Treating Peripheral Neuropathy with Top 7 Natural Homeopathic Medicines

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that arises when the peripheral nerves malfunction or get damaged. The peripheral neuropathy can be a mononeuropathy (damage to a single peripheral nerve) or a polyneuropathy (malfunctioning of multiple peripheral nerves at the same time).  One of the leading causes of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes mellitus, but there can be many other reasons. Other reasons for peripheral neuropathy include an injury to nerves, low levels of vitamin B12, infections like shingles (an infection of the nerves caused by varicella zoster virus leading to fluid-filled tiny painful bumps on the skin) and Epstein-Barr. Other causes are Hepatitis C and autoimmune diseases like Guillain-Barre syndrome (an autoimmune disorder which causes weakness, tingling, numbness in feet and legs and eventually spreading upwards), lupus (an autoimmune disease that causes butterfly-shaped rash on the face, joint pains, headache, fever, tiredness, chest pain, dry eyes and memory loss) and necrotizing vasculitis (disorder causing inflammation of blood vessels). Excessive alcohol intake, tumors pressing on the nerves, chronic liver/kidney disease, thyroid disorders, certain medications including phenytoin, thalidomide, toxins like arsenic, mercury, inherited disorders like Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease causing damage to peripheral nerves are some other causes of peripheral neuropathy. In some cases, there may be no identifiable cause.

Homeopathic mode of treatment remains quite effective in managing cases of peripheral neuropathy. The approach to homeopathic treatment for peripheral neuropathy is entirely symptomatic management. It gives wonderful results in managing symptoms like numbness, tingling, pin needle sensation, and weakness in limbs. Though homeopathy might not offer help in severe cases and cases with serious causes of peripheral neuropathy but it can definitely have good scope in providing treatment to many mild to moderate cases.

Concept of individualised medication is highly emphasised in homeopathy to offer best results. As per this concept, the symptoms of the patient in a given case of peripheral neuropathy serve as the basis of homeopathic prescription. Hence, every individual case requires a detailed case analysis to find the presenting symptoms unique to them. Every case of peripheral neuropathy also needs to be thoroughly investigated to rule out the cause behind it and for proper prescription from a huge number of homeopathic medicines for peripheral neuropathy. A person should take homeopathic medicines for peripheral neuropathy under the supervision of a homeopathic physician and avoid self-medication.

Homeopathic medicines for peripheral neuropathy address the root cause behind it. In this way, rather than temporary relief, it provides a long-term help in symptom management. The results vary as per the intensity of the symptoms, the cause of the problem and individual response of the person to the medicines. Homeopathic treatment is recommended for cases of peripheral neuropathy having mild to moderate causes but in serious causes like Guillain-Barre syndrome, conventional mode of treatment is advised as homeopathy cannot help in such cases.

The homeopathic medicines for treating peripheral neuropathy are very safe to use among people of all age groups. This is due to the fact that homeopathic medicines are derived from natural substances, hence have no side effects at all and also never make a person dependent on them.

Top 7 Homeopathic Medicines for Peripheral Neuropathy

Some of the majorly indicated homeopathic medicines for symptomatic treatment of peripheral neuropathy include Kali Phos, Arsenic Album, Picric Acid, Oxalic Acid, Hypericum, Causticum and Plumbum Met.

1. Kali Phos – For Numbness in Hands and Feet

Kali Phos is an effective, natural homeopathic medicine for managing numbness in hands and feet in cases of peripheral neuropathy. Kali Phos also helps in treating prickling sensation in hands and feet. Along with this, a general fatigue or weakness is also present. A person needing Kali Phos tends to have a nervous, sensitive and irritable nature. Kali Phos is also indicated for cases of muscle weakness.

When to use Kali Phos?

Kali Phos is a top-recommended medicine to manage numbness of hands and feet resulting from peripheral neuropathy.

How to use Kali Phos?

This medicine is usually preferred in 6X potency that can be used three to four times a day as per symptom intensity.

2. Arsenic Album – For Burning Sensation in Hands/ Feet in Peripheral Neuropathy

Homeopathic medicine Arsenic Album is useful for treating burning sensation in the hands and feet in cases of peripheral neuropathy. The burning sensation may extend to arms and legs. Arsenic Album is also helpful for weakness and heaviness in the limbs in cases of peripheral neuropathy. Apart from the above, a tingling sensation in the fingers is also an indicating feature to use Arsenic Album.

When to use Arsenic Album?

Arsenic Album offers best help to manage burning sensation occurring in hands or feet due to peripheral neuropathy.

How to use Arsenic Album?

Arsenic Album 30C can be used once a day. Higher potencies should not be taken without the advice of a homeopathic doctor.

3. Picric Acid – For Pin-needle Sensation in Hand/Feet

Picric Acid is a beneficial homeopathic remedy used to treat a pin-needle like sensation in the hands or feet in cases of peripheral neuropathy. This sensation may be present in legs and arms. A weak, tired feeling in the limbs is also present. Exertion tends to make the complaint worse, and the limbs may become cold.

When to use Picric Acid?

This medicine should be considered to manage pin-needle sensation in cases of peripheral neuropathy.

How to use Picric Acid?

Picric Acid 30C can be utilized once a day.

4. Oxalic Acid – To manage Numbness and Tingling in Limbs

Use of medicine Oxalic Acid is indicated in cases of peripheral neuropathy where there is numbness and tingling in the limbs. Sharp and excruciating pains in the limbs also point towards the use of this medicine.

When to use Oxalic Acid?

This medicine is prominently indicated to deal with peripheral neuropathy with marked numbness and tingling in limbs.

How to use Oxalic Acid?

This medicine can be used one to two times in a week in 30C power.

5. Hypericum – For Peripheral Neuropathy Due to Nerve Injury

Hypericum is a natural medicine to manage cases of peripheral neuropathy arising from a nerve injury. The main indicating features to use Hypericum are numbness, tingling in hands or feet attended with burning pains. A crawling sensation may also be present in the hands and feet in some cases.

When to use Hypericum?

Hypericum is an effective homeopathic medicine for treating numbness, tingling, burning pains of peripheral neuropathy resulting from nerve injury.

How to use Hypericum?

Initially this medicine in 30C potency can be used twice or thrice a day.

6. Causticum – For Muscle Weakness in Peripheral Neuropathy

Causticum is a leading homeopathic medicine for treating muscle weakness in cases of peripheral neuropathy. There is marked muscle weakness in the limbs along with a sensation of formication (like ants crawling) in the limbs.

When to use Causticum?

This medicine should be highly preferred when it comes to manage cases of muscle weakness in cases of peripheral neuropathy.

How to use Causticum?

This medicine can be taken once a day in 30C potency.

7. Plumbum Met – For Thinning of Muscles in Peripheral Neuropathy

Plumbum Met is an important medicine for peripheral neuropathy in which the patient experiences wasting or thinning of the muscles of the limbs. Lightening like pains in limbs can attend. These pains get better from pressure. Numbness and tingling in limbs may also be felt.

When to use Plumbum Met?

This medicine is highly valuable to extend help for cases of peripheral neuropathy where thinning or wasting of muscles of limbs is present.

How to use Plumbum Met?

Plumbum Met 30C can be taken once or twice in a week. Higher potencies should not be taken without a physician’s advice.

What is peripheral nervous system?

The nervous system in our body is divided into two major divisions – the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system includes the spinal cord and the brain. The peripheral nervous system consists of a network of nerves that lie outside the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system connects the nerves from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body (organs, limbs, and skin). Peripheral nerves are of three types – sensory, motor and autonomic. The primary functions of these nerves are as follow:
Sensory nerves are responsible for transmission of signals like pain, touch, temperature and other sensations to the brain.
Motor nerves are held responsible for control of muscles.
Autonomic nerves are responsible for regulating autonomic functions of the body such as bladder function, digestion, body temperature, and blood pressure.

Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy

 The symptoms of this disorder depend on the type of peripheral neuropathy.

Sensory neuropathy: The symptoms of sensory neuropathy are numbness, tingling, pricking, pin/needle sensation, hypersensitivity and burning sensation in the hands and feet. The symptoms can spread up the arm and leg.
Motor neuropathy: The symptoms of motor neuropathy include muscle weakness, paralysis, twitching/cramping of muscles, wasting/thinning of muscles, impaired balance, and coordination.
Autonomic neuropathy: The symptoms of autonomic neuropathy include rapid heart rate, bowel/bladder symptoms, diarrhea/constipation, blood pressure changes, increased/decreased sweating and erectile dysfunction in men.