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Nerve pain is often the result of damage to the peripheral nervous system, a condition known as peripheral neuropathy. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, approximately 20 million people in the US have some form of neuropathy.
The peripheral nervous system is responsible for the function of the sensory, motor, and autonomous nerves. Damage to these nerves can result in loss of feeling sensation, especially in the feet or hands and allodynia. In the latter case, severe pain may result from a stimulus that never causes pain in normal situations.
Other symptoms include burning pain, painful muscle movements, organ or gland dysfunction, muscle wasting, impaired digestion, urination, sexual dysfunction, and paralysis. Breathing difficulties and organ failure may occur in extreme cases.
Figures from a five-year research by the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy show that about 75% of those who suffer from this condition have painful neuropathy symptoms. It is therefore understandable that conventional treatment for neuropathy is limited to managing the symptoms instead of the cause. As a result, however, most people resort to neuropathy supplements for a more natural and long-term solution.
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There are three main problems with conventional treatment methods for peripheral and diabetic neuropathy.
Most of the medications used for neuropathy treatment are known to induce many awful side effects, some of which include:
In addition to having many side effects, these medications are not budget friendly. Here are the average prices of the common treatments for neuropathy symptoms.
On another note, even though having a medical insurance policy will lower your expenditure, you will have to make out-of-pocket payment for doctor visits, coinsurance, and prescription drugs.
A research by the Foundation for PN also revealed a controversial scheme among medical doctors, chiropractors, and podiatrists to charge high fees. Unfortunately, their solutions do not help in alleviating your painful condition but instead help to grow their bank accounts.
Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by several factors, from diabetes to leprosy. Most of the conventional medications only focus on alleviating the pain, not healing your nerves. Doctors will prescribe drugs that make you feel better faster while what you need is something that treats the real cause, damaged or diseased nerves.
Yes. Several naturally sourced herbs and extensively studied vitamins can reduce pain, improve nerve function and may regenerate damaged nerves and nerve cells over time. Some of these natural supplements influence regeneration of axons which can eventually resolve neuropathy symptoms. Developments in supplement technology have made most of these highly effective natural remedies easily available and affordable for neuropathy patients.
Here are four factors you should look when determining whether a supplement product is worth trying out.
Some specific vitamins and herbs are necessary for nerve pain and regeneration. Some supplements have ingredients that are not identifiable and so can be worse than conventional medication. The next question provides details on the specific elements that an effective supplement must have.
Bioavailability is a measure of the amount of the drug that is absorbed by the system. One way of measuring this is through the level of the medication in the urine. An effective medication should have a bioavailability of more than 90%. However, this is affected by several factors.
Supplements based on natural elements are easy to assimilate into the system. Most of them have 100% absorption.
A major problem with alternatives like supplements is finding the clinically effective dosage for every ingredient. Under-dosing renders the nutrient ineffective while over-dosing may cause unwanted problems. Determine the proper dosage becomes more complex when the ingredients used in the supplement are not scientifically proven such as herbs.
A proper supplement should have clinically proven ability to help in the management and long term healing of neuropathy symptoms. The next section of this guide offers a list of micronutrients and natural herbs that have clinical backing on their effectiveness to counter neuropathy. An effective supplement will have most of them as its ingredients.
There are 4 major ingredients that support nerve health making them the most important components in a neuropathy supplement. They are:
It is recognized as one of the powerful antioxidants suitable for neuropathy treatment because of its ability to regenerate itself, B-vitamins and other antioxidants. Its primary benefit as an antioxidant is destroying free radicals, which are harmful substances that destroy body cells, including nerve cells.
The ability of Alpha Lipoic Acid to destroy free radicals makes it suitable for alleviating pain, itching, burning, tingling and numbness in the limbs. Such symptoms are common in people having diabetic neuropathy. It can also help those who are suffering from autoimmune neuropathy.
Recommended daily dosage is 600 to 1,200mg.
Deficiency in B-complex vitamins is a common cause of neuropathic symptoms. They include reduced sensation, weak muscles, and abnormal reflexes. Studies have shown the relationship between B-12 deficiency and neuropathy. Some experts even insist that it is the cause of what doctors diagnose as diabetic neuropathy.
Having B-complex vitamins in the supplement will prevent diabetes-related damages to the kidneys, eyes and the blood vessels. You need a daily dose of 1500mcg of B12 and 150mg of B6.
Thiamine or vitamin B1 is known for its ability to enhance healthy nerve signals. Unfortunately, it is quickly excreted from the body due to its high water-solubility. However, there is a form that is fat soluble, which means it can stay in the body longer, called Benfotiamine.
The compound is used as natural remedy for nerve pain, fibromyalgia, sciatica, and thyroid disease. Like ALA, it prevents the accumulation of harmful glycation end-products, which cause diabetic neuropathy. The recommended daily dosage varies from 150mg to 300mg depending on severity of the condition.
Mother Nature has also bestowed upon us several plants that can help alleviate the pain and even reverse neuropathy. Some of them are:
Before we take you through the best supplements in the market, let us explain how we selected the products on this list.
We have researched the majority of the supplements in the market and sorted out what works and what does not. Below we have listed nine of the best supplements in this guide.
Nervexol is probably the only product you will find that offers the story behind its production. The founder is said to have witnessed the harrowing effects of neuropathy on a family member and set on a mission to find an effective solution.
It promises two things:
There exists no doubt on its effectiveness as it contains all the important ingredients. They include ALA, B-vitamins, folic acid, turmeric, oat straw, passionflower, and feverfew. It also contains other strong natural pain relievers such as turmeric, spirulina, California poppy, and corydalis.
Nerve Aid is our second pick. The formula comes with a complex combination of several compounds. The core ingredients are Thiamine, a form of vitamin B1, Methylcobalamin, a metabolic blend and a calming blend.
The metabolic blend constitutes ALA, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, and berberine. Lycopene, curcumin, and bacopaside are the ingredients for the calming blend. Other support elements include Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, copper, and manganese.
While there is sufficient evidence of the effectiveness of the key components, there is none to prove the meaningfulness of most of the other elements in fighting neuropathy. Nonetheless, there are positive feedback from customer supporting it's effectiveness.
Neuropaquell has been voted as one of the best nerve pain supplements in the market. It comes with a clinical strength for relieving pain, thanks to Vitamin B complex, Vitamin D, ALA, L-arginine and a herb blend. It works well with neuropathy related pains such as stabbing pains, burning sensation and tingling.
There are only two limitations with this option. It makes no promise of curing the condition, even though it has most of the essential elements. Again, you may find the pills too big to digest.
Nervestra is produced by California based Rejuvic LLC, which is a company specializing in producing products for the nerve health. It is a possible darling to most people because of its ability to relieve nerve pain. The key ingredients in the supplement besides Alpha Lipoic Acid, ALA are;
Nervestra is not an instant solution. It helps the body to heal slowly but permanently.
Nerve Shield is a good choice if you want something that has a blend of the essential ingredients with a combination of herbs. Nerve shield Formula comprises of B-vitamins, ALA, and Acetyl L-carnitine as the primary ingredients.
It also has phosphatidyl Complex that consists of the lipids that make up to 76% of the myelin sheath, a protective covering of the nerves cells. Cang Zhu and Huang Bai herbs, which have been added to the ingredients, have been used for more than 2,000 years in Chinese cultures to help the flow of energy or qi, to the extremities.
Turmeric and Baikal skullcap are the extracts in the formula that are responsible for reducing inflammation.
In spite of its shoddy publicity and lack of customer testimonials, the product has a 100% money back guarantee.
Nerve Support Formula is another product promising to reduce nerve pain and rebuilding the damaged nerves. It has both benfotiamine and methylcobalamin. It also contains an adequate amount of folic acid, which helps in the absorption of the B1 and B12 forms.
Online testimonials and feedback show that it is effective for neuropathy conditions. The only problem with their ingredients is the worrying absence of ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid).
A reason for having this compound on top of the B-complex vitamins is its ability to promote the flow of oxygen and blood to the nerves limiting the damage caused by nerve inflammation.
Nerve Pain Away is one of the most commercialized nerve pain relievers in the market. It is sold as a natural remedy for the consistent pain that people with neuropathy experience. However, it only has one ingredient, St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum).
St John’s Wort has been used for years to improve moods. Its use as a remedy for nerve pain is new and consequently has little clinical backing. Even more notable is the company’s insistence on its topical use instead of ingestion. All you need to do is to spray it on the affected area.
While there is little scientific evidence on this use, results show that it is an effective nerve pain reliever. It even has the endorsement of authority medicine websites such as the Mayo Clinic.
However, it is worth pointing out that Nerve pain Away only takes care of the pain but does not cure it. It is more just like the conventional painkiller except for the absence of dangerous chemicals.
Neuracel is a purely herbal blend with controversial history. It lacks any of the essential ingredients mentioned above except Passionflower, Corydalis, and California Poppy.
The other ingredients in the supplement are Prickly ash bark and Lobelia. The former has been used in some native North American cultures to treat toothaches, ulcers and improve blood circulation.
There are some evidence of Lobelia’s sedative and relaxation effects. It has often been used to help persons with sleeping disorders, why is an important property for those who experience burning pain at night.
The only reason why Neuracel is on this list is that it is listed with the Best Business Bureau, though with a C rating. It essential to point out, however, that there is no clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of its ingredients in treating neuropathy.
The purpose of this guide has been to explain why you should consider supplements in treating neuropathy instead of conventional treatments or medication, as well as provide education to help you choose an effective product.
Here's Why This Is Our Best Pick:
The company points out that you should start seeing results after the first week. However, you should use it for not less than four months to achieve the best results. As of October, 2020, you can receive the best price on a legitimate bottle at the link below.