What causes Neuralgia & how to deal with it?

Precisely, Neuralgia is defined as an intense, mostly intermittent pain along the course of a 

nerve, especially in the head or face. The stabbing pain originates from an affected nerve which may be the result of:

Ø  Ageing

Ø  Diseases such as Diabetes or Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling disease of the brain & spinal cord (central nervous system). The immune system attacks the myelin (protective sheath) that covers the nerve fibres and causes communication problems between the brain & other body parts. Symptoms vary from person to person depending upon the location of the affected nerve. They manifest in the form of:

·        Numbness/weakness in one or more limbs

·        Partial/complete loss of vision

·        Prolonged double vision

·        Slurred speech & so on

How Does MS Cause Neuralgia?

Multiple Sclerosis patients are often affected by ‘Trigeminal Neuralgia’.  The trigeminal nerve is one which travels from the brain to different parts of the face. MS patients suffer from Demyelination (loss of myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibres) which often becomes responsible for triggering the neuralgic pain! Trigeminal Neuralgia causes severe, recurrent pain in the face, usually on one side. In fact, sometimes it is one of the earliest and most painful symptoms of multiple sclerosis! Aged people (above 50) are common sufferers of this condition!

Other Risk Factors of Neuralgia

Diabetes: People affected with diabetes may have their nerves damaged because of excess glucose in the bloodstream. The commonly affected areas, in this case, are the hands, arms, feet & legs!

Shingles: This is a viral infection caused by Varicella zoster, the same virus that causes chicken-pox. After the chicken pox infection is gone, the virus may stay back in the nervous system for years & reactivate as shingles! It manifests in red skin rashes with sensations of pain & burning.

Shingles cause ‘Postherpetic Neuralgia’. It causes that same pain & burning, sometimes even three months after the shingles rashes have disappeared. People with this condition often cannot even bear the touch of clothing on the affected skin (Allodynia)! The risk generally aggravates with age or if the person’s immunity is weakened.

Most commonly, pressure on nerves may cause neuralgia. The compression may be induced by a bone, blood vessel or tumour! Swollen blood vessels’ pressure is mostly responsible for Trigeminal Neuralgia!

How to Deal with the Menace?

Exercise is the best answer. It releases natural painkillers called ‘Endorphins’. It also increases blood flow to the nerves in the legs & feet and revitalizes the damaged nerves! A daily walk could be the most recommended choice.

One should also thrive to get a good night’s sleep. Nerve pains worsen at night, thus disrupting sleep & further worsening the condition. This vicious cycle can only be broken with proper sleep habits like restricting caffeine intake at night, moving to bed early & getting about eight hours of sleep daily. Apart from these, certain home-made remedies like alternative hot & cold pack application can work wonders. Simply pressing a hot water bag provides great relief. Some may not want to alternate it with cold touches; it is the winter season after all!

STOP SUFFERING, START LIVING!!

Note: Through the synergistic combination of Classical Homoeopathy, Ayurvedic-Unani Formulations andInternationally Acclaimed Advanced Physiotherapy, Zilaxo Advanced Pain Solution aims to eradicate joint pain, counter the process of degeneration and promote bone health. The protocol is at once scientific, effective as well as safe. To avail treatment at Zilaxo, call on 1800 419 6607 (Toll-Free) or WhatsApp at +91 98304 26607.