensations of pain, anxiety, and discomfort. Research has proven that pain related to cancer, surgery, back injuries, and migraines responds well to hypnosis.
Acupuncture to Relieve Pain From Peripheral Neuropathy
An increasing number of patients are using acupuncture for the treatment of pain and other health-related problems.
What is acupuncture? It is a practice in which an acupuncture needle is inserted into the skin to stimulate precise points in the human body. Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the theory that energy flows through the body along particular pathways. Disease or pain appears in the situation when energy is blocked or out of balance. The Chinese theory holds that acupuncture unblocks or balances that flow of energy.
Many Western scientists are convinced that acupuncture may change brain chemicals affecting the body and mind. Translated into the language of Western medicine, the healing power of acupuncture may result from its influence on the nervous system, on hormones, and on "feel good" brain chemicals called endorphins.
One landmark research discovered that patients have decreased pain and improved movement with acupuncture. The National Institutes of Health and World Health Organization have both approved particular use of acupuncture related to pain.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, acupuncture also seems to be very secure. Relatively little number of complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the FDA even though millions of patients are treated with acupuncture every year. Still, poorly sterilized needles or inappropriate treatment result in various complications. It’s essential to be sure you go to well-trained and experienced acupuncturist. Your healthcare provider may be helpful with a recommendation.
