Other Products For Diabetic Neuropathy
You can also consider using compression socks to treat diabetic neuropathy or help reduce pain and swelling.
We have a comprehensive guide to the best socks for diabetic neuropathy that includes reviews of the top choices.
Topical neuropathy creams can be applied to the feet to deliver quick and effective pain relief. These creams are generally affordable, readily available, and painless to apply.
We have a review of the best diabetic neuropathy creams that explain what to look for.
Communication Is Vital For Neuropathy Massage
Speak up throughout the massage session if you feel the pressure isnt right if you experience an increase or decrease in symptoms if an area is especially numb or a particular movement causes pain. This informs your massage therapist of what the next steps should be throughout your massage.
Neuropathy can be uncomfortable, and at times scary, but there are numerous treatment options. Its important that you keep an open mind and get to know the treatments that are available to you.
Contact us by phone or email to talk to one of our licensed massage therapists about a massage session for neuropathy.
The Many Benefits Of Massage For Neuropathy
With the holiday season coming up fast, neuropathy sufferers may be concerned that their symptoms will get in the way of shopping for the perfect gift or hosting a festive party. Well, worry no more! Neuropathy doesnt have to slow you down or keep you from your holiday plans. You can get rid of uncomfortable symptoms with a fabulous foot massage. So, kick back, put your feet up, and let the treatment begin!
Not only is massage therapy for neuropathy relaxing for you and your feet, it can also de-stress the nerves that are causing you issues like tingling, numbness, and burning. These discomforts are eased when massaged muscles loosen, placing less pressure on the nerves. At the same time, endorphins that tend to be released with massage act as your bodys natural painkillers, further minimizing neuropathy pain.
Other benefits that a massage can have for those with neuropathy include the restoration of mobility that may have been lost due to your condition, as well as an increase in circulation, which helps to bring healing nutrients to your damaged nerves and in turn relieve symptoms.
So before you make that list and check it twice, hit the mall, stuff that turkey, or hang your stocking with care, make sure you make a massage a part of your holiday plans. Massage therapy for neuropathy is very beneficial to living comfortably with the condition and getting in your holiday fun! Besides, who doesnt enjoy a nice foot massage?
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Benefits Of The Medmassager
This electric foot massager was created for patients with Diabetic Neuropathy. The team over at MedMsaager have put a lot of effort into making this machine feel professional, and they did a good job.
The build quality is superb and should last you a long time without the need for replacement. There are a huge range of different angles and positions you could use the machine in too.
It stimulates the foot and the leg so that the muscle tension associated with Diabetic Neuropathy can be eased. It also relieves the joint pain and swelling that is prevalent when a person has Diabetic Neuropathy. Furthermore, it increases blood circulation throughout the foot and calf.
Finally, the cherry on top. The MedMassager comes with a lifetime guarantee to sweeten the deal.
What Is Neuropathy Of The Feet And Legs
It is kind of damage to the nerves where the sufferer feels prickling, tingling, numbness, jabbing, freezing, burning or throbbing on their feet. These symptoms happen gradually. There are a number of conditions responsible for causing nerve damage.
The first primary cause is diabetes. More than 50% of people living with diabetes develop neuropathy of the feet. Uncontrolled blood glucose in the blood causes nerve damage.
Other conditions include alcoholism. Poor alcohol drinking behavior can lead poor dietary choices leading to nerve damage.
Regardless, up to 30% of neuropathies have unknown causes. It, therefore, does not mean that just because you have it, you also have an underlying condition like diabetes.
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The Link Between Diabetes And Your Feet
People with diabetes need to look after their feet more than others. Foot wounds, no matter how small, can cause severe complications, like diabetic neuropathy.
Greater blood sugar levels can cause injury to blood vessels. This means blood flow will decrease, especially in the feet. If blood cannot flow freely, the wounds will struggle to heal, so your feet may become weaker.
Its very important to maintain proper blood flow towards your nerves and blood vessels.
Are There Any Risks
There are very few risks from professionally administered massages for peripheral neuropathy. Before their first session patients will be evaluated for their suitability according to their existing medical status. Only a handful of ailments make people unsuitable for massage therapy.
Treatments are intended to prevent and decrease exposure to pain although there can be occasional aches following the first treatment or two. Good massage professionals will discuss the procedures as they are administered and encourage their patients to inform them what sensations they are feeling. The more details patients can relay to their provider the better they will be able to target the exact areas that are causing the most trouble.
When massage therapy is fully applied the results can be quite phenomenal so approach this proactively and make use of the best professional services available.
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Massage For Neuropathy: Important Considerations
Before you jump onto that massage table, there are a few important things to consider. Communication with your massage therapist is crucial. Your therapist needs to be aware of exactly what symptoms youre experiencing associated with neuropathy as well as what the underlying cause is, what treatments youre taking, and the effects of those treatments, so that they can best formulate an appropriate massage session plan.
Then throughout the massage session, youll also need to be sure youre communicating very clearly on how the pressure feels to you, and any sensations that you feel. Massage therapists tend to go a bit lighter in pressure on areas affected by neuropathy due to the decrease in sensation.
Basically, in healthy areas, you would feel that the pressure being applied by the massage therapist was too much before it got to the point of being capable of causing damage to the tissues. But due to the decreased sensation in neuropathic areas, you wont be able to give that kind of feedback as accurately, your therapist will have to be much more careful.
Can Massage Help Peripheral Neuropathy
by Clare Katner | Dec 31, 2019 | Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy |
If you can picture the human body as a tree and the spine as the trunk of that tree, the peripheral nervous system would be like the branches of the tree reaching out to the very edges of our limbs and connecting the rest of the body to the trunk,or central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system, also much like the branches of a tree, is more exposed and less protected than the central nervous system, leaving it vulnerable to the elements and injury.
Peripheral neuropathy can be caused when the nerve endings do not receive adequate oxygen or blood flow. There are many conditions that can result in peripheral neuropathy as well, such as, diabetes, sports injury, birth trauma, and post-chemotherapy treatment.
The most common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are pain, numbness, and tingling. The pain and tingling associated with neuropathy is called paresthesia and is similar to the sensation you feel when your hands or feet fall asleep.
Massage is great for people who suffer from peripheral neuropathy because it calms the central nervous system and triggers the brain to release endorphins, which in turn, relieves pain. Massage also helps to increase circulation, oxygen and lymph flow in the body, which can help increase your immunity and relieve pain in the affected areas.
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Can Massage Help With Neuropathy In The Feet If Not What Can
And the answer is.absolutely massage can do a ton of good for those who suffer from foot neuropathy. However, it is important to note that massage does nothing to heal the damaged nerve. It provides relief in that it increases blood flow to the area of concern, thereby alleviating pain and the tingling/numb sensations.
The 5 False Facts Your Doctor Mistakenly Promotes Does Massage Help Peripheral Neuropathy
The medical community is largely responsible for this misinformation being passed on to the suffering patient. In my view it is the job and responsibility of the family doctor to teach the patient about their neuropathy problem. It is also the doctors job to train the patient in what they can do to improve and manage their neuropathy case successfully.
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Many neuropathy patients, suffering with foot or hand pain, tingling, numbness, burning, and other evasive and hard to describe neuropathy symptoms, dont even know the name of their condition! And while others do, that is essentially all they know. With this in mind I want to address some of the most commonly INCORRECT facts that suffering neuropathy patients have been told, or come to understand, due to the lack of patient education by the medical community.
1. Neuropathy comes with age, and there is nothing you can do about it.This statement is only partially correct, inasmuch as aging can contribute to the increased onset and intensity of the neuropathy condition. There are however, many simple techniques and procedures that any person can learn which will offset many of these effects of aging as they relate to peripheral neuropathy.
4. Neuropathy just gets worse with time, and you have to accept that you are stuck with it.
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How Does The Rebuilder Work
Unlike a typical TENS unit which blocks nerve paths so the pain signal cant reach the brain, the ReBuilder® was designed to open these nerve paths. This helps rehabilitate the nerves, bringing them back their normal function. The ReBuilder® brings circulation back to the legs, feet, arms and hands, and also encourages the brain to release endorphins which can relieve anxiety, sleeplessness and pain.
“Within 2 weeks of using this faithfully, ALL burning pain was completely gone!” – Donna W.
“Using ReBuilder® enables me to work every day, doing work I love, without the use of any additional medications.” – CJ
“My numbness and pain made walking difficult and sleeping impossible. After using the ReBuilder® once, I had immediate improvement.” – Lindi B.
Peripheral Neuropathy Medical Treatment
Medical treatment for peripheral neuropathy involves managing or targeting the condition causing the neuropathy and relieving the symptoms.
Depending on the type and cause of your neuropathy, one or a combination of the following treatments may be suggested or prescribed you:
Topical Treatment Medicated creams and patches may be used to offer some pain relief.
Pain Relievers Over-the-counter medication, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs that reduce pain, lower fever, prevent blood clots, and decrease inflammation.
In more severe cases, your doctor may prescribe painkillers such as tramadol, or oxycodone. As these drugs can lead to addiction and dependence, they are generally prescribed only when other treatments fail.
Antidepressants Some tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline and nortriptyline, can help relieve neuropathy pain. They do this by interfering with the chemical processes occurring in your brain and spinal cord, causing you to feel pain.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation This procedure involves electrodes placed on the skin that deliver an electric current at varying frequencies.
Physical Therapy For muscle weakness, physical therapy may improve your movements. In more severe cases, you may need physical therapy to learn how to use hand or foot braces, a walker, or even a wheelchair.
Massage therapy may be used in conjunction with medical treatments to target specific conditions or symptoms.
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Massage Therapy For Peripheral Neuropathy Pain Relief
There are many types of massage used to treat stress, anxiety, pain, neuropathy, and illness. Below are some of the techniques that can relieve the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy:
Connective Tissue Massage or Fascial Stretch Connective tissue massage involves working with the bodys fascia, or soft tissue, to relieve pain, stiffness, and discomfort. Some benefits include pain reduction, tension relief, increased mobility, and stress reduction.
Massotherapy Massotherapy focuses primarily on the muscles. Massotherapy benefits include improved circulation and pain management.
Reflexology Reflexology is based on a map of pressure points on the hands, feet, and ears that correspond to specific areas of the body. Similar to acupressure, applying appropriate pressure to these points can stimulate the flow of energy throughout the body. Benefits include increased blood flow, pain relief, eased stress, and profound relaxation.
For more information about the application and benefits of reflexology, visit yourfootpalace.com/reflexologist-massage-in-athens-ga/
Lymph Drainage Therapy This technique uses light, rhythmic strokes to promote the bodys lymph system health. Benefits include reduced inflammation or edemas and pain relief from neuropathy.
Neuromuscular Therapy NMT is a massage technique applied to specific muscles to increase blood flow, ease muscle tension, or release pain/pressure on nerves.
The Role Of Massage Therapy In Treating Nerve Damage
In cases of nerve damage, massage therapy can be useful to relieve symptoms and improve the overall health of a patient. If you are experiencing a tingling sensation, numbness, or pain in some areas of your body, massage therapy may be able to alleviate these symptoms.
How massage therapy works is by encouraging the production of âfeel-goodâ hormones in your body. While getting a massage, your heartbeat will slow down, causing your mind and body to relax. As a result, you will also experience a decrease in blood pressure, stress levels, and muscle tightness.
Additionally, massage therapy will also regulate and improve circulation within your body, leaving you feeling both physically and mentally relaxed. With regular massage therapy, you may even rid yourself of muscle soreness, numbness, and any tingling sensation over time.
People who have opted for massage therapy to treat nerve damage have reported feeling better after their sessions as their symptoms reduced. Lighter and softer strokes, often used in Swedish massages, are typical what works in such cases.
When seeking massage therapy to help alleviate symptoms of nerve damage, you should ideally opt for clinically trained therapists to administer the massage as opposed to a caregiver whenever possible. This is because it takes a specialistâs training to apply the right kind of techniques and pressure to avoid making the symptoms worse.
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How Massage Can Help Treat Neuropathy
The nervous system needs oxygen to function properly and survive. One of the recurring symptoms is a lack of oxygen in the nerves of the feet and hands . This is where massage therapy can help.
Massage therapy boosts?the flow of blood to your muscles, thus delivering oxygen to the nerves and eventually the brain.?By improving local circulation in the peripheral nerves, those suffering from peripheral neuropathy should experience an improvement in their symptoms.
If you want to help yourself or someone else suffering with neuropathy of the feet, here are a few simple things to consider. Make sure you are following all of the doctors orders regarding diet and lifestyle. Start out with light pressure and build up the pressure over time. And stick to a schedule. Massage therapy is more effective for chronic issues if it is done on a regular basis. Commit to working on the feet at least twice a day in order to see results.
What Is The Cause
Always adapt massage to the cause of the neuropathy as well as the neuropathy itself. Depending on the clients presentation, massage modifications will be in force for most causes of neuropathy, such as advanced diabetes, chemotherapy treatment, and HIV disease. These guidelines are too lengthy to go into here, but you can find them in my textbook, Medical Conditions and Massage Therapy: A Decision Tree Approachor another massage and pathology text.
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Massage And Acupressure: Self
Why are numbness, tingling, and pain in the hands or feet a side effect of some cancer treatments? This video demonstrates massage and acupressure techniques you can do at home to relieve pain, stiffness, or loss of sensation in the hands and feet. Led by Michael Keamy, CMT and Irene Martyniuk, Lic.Ac. M Ac. .
This session is part of the Integrative Therapies for Supporting Cancer Treatment and Survivorship webinar series presented by the Katherine A. Gallagher Integrative Therapies Program. Integrative therapies, along with medical management, work with your unique body, mind, and spirit. This webinar series helps provide the techniques and strategies you can do at home to help you feel your best.
This foot massage video clip was shown during “Massage and Acupressure: Self-Care Strategies for Peripheral Neuropathy”
What Is The Condition Of Your Skin In The Area
Ask this question out loud, but also inspect the tissues each time you begin contact with the area. This is especially true of the feet. As in the story above, friction from a foreign body in the shoe, ill-fitting socks, and other irritants can go unnoticed. Youll want to bring it to the clients attention, for sure.
To avoid causing infection, you will also want to avoid contact with broken skin, and avoid introducing lubricant into an opening.
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What Helps With Neuropathy In Feet
There is a range of different ways that you can treat neuropathy in the feet, as well as reduce the symptoms.
The first, as you can probably tell, is to get the best foot massager for Peripheral Neuropathy that you can, and use it regularly, as well as seeing a masseuse for a professional foot massage every now and then.
If you are starting to notice your symptoms getting worse, it could be time to get in touch with your doctor. They may be able to use pain relievers or anti-seizure medications to help you manage your pain and discomfort better.
Physical therapy is also an important aspect in effectively managing Peripheral Neuropathy and Plantar Fasciitis.
In terms of alternative treatments, there are a range of different things you could try:
- Acupuncture – By inserting very small needles into special points on your body, you might see a reduction in peripheral neuropathy symptoms. It could well take many sessions before you see a noticeable improvement. Acupuncture is relatively safe and comes with very few side effects when carried out by a certified practitioner using sterile needles.
- Alpha-lipoic acid – Used for many years across Europe, Alpha-lipoic acid could reduce your symptoms. Beware however as in some cases it can cause a nasty rash.
- Herbs – The use of certain herbs, such as evening primrose oil, could potentially alleviate neuropathy pain in people with diabetes.