There is no cure for diabetes-related neuropathy. However, you can control it with medications, therapy, and tighter blood sugar control. Diabetes-related neuropathy is nerve damage that affects people with diabetes. The most common type is peripheral neuropathy, which often affects the feet.
The bottom line is that, unless neuropathy is in its early stages, the condition is virtually irreversible. That said, since neuropathy is progressive, there are ways to stop the condition, contain the damage, and make the person more comfortable. There are many things you can do to prevent or delay nerve damage. In addition, if you already have diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), there are self-care measures for diabetic neuropathy that you can take to prevent or delay further damage and to reduce symptoms. You'll also need to visit your diabetes professional (such as an endocrinologist) regularly to make adjustments to your diabetes management plan.
In addition to medical treatments, lifestyle changes can have a significant impact on the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. Smoking, high blood pressure, and being overweight also make people with diabetes more likely to suffer nerve damage. Rationally accepted replacement therapy with neurotrophic factors has not yielded any success in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. This condition is progressive, and if action is taken at the first signs of a problem (perhaps mild numbness and tingling in the feet), this nerve damage may be reversed. With better blood sugar control, symptoms of diabetes-related neuropathy, such as numbness and other abnormal sensations, may disappear within a year.
Maintaining control of blood sugar and diabetes is the most effective way to prevent complications of diabetes in general. Essentially, while complete reversion of diabetic neuropathy remains unlikely today, there is growing interest in research and therapies that aim to improve nerve function and prevent further damage. Adopting a balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients promotes nerve health, while regular exercise improves circulation and reduces the risk of further nerve damage. The concept of nerve regeneration remains an area of ongoing research, and while nerve repair is limited, controlling blood sugar levels and taking a proactive approach to treating symptoms can provide significant relief.
To start, a healthcare provider will ask you detailed questions about your medical history and diabetes management. Proper pain management can significantly improve the lives of people with diabetes and painful neuropathy. The regeneration or sprouting of nerves in diabetes can occur not only in the nerve trunk, but also in the dermis and around the ganglion neurons of the dorsal root, so they are involved in the generation of sensation of pain.
