Acupuncture Is One Of The More Difficult To Prove Neuropathy Therapies

Today's short post from nevadaappeal.com (see link below) invites you to visit the Facebook page to find out why acupuncture is becoming more and more acceptable in the treatment of neuropathy and why would you not? (This blog avoids Facebook like the plague but accepts that it is a major information source in the medical world of today). Acupuncture, like so many so-called alternative treatments needs all the evidence it can find and produce, if it's to convince cynical neuropathy patients who've heard it all before. However, even more important that word of mouth evidence, is hard fact brought about by success stories across the spectrum. Like all therapies though, it's important that you trust both your practitioner and the basis behind his or her therapies and that requires a certain amount of research to establish some facts. The success of a therapy is often dependent on the fact that you're convinced by the theory, even if it doesn't seem to be working for you. By using the Search button you'll find many more articles on the subject here on the blog.
 

Acupuncture treats peripheral neuropathy
Maureen Lamerdin, O.M.D.

Peripheral neuropathy has become a more prominent complaint by many who suffer from varying conditions such as diabetes, spinal injuries, alcoholism, HIV, vitamin deficiencies and from adverse side-effects of specific drugs, most notably chemotherapy drugs. This debilitating condition can cause such symptoms as feeling like walking on glass, severe burning, numbness and tingling, weakness and flaccidity of the muscles which can lead to further injury.

This neurological disorder is caused by the abnormal functioning of the sensory, motor and/or autonomic nerves. Peripheral neuropathy typically affects the extremities, including the arms, legs, hands and feet. The time of day and one’s activity level can affect the frequency of the symptoms with this neuropathic condition. Some people may experience symptoms throughout the day, but have increased sensations in the evenings. Typically, applying pressure (such as from walking) will significantly aggravate the condition. There are many other factors that can exacerbate this condition such as stress. When treating this condition it’s important to treat the whole body for successful abatement of this disease.

Most people believe once the nerve fibers are damaged they can’t heal and so most people take pain relieving medication or drugs that specifically affect the nerves such as Lyrica or Neurontin. At best these treatments may help manage the pain, however they don’t help the regeneration of the nerves. Research shows the body does indeed have the ability to regenerate nerves. A lizard can regenerate nerves after the loss of an appendage and can actually recreate the extremity. Much of the human skeleton and nerve makeup maintains the ancient segmental pattern present in all vertebrates such as a lizard.

Numerous research has been published on the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for peripheral neuropathy some of which include the European Journal of Neurology, JAMA, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and of course numerous studies in China. A study published in “Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology” showed electro-acupuncture was effective for regenerating nerve cells in rats who had experienced spinal cord injuries. The researchers reported electro-acupuncture restored partial function to paralyzed limbs in the injured rats. In a 10-week study conducted by the European Journal of Neurology patients were treated with acupuncture at determined points as determined by the practitioner. Patients had symptom relief as well as improved nerve conduction over the course of treatment, leading the researchers of the study to speculate acupuncture caused nerves to regenerate.

Peripheral neuropathy is considered a chronic disease which can be perplexing and involve diligent and consistent therapy to help the patient recover. Traditional Chinese medicine can help improve symptoms and offer people with peripheral neuropathy a better quality of life over time. Treatment of neuropathy should be considered as a long-term therapy and not just a short course of 10 sessions, as is usually implied with acupuncture.
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http://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/lahontan-valley/acupuncture-treats-peripheral-neuropathy/

Will Nabilone Prove To Be A Nerve Pain Solution

 Today's post from stonehearthnewsletters.com (see link below) talks about a Canadian discovery, concerning a drug used there to calm feelings of nausea when undergoing chemotherapy. The drug, Nabilone, was tested on 60 diabetic neuropathy patients in the hope of helping with their nerve pain problems. There seemed to be a high rate of success although 60 test cases can hardly be regarded as definitive evidence. However, it strengthens the case for further investigation of Nabilone and other synthetic cannabinoids  that may control neuropathy pain (see earlier post here). Hopefully it will give doctors other options to consider in the future.

Diabetic neuropathy: a new drug, nabilone, on the horizon
Posted on November 1, 2012 by Stone Hearth News

A study from the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute shows there is evidence to support a new drug therapy called nabilone to treat diabetic neuropathy, or nerve pain. Researchers enrolled 60 patients with diabetic neuropathy in a 12-week placebo controlled clinical study. At the end of the study, patients reported less pain and an improvement in sleep and anxiety when taking nabilone as compared to the placebo.

“This is a good option to help treat nerve pain due to diabetes, with very few side effects,” says Dr. Cory Toth, a neurologist and the study’s lead researcher. Toth is a member of the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and is the research director of the Calgary Chronic Pain Centre Clinic.

The medication used in the study has the generic name nabilone, and is currently used in Canada to treat nausea in chemotherapy patients. This study gives doctors more evidence to support its prescription for treating neuropathy pain in diabetics. Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid, which mimics some of the chemical compounds of cannabis, or marijuana. It is approved for use by Health Canada and the FDA.

This study is a further demonstration of the potential medical benefits of cannabinoids in a difficult pain condition. Dr. Toth and his team have conducted a solid trial which, although small, validates our clinical experience. This study gives physicians support to consider further options in treating this devastating chronic pain disorder,” says Dr. Mark Ware, Associate Professor at the McGill University Health Centre.

Type 2 diabetes is exploding at epidemic rates over the world, and Canada is no exception. Recent studies show that type 2 diabetes is present in close to 10 per cent of Canadian adults and growing at faster than predicted rates.

Diabetic neuropathy is damage caused to the nerves, which results in numbness, tingling, burning and pain. About half of all diabetics suffer from diabetic neuropathy, and about half of this group experiences extreme pain, sleep disturbances, and difficulties walking.

Leslie Bonenfant knows firsthand the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy. She was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes five years ago. Having participated in the study, she experienced positive results, “My pain was so severe that I could barely walk a block. After taking nabilone I can manage my pain and I can function day to day,” say says.

The study was published in the October issue of the medical journal Pain. It was funded by a grant from Valeant Canada.

http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/diabetic-neuropathy-a-new-drug-nabilone-on-the-horizon/updates/

Tissue Biopsies to Prove Neuropathy

Elsewhere on the blog, are posts about the most common test for neuropathy: the Electromyography or EMG but that's not the only test that can be done to establish whether Neuropathy is the cause of your complaints. Today's post from The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy,(see link below) concerns something else you may have seen mentioned in this regard: the Nerve / Skin / Muscle / Tissue Biopsy. As you probably know, a biopsy is the taking of a small piece of tissue from a certain area, for microscopic investigation in a lab elsewhere. We normally hear of it in suspected cancer cases. It's not usually carried out for neuropathy unless close investigation of small nerve damage is deemed necessary by your doctor. If this happens to be one of your options, this short article explains clearly and concisely what's involved.

Nerve / Skin / Muscle / Tissue Biopsy

Biopsies are small samples of nerves, skin, muscle or other tissues that are removed from the body. The samples are examined to identify and diagnose various disorders.

What is it?

A biopsy is a minor surgical procedure which involves making a small incision to remove a sample of nerve, skin, muscle or tissue for examination.

Why should I do it?

A nerve biopsy may help distinguish between demyelination (damage to the myelin sheath covering the nerve) and axon degeneration (destruction of the axonal portion of the nerve cell). It may also help identify an inflammatory neuropathy or confirm specific diagnoses.

A nerve biopsy is invasive and is useful only in certain circumstances.

A skin biopsy is helpful to distinguish certain disorders that might affect the small nerve fibers, as may be the case with painful sensory axonal neuropathies.

A muscle or other tissue biopsy is used to diagnose and identify damage caused to muscles and organs as a result of various disorders such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, sarcoidosis and amyloidosis.

How is a nerve biopsy performed?

A nerve, skin, muscle or other tissue biopsy usually is a simple outpatient procedure. For a nerve biopsy, a local anesthetic is used to numb the area. The surgeon makes a small incision and removes a portion of the nerve, usually from the ankle or the calf. The sample is then examined for abnormalities under a microscope.

A skin, muscle or other tissue biopsy is performed much the same way, except that the surgeon removes skin, muscle, or other tissue instead of nerve.

How will it feel?

Because a local anesthetic is used, discomfort during the procedure is usually minimal. The anesthetic may burn or sting when first injected. After the procedure, the area may feel tender or sore for a few days. An area of the skin may remain permanently numb after the biopsy.

http://www.foundationforpn.org/livingwithperipheralneuropathy/evaluation/neurologicaltests/index.cfm