Lifestyle Choices

A number of different terms are commonly used to describe the various types of nerve pain encountered. The main terms used are neuralgia (meaning pain resulting from injury to a nerve, particularly in the face), sciatica (pain mediated by the sciatic nerve, running from the lower part of the spine down each leg), and neuritis (inflammation in any nerve).

Nerve pain—aching, tingling, pins and needles, and a stabbing or burning sensation are the most common—can be caused by a number of factors, both physical and psychological, but the main ones are circulatory insufficiency, poor posture, wrong diet, stress, and over-exertion. Natural therapies can ease discomfort and accelerate the recovery process.

Nutritional and dietary therapy

Eat plenty of green vegetables and fresh fruit. If a reaction is suspected to something that has been eaten (food “allergy” or intolerance), a fruit (e.g. apples and pears) or vegetable juice (beet and carrot) 48- hour “cleansing” diet can help. Supplementation is recommended as follows: vitamins A, C, E, B- complex, the minerals magnesium, calcium, and selenium, and both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (e.g. fish oils, flaxseed/linseed oil, and starflower/borage oil). Bromelain, an enzyme extracted from pineapples, is a natural nerve anti-inflammatory agent. Take up to 3 g a day between meals. A good quality multi-nutrient, available from good drugstores and health food stores, contains most of the supplements needed.

Herbal medicine

Regular teas of ginseng, hops, Jamaican dogwood, Basque flower, passion flower, hypericum, skullcap, and valerian are recommended for nerve pain. “Garlic milk”—that is, two crushed garlic cloves in half a pint of milk (cold or heated, as preferred)—drunk daily, can help sciatic pain.

Homeopathy

Neuralgia can be helped by belladonna 6c and aconite 6c, and nerve injuries by hypericum 6c.

Massage and aromatherapy

Massaging painful areas with two drops each of the essential oils of wintergreen, peppermint, or myrrh can help relieve symptoms (or use a proprietary mixture such as Olbas Oil). Alternatives are rosemary and lavender, or clove, basil, and eucalyptus oils. Hypericum oil can also ease pain if rubbed into the affected area.

Electronic devices

TENS or GigaTENS is highly effective at treating most nerve pain although it does not seem to be quite as good at treating post-herpes neuralgia. Hand-held devices such as massagers/vibrators and intasound are also effective if applied firmly enough for long enough—at least 45 minutes. A frequency of 100 Hz works best.

Relaxation and yoga

Stress management techniques such as meditation (especially autogenics training) and biofeedback can be helpful, together with postures that concentrate on stretching, especially those that tone the spine and back muscles, coupled with breathing exercises. Advice from a trained teacher is best in both cases.

Hydrotherapy

Alternating ice and hot packs helps to relieve pain and promote recovery. A “neutral bath”—that is, bathing in water at body temperature—is soothing. Gentle exercise such as swimming, combined with sauna or steam bathing, is also helpful.

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

This is inflammation of the carpal tunnel, a tube of sinew through which the nerves and tendons of the arm travel to the hand. The inflammation leads to swelling, which pinches the nerves and produces tingling, numbness, and pain in the hand. It affects particularly the first and index fingers and the thumb. It is most common in pregnant and elderly women. Surgery is the option normally offered by conventional medicine.

Acupressure

Pressing points on either side of the wrist firmly for two minutes three times daily can relieve pain. The point on the underside of the wrist is the “motion sickness” point; the other is directly opposite it, on the top center of the wrist.

Hydrotherapy and nutritional therapy

Alternating hot and cold compresses can alleviate symptoms. A daily vitamin B-complex supplement can also help, especially B6 (1 g a day) with magnesium.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Multiple sclerosis (meaning “multiple hardening”) is a disease of the central nervous system as a result of inflammation of and subsequent damage to the myelin sheath, the fatty coating surrounding nerve fibers. This leads to a wide variety of symptoms as a result of interference with nerve signals to the brain, including tingling or pins and needles in the limbs, blurred vision, numbness, difficulty walking, loss of coordination, fatigue, depression, and muscular aches and pains. MS is a degenerative and presently incurable condition of still unknown origin. For reasons still unclear it is much commoner in colder climates than hotter climates and affects women more than men. Depending on the severity of symptoms and how longstanding the problem is, the condition can be considerably helped by various natural therapies.

Movement therapy

Muscular aches and pains are often felt as a result of muscle spasticity due to the right nerve signals not getting through from the brain. A regular routine of muscle-stretching, coordination, and strengthening exercises (stretching being the most important) is therefore one of the single most positive actions anyone with MS can take. It is important to realise that MS is not a muscle-wasting disease: there is nothing wrong with the muscles in people with MS—it is lack of use that causes problems. The watchword is “use them or lose them.”

Nutritional and dietary therapy

Evidence shows that MS symptoms can be made worse by eating too much animal fat, dairy products, sugar, and salt. At the same time there is evidence that people with MS lack certain important nutrients or their bodies do not use nutrients efficiently. Apart from regularly eating a wholefood diet (fresh fruit and vegetables, brown rice, and wholegrains), the following food supplements can be particularly helpful: polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs, taken as capsules; vitamin A, preferably as beta-carotene; the B-vitamins, especially B1, B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), biotin, B12; vitamin C; vitamin E; zinc; magnesium; manganese; molybdenum; selenium; vanadium. It is advisable to take advice on dose levels from a qualified nutritionalist as individual needs vary.

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