5. Unfortunately, treatment options often do nothing to reverse the condition, but they may help improve your quality of life. There are a number of medications, from topical ointments that contain hot peppers to help kill off bad nerve fibres, to pills, such as antidepressants or opioids. But Toth says many patients don't respond to treatment. In fact, a 30 per cent reduction in pain is usually considered to be a success. And, in most cases, the pain may even get worse over time. Another option to help manage pain is exercise. Toth says swimming is especially good because being in water reduces pressure on your body. Alternative or complementary medicine such as acupuncture, physical therapy and electrical nerve stimulation may also help manage pain.
Learn how you can sleep away the pain
If you have nerve-related pain, you may be experiencing poor sleep as well as depression.
• Sleep problems have been reported by 88 per cent of people with neuropathic pain.
• More than half (55 per cent) of people who have neuropathic pain said they have experienced anxiety or depression.
• The catch is that if you are tired, depressed or anxious, your body is likely to be more sensitive to pain.
What else can you do?
Make sleep and relaxation a priority. Try meditation, relaxation therapy or counselling.
• You can also talk to your doctor about prescription medications to help you sleep better and ease depression and anxiety. That said, exercise has been shown to be effective in lifting depression and improving sleep.
Page 2 of 2 -- Do you know the causes of neuropathic pain? Find out on page 1.
