When nerves in your body get damaged, its called neuropathy.
The condition causes chronic pain.
If you have numbness, burning, or tingling in your hands or feet, its calledperipheral neuropathy.
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Many diseases causeneuropathic pain.
One of the most common isdiabetes.
There are several ways to treat neuropathy.
You might take a pill by mouth.
You could also get shots of medicine that make inflammation better.
These are calledsteroid injectionsor nerve blocks.
Topical creams made with substances that relieve pain can be used to treat neuropathy.
The most common ingredients are capsaicin and lidocaine.
you’re free to put the creams on the place on your body that hurts.
This article will talk about the topical treatments for neuropathy.
You will learn what to look for when shopping for these products.
Youll also find out how to use the creams correctly.
The medicine in the products is absorbed through the skin.
There are two kinds of topical medications that are used to treat neuropathy: analgesic creams and anesthetic creams.
Each one works in a different way.
Analgesic Creams
The word analgesic means pain relief.
You do not need a prescription from your doctor to use an analgesic cream.
Many of these products have an ingredient in them calledcapsaicin.
It comes from hot chili pepper seeds.
Anesthetic Creams
Ananestheticis a medicine that makes it so you cant feel pain.
This is called numbing.
An anesthetic cream helps with pain because itnumbs the area of your skinthat its rubbed on.
Lidocaineis the medicine in most anesthetic creams.
you’re free to also get patches with lidocaine in them.
You wear the patch on the part of your body that is hurting.
These work fastusually within an hour of putting them on.
Recap
There are two kinds of creams you’re free to use for nerve pain.
One works by blocking your nerves from sending pain signals.
The other numbs your skin so you dont feel pain.
Capsaicin
Capsaicin is a substance in chili peppers.
It can be used to treat many kinds of pain.
Some studies have looked at whether capsaicin can help people with neuropathy.
In 2017, researchers looked at studies that tested capsaicin products.
If other treatments for neuropathy dont work, some people might benefit from trying a capsaicin cream.
Prescription Creams
Most OTC products only have a little capsaicin in them.
If you need a stronger product, youll have to get a prescription from your doctor.
Qutenza is a high-dose capsaicin product thats usually prescribed for people who have diabetic neuropathy in their feet.
It can block your nerves from sending pain signals.
you might get creams OTC or as a prescription for your doctor.
Lidocaine
Lidocaine blocks pain signals in your body.
Creams and ointments that have lidocaine in them numb the areas you rub them on.
you might use lidocaine products on injuries like scrapes, insect bites, and minor burns.
Lidocaine may help with nerve pain.
Here are a few examples:
For some injuries, an OTC cream might not be enough.
If you needstronger pain relief, your doctor can prescribe you a more potent product.
If you cant feel that part of your body, it wont be painful.
Lidocaine is in many OTC products but you’re able to get a stronger prescription if needed.
If you are using a product with lidocaine in it, be careful.
If you cant feel a part of your body, you could get injured without realizing it.
Menthol
Mentholis a chemical naturally found in mint plants.
It can also be made in a lab.
Menthol is what gives minty gum or mouthwash a cool, refreshing feeling.
Skin creams made with mentholcan relieve minor pain.
Research has found that topical menthol products helped people who had nerve pain fromchemotherapy.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology calls topical menthol a promising agent for treating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Brand names include Bengay and Absorbine Jr.
Your doctor can also write you a prescription for a cream with menthol and other pain-relieving medicine in it.
People usually use this cream for pain caused byknee osteoarthritis.Research has shown that diclofenac can also treat neuropathic pain.
The burns can be severe in some cases (second- or third-degree).
Always talk to your doctor before using any kind of topical treatment for pain.
Menthol is a chemical in mint plants.
Its what gives minty mouthwash that clean feeling.
A cream that has menthol in it may help relieve some kinds of nerve pain.
you’ve got the option to get some OTC or have your doctor write you a prescription.
Some creams with menthol also have other pain medicine in them.
It can cause burns.
Other Herbs
There are other natural substances that may help relieve neuropathy pain.
Manyherbal treatmentscan make inflammation better.
They are said to have anti-inflammatory properties.
However, always ask your doctor before using a herbal product.
Creams and ointments can go directly on an area of skin that hurts and start working quickly.
These products are safe and may work, but be careful.
Using too much of a product with menthol in it can cause burns.
Lidocaine numbs your skin, so you could hurt yourself and not feel it.
Capsaicin can be very irritating if you get it in your eyes.
However, there are some ways that you’ve got the option to treat nerve pain.
Creams and ointments can be an easy, low-cost way to manage neuropathy.
it’s possible for you to talk to your doctor about prescription options.
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National Library of Medicine: DailyMed.Qutenzacapsaicin kit[drug label].
Ahmed SU, Zhang Y, Chen L, et al.Effect of 1.
5% topical diclofenac on clinical neuropathic pain.Anesthesiology.
Forouzanfar F, Hosseinzadeh H.Medicinal herbs in the treatment of neuropathic pain: a review.Iran J Basic Med Sci.
2018;21(4):347-358. doi:10.22038/IJBMS.2018.24026.6021
