If you have or know somebody who has diabetes, chances are that you have heard of peripheral neuropathy. This condition, which can also result from injuries and infections, causes numbness, weakness, and pain relating to nerve damage, and is usually experienced in the hands and feet. By using acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy, we can work to improve and alleviate symptoms of pain and numbness while also supporting overall wellbeing and health.
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition in which there is damage done to the body’s peripheral nerves; these nerves link the central nervous system and all other areas of the body. These nerves are often responsible for delivering sensory information to the CNS, as well as deliver signal from the CNS throughout the body. Nerve malfunctions in peripheral neuropathy include a loss of signals normally sent, inappropriate signaling, and other signaling errors. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that over 20 million people in the United States suffer from some form of peripheral neuropathy. In Western medicine, there are a wide variety of causes for peripheral neuropathy, including physical injury/trauma, diabetes, vascular and blood problems, autoimmune diseases, hormone imbalances, nutritional imbalances, cancers, and chemotherapy, among others.
In Chinese medicine, Flaws and Sionneau explain that the cause of peripheral neuropathy includes the six environmental factors, the seven effects, unregulated eating and drinking, overwork, fatigue, aging, poisoning, and currently experiencing disease. Understanding this etiology will help with the design an acupuncture plan for peripheral neuropathy treatment.
The mechanisms of peripheral neuropathy pathogenesis can vary depending on its etiology. Diabetes is generally the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy; current theories hold that long-term hyperglycemia can result in peripheral neuropathy. This is likely due to blood vessels that relate to peripheral nerves. Schreiber, Nones, Reis, Chichorro, and Cunha list additional mechanisms of peripheral neuropathy:
Metabolic and autoimmune disorders accompanied by glial cell activation, changes in sodium and calcium channels expression, and central pain mechanisms such as increased thalamic vascularity and imbalances of the facilitatory/thalamic descending pathways.
According to Chinese medicine, evil qi, either externally or internally derived/manifested, have the potential to stagnate in the channels of the body, thus obstructing the natural smooth flow of blood and qi. This lack of proper flow of qi and blood has the potential to cause pain. Understanding this mechanism is vital to understanding how to use acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy, as it is one of the fundamental theories of Chinese medicine. Additional causes area lack of proper nourishment, which can result from Spleen dysfunction (qi deficiency, etc.), damage from heat drying up blood and fluids, the overuse of dispersing medications and recreational drugs, and the natural results of aging.
Peripheral neuropathy may manifest with symptoms including soreness, heaviness, and a lack of strength to the four limbs or only to the legs, as well as the possibility of progressive paralysis. Atrophy, numbness, insensitivity, and tingling of the extremities are also possible. The limbs may also ache and experience sensations of pain and heat. There is also possible fever, deviation of the face, mouth, and eyes, along with thirst without desire to drink, nausea, vomiting, abnormal vaginal discharge, and painful urination. A Chinese medicine practitioner would expect to feel a slippery and/or rapid pulse and see a tongue with a red body and a slimy, yellow coat.
To diagnose peripheral neuropathy, a western practitioner may utilize various diagnostic methods. While both western and Chinese practitioners would obtain a medical history of the patient and perform a physical examination, a western practitioner may employ a neurological exam and various body fluid tests. Additional western diagnostic tools include nerve biopsy, neurodiagnostic skin biopsy, MRI imaging, and CT scan imaging. By using these various methods, a western medical practitioner can diagnose peripheral neuropathy.
A Chinese medicine practitioner, as previously stated, would obtain a medical history of the patient and perform a physical examination. They would also listen to pulses and observe the tongue. After compiling and analyzing signs and symptoms, a Chinese medicine practitioner may make a diagnosis of a damp heat invasion and excessiveness pattern. After diagnosis of this pattern, we can now plan our acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy treatment.
Current western medicine treatment of peripheral neuropathy includes the use of various medications; these medications include serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Local anesthetics and other pain killer medications can also be used for pain management. Narcotics may be recommended in some cases, as well as surgical intervention. The use of a TENS unit may also be advisable for some patients. A Chinese medical practitioner would address the pattern of damp heat invasion and excessiveness with the treatment strategy of clearing heat and clearing dampness. To use acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy, an acupuncturist may choose points such as SP10, SP9, SP6, LI4, LI11, KI1, and ST36, as well as points local to areas of pain. These points would be dispersed, and moxa would not be applicable.
Researchers Zhi, Ingram, Li, Chen, Piulson, and Bao developed a study to examine the effects of acupuncture on Bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy. This study involved 27 participants, all who had developed Bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy and had agreed to not receive acupuncture within 1-month prior to enrolling in the study. All patients received 10 acupuncture treatments (twice a week for the first two weeks, weekly for the next four weeks, and bi-weekly for the last four weeks). The points used include the ear point Shenmen, LI4, TE5, LI11, ST40, and the extra point Ba Feng. All patients continued taking their prescribed medications, including pain medications. Patient signs and symptoms were assessed throughout the study using self-reported questionnaires. Upon data assessment, the researchers found that multiple symptoms reduced during the acupuncture study and after a 14-week follow-up period; the most significant improvement was that of the sensation of numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, as well as discomfort in the feet. They also found a decrease in in pain intensity, sharp pain, hot pain, and surface pain.
Generally speaking, avoiding injury is very effective at preventing peripheral neuropathy. Avoiding unnecessary medical procedures is a powerful prevention method for peripheral neuropathy. Proper diet and exercise for diabetic patients can also be used to prevent peripheral neuropathy from developing. In addition to using acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy, a Chinese medical practitioner may also suggest eating acrid foods such as garlic, green onions, and ginger to help clear heat and dampness from the body.
Pain of any sort is difficult to live with, and peripheral neuropathy is no exception. The pain and numbness that it causes can severely impact one’s daily life on a physical, mental, and emotional level. To alleviate these symptoms, we can use acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy to address and remedy the pain and numbness associated with this conidiation. Acupuncture can also help support emotional wellbeing of those dealing with chronic pain and discomfort. Contac me to learn more about acupuncture, what it can do for you, and how it can address physical, mental and/or emotional symptoms.
References
Flaws, B., & Sionneau, P. (2005). The treatment of modern western medical diseases with chinese medicine: a textbook and clinical manual (2nd ed.). Boulder, CO: Blue Poppy Enterprises.
Head, K. A. (2006). Peripheral neuropathy: pathogenic mechanisms and alternative therapies. Alternative Medicine Review, 1(4), 294-329.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2018, August). Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet. Retrieved from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Peripheral-Neuropathy-Fact-Sheet
Schreiber, A. K., Nones, C. F., Reis, R. C., Chichorro, J. G., & Cunha, J. M. (2015). Diabetic neuropathic pain: Physiopathology and treatment. World Journal of Diabetes, 6(3), 432-444. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i3.432
Zhi, W. I., Ingram, E., Li, S. Q., Chen, P., Piulson, L., & Bao, T. (2018). Acupuncture for bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy: not just for pain. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 17(4), 1079-1086. doi:10.1177/1534735418788667
DISCLAIMER: this blog post is intended for informational purposes only. Do not perform any treatments included in the post yourself. This includes, but is not limited to, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and Chinese nutritional therapy. They should only be performed by educated and licensed acupuncture practitioners.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective treatment alone or in combination with conventional therapies to treat the following:
Nausea caused by surgical anesthesia and cancer chemotherapy
Dental pain after surgery
Addiction
Headaches
Menstrual cramps
Tennis elbow
Fibromyalgia
Myofascial pain
Osteoarthritis
Low back pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Asthma
It may also help with stroke rehabilitation.
If you are curious about the benefits of acupuncture, scheudule an appointment for a personal consultation, and evaluation.
