Summary: Tonight on Beating Neuropathy and Chronic Pain, we'll be talking again about advances in managing neuropathy and chronic pain. For those of you who are technically-minded, there are some relevant studies on PubMed to read over. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has published the NINDS Chronic Pain Information Page that can provide definitions and helpful information. Last week we talked about adopting an avoidance or anti-inflammatory diet. One of the diets that can help gastrointestinal issues is the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, and tea) diet. This is a good remedy for gastric flu as well. We strongly recommend avoiding gluten and dairy. One of the substances we use in our NeuropathyDR clinics is benfotiamine. It is a fat-soluable version of thiamine, or Vitamin B1. Patients who take benfotiamine orally or topically can experience an increase in cellular metabolism. For this reason, we do not recommend patients actively fighting cancer to take benfotiamine. Dr. Hayes co-developed a product called Benfo-Spray, which is available at ReBuilder Medical. Another resource is Benfotiamine.net. Capsaisin, if used long-term and frequently, can cause skin cancer. Always check with a licensed health care professional before trying these products. Other options include taking Omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium. Distilled fish and krill oils are good sources of Omega-3's. Many people have magnesium deficiencies and benefit from taking a formulation such as magnesium malate, or taking epsom salt baths. Magnesium is one of the best tools for treating chronic pain. Thank you for being part of the Beating Neuropathy family! Please continue to submit your questions to us through facebook.com/BeatingNeuropathy or email.
