Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat’s Most Effective?B12 DeficiencyCritical IllnessGuillain-BarréDiabetic NeuropathyAlcoholic NeuropathyDrug-InducedPain TreatmentsWeakness TreatmentsNumbness TreatmentsPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What’s Most Effective?
B12 Deficiency
Critical Illness
Guillain-Barré
Diabetic Neuropathy
Alcoholic Neuropathy
Drug-Induced
Pain Treatments
Weakness Treatments
Numbness Treatments
Prevention
The most effective treatment forneuropathyvaries from person to person. Treatment often depends on the underlying cause of the neuropathy, such as vitamin B12 deficiency or diabetes.While neuropathy cannot be cured or reversed, several medical approaches can help stop it from getting worse. There are also effective ways to alleviate neuropathy symptoms.
This article discusses the most effective treatment options for neuropathy depending on the underlying cause. It explains how to manage neuropathic pain, weakness, and sensory loss, and ways neuropathy may be prevented.
fizkes / iStockphoto
What Is the Most Effective Treatment for Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is usually considered a symptom or complication of another underlying condition. Thus, the most effective treatment is the one that targets the underlying cause.
It’s important to note that once neuropathy develops, it cannot be reversed or cured. However, effectively treating the underlying cause of the neuropathy can prevent it from getting worse. It can also help manage neuropathy symptoms, including weakness, numbness, and pain.
Treatment options for the most common causes of neuropathy are as follows.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Untreatedvitamin B12 deficiencycan lead to irreversible nerve damage and, as a result, neuropathy.
This nutritional deficiency is common among:
B12 Shots: Goal of Injectable Vitamin B
Critical Illness Neuropathy
Critical illness neuropathy develops as a complication of a severe, acute illness. It is the most common cause of nerve-related muscle weakness in hospital intensive care units.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)is a rare, autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the nerves, resulting in neuropathy. The disorder often develops after a viral respiratory or gastrointestinal infection.
This progressive and aggressive type of neuropathy often begins in the feet and gradually travels up the body, eventually weakening the muscles that control breathing. The onset of GBS requires immediate hospitalization.
How it’s treated:There is no known cure for GBS, although treatment can shorten its duration and help prevent severe complications. For most people, the disorder eventually resolves within a year of its onset. Treatment may involve:
Some people with GBS may experience recurrent episodes of worsening neuropathy weeks or even months after the initial onset of GBS. This condition, called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), typically can be managed with IVIG treatment or with corticosteroid treatment.
For diabetic neuropathy pain, anticonvulsant (anti-seizure) drugs, and certain antidepressants, including tricyclic antidepressants and amitriptyline, may be helpful.
Long-term, excessive alcohol consumption can damage nerves and result in alcoholic neuropathy. Up to one-half of all long-term excessive alcohol drinkers will eventually develop alcoholic neuropathy.
How it’s treated:The best treatment for alcoholic neuropathy is discontinuing alcohol consumption. Again, this will not cure the neuropathy, but it will prevent it from getting worse and allow symptoms to improve.
Often, nutritional deficits associated with heavy alcohol use can contribute to alcoholic neuropathy, and correcting these nutritional deficits may help the neuropathy as well.
Chemotherapeutic and Medication-Induced Neuropathy
Several medications are associated with neuropathy, particularly some chemotherapeutic medications.It is not possible to completely avoid medications that cause neuropathy, because many of them provide important medical benefits, and they do not always cause neuropathy for everyone who takes them.
How it’s treated:Depending on the severity of the neuropathy, discontinuing the medication can help prevent the neuropathy from worsening. When the medication responsible is medically necessary, such as chemotherapy, other treatment options that may relieve symptoms include:
Effective Treatments for Neuropathic Pain
There are several different treatments for neuropathic pain. The most effective treatment is not always the same for everyone, as you may not experience the exact same outcome and side effects as everyone else. This means that you and your healthcare providers may need to spend some time trying a few different options before discovering which is right for you.
The most common medications used for relieving neuropathic pain include:
Treatments for Neuropathic Muscle Weakness
Treatments for Sensory Loss
As with muscle weakness, it is not possible to repair the damaged nerves that control sensation. However, it is vital not to ignore this problem, as the sensory loss of neuropathy can lead to severe injuries and infections:
Preventing Neuropathy
Because neuropathy is a condition that does not generally heal, prevention is particularly important. There is little you can do to prevent some of thecommon types of neuropathy, but you should get medical attention if you notice the early symptoms of neuropathy, which typically include tingling, numbness, and a burning sensation.
Summary
Neuropathy is generally considered a symptom or complication of another underlying condition, such as diabetes or some severe infections. It cannot be cured or reversed. However, treating the underlying cause of neuropathy can prevent it from getting worse and may improve symptoms.
Treatment for neuropathy symptoms might include tricyclic antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, or electrical stimulation. Physical therapy can also help with managing neuropathy and improving mobility.
21 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Castelli G.Peripheral neuropathy: Evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Phys. 2020;102(12):732-739.Lehmann H, Wunderlich G, Fink G, Sommer C.Diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy.Neurol Res Pract. 2020;2(1):20. doi:10.1186/s42466-020-00064-2Girach A, Julian T, Varrassi G, Paladini A, Vadalouka A, Zis P.Quality of life in painful peripheral neuropathies: A systematic review.Pain Res Manag. 2019 May;2019(1):2091960. doi:10.1155/2019/2091960Stein J, Geisel J, Obeid R.Association between neuropathy and B-vitamins: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Euro J Neurol. 2021 Jun;2054-2064. doi:10.1111/ene.14786National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals.Shepherd S, Batra A, Lerner D.Review of critical illness myopathy and neuropathy.Neurohospitalist. 2017 Jan;7(1):41-48. doi:10.1177/1941874416663279Park SH, Jeong YJ, Kim NH.Critical illness neuromyopathy.Ann Clin Neurophysiol. 2020;22(2):61-66. doi:10.14253/acn.2020.22.2.61Johns Hopkins Medicine.Guillain-Barré syndrome.Leonhard SE, Mandarakas MR, Gondim FAA, et al.Diagnosis and management of Guillain-Barré syndrome in ten steps.Nat Rev Neurol. 2019 Nov;15(11):671-683. doi:10.1038/s41582-019-0250-9Allen J, Gelinas D, Freimer M, Runken M, Wolfe G.Immunoglobulin administration for the treatment of CIDP: IVIG or SCIG?.J Neurol Sci. 2020 Jan;408(15):116497. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2019.116497Bondar A, Popa A.Diabetic neuropathy prevalence and its associated risk factors in two representative groups of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus patients from Bihor county.Maedica (Bucur). 2018 Sep;13(3):229-234. doi:10.26574/maedica.2018.13.3.229Alam U.Diabetic neuropthy collection: Treatment of diabetic neuropathy.Diabetes Ther. 2020 Apr;11(4):765-772. doi:10.1007/s13300-020-00784-3Mount Sinai.Alcoholic neuropathy.Julian T, Glascow N, Syeed R, Zis P.Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Neurol. 2019 Dec;266(12):2907-2919. doi:10.1007/s00415-018-9123-1Jones M, Urits I, Wolf J, et al.Drug-induced peripheral neuropathy: A narrative review.Curr Clin Pharmacol. 2020 Apr;15(1):38-48. doi:10.2174/1574884714666190121154813Loprinzi C, Lacchetti C, Bleeker J, et al.Prevention and management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in survivors of adult cancers: ASCO guideline update. 2020 Jul;38(28). doi:10.1200/JCO.20.01399Johns Hopkins Medicine.Scrambler therapy offer lasting relief for chronic pain, review paper suggests.Harvard Health Publishing.Drugs that relieve nerve pain.Bernetti A, Agostini F, de Sire A, et al.Neuropathic pain and rehabilitation: A systematic review of international guidelines.Diagnostics (Basel). 2021 Jan;11(1):74. doi:10.3390/diagnostics11010074Kaiser Permanente.Diabetic neuropathy: Treatment for urinary problems.Shridharani A, Brant W.The treatment of erectile dysfunction in patients with neurogenic disease.Transl Androl Urol. 2016 Feb;5(1):88–101. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2223-4683.2016.01.07Additional ReadingNajafi B, Talal TK, Grewal GS, Menzies R, Armstrong DG, Lavery LA,Using plantar electrical stimulation to improve postural balance and plantar sensation among patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2017 Feb 1.
21 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Castelli G.Peripheral neuropathy: Evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Phys. 2020;102(12):732-739.Lehmann H, Wunderlich G, Fink G, Sommer C.Diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy.Neurol Res Pract. 2020;2(1):20. doi:10.1186/s42466-020-00064-2Girach A, Julian T, Varrassi G, Paladini A, Vadalouka A, Zis P.Quality of life in painful peripheral neuropathies: A systematic review.Pain Res Manag. 2019 May;2019(1):2091960. doi:10.1155/2019/2091960Stein J, Geisel J, Obeid R.Association between neuropathy and B-vitamins: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Euro J Neurol. 2021 Jun;2054-2064. doi:10.1111/ene.14786National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals.Shepherd S, Batra A, Lerner D.Review of critical illness myopathy and neuropathy.Neurohospitalist. 2017 Jan;7(1):41-48. doi:10.1177/1941874416663279Park SH, Jeong YJ, Kim NH.Critical illness neuromyopathy.Ann Clin Neurophysiol. 2020;22(2):61-66. doi:10.14253/acn.2020.22.2.61Johns Hopkins Medicine.Guillain-Barré syndrome.Leonhard SE, Mandarakas MR, Gondim FAA, et al.Diagnosis and management of Guillain-Barré syndrome in ten steps.Nat Rev Neurol. 2019 Nov;15(11):671-683. doi:10.1038/s41582-019-0250-9Allen J, Gelinas D, Freimer M, Runken M, Wolfe G.Immunoglobulin administration for the treatment of CIDP: IVIG or SCIG?.J Neurol Sci. 2020 Jan;408(15):116497. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2019.116497Bondar A, Popa A.Diabetic neuropathy prevalence and its associated risk factors in two representative groups of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus patients from Bihor county.Maedica (Bucur). 2018 Sep;13(3):229-234. doi:10.26574/maedica.2018.13.3.229Alam U.Diabetic neuropthy collection: Treatment of diabetic neuropathy.Diabetes Ther. 2020 Apr;11(4):765-772. doi:10.1007/s13300-020-00784-3Mount Sinai.Alcoholic neuropathy.Julian T, Glascow N, Syeed R, Zis P.Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Neurol. 2019 Dec;266(12):2907-2919. doi:10.1007/s00415-018-9123-1Jones M, Urits I, Wolf J, et al.Drug-induced peripheral neuropathy: A narrative review.Curr Clin Pharmacol. 2020 Apr;15(1):38-48. doi:10.2174/1574884714666190121154813Loprinzi C, Lacchetti C, Bleeker J, et al.Prevention and management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in survivors of adult cancers: ASCO guideline update. 2020 Jul;38(28). doi:10.1200/JCO.20.01399Johns Hopkins Medicine.Scrambler therapy offer lasting relief for chronic pain, review paper suggests.Harvard Health Publishing.Drugs that relieve nerve pain.Bernetti A, Agostini F, de Sire A, et al.Neuropathic pain and rehabilitation: A systematic review of international guidelines.Diagnostics (Basel). 2021 Jan;11(1):74. doi:10.3390/diagnostics11010074Kaiser Permanente.Diabetic neuropathy: Treatment for urinary problems.Shridharani A, Brant W.The treatment of erectile dysfunction in patients with neurogenic disease.Transl Androl Urol. 2016 Feb;5(1):88–101. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2223-4683.2016.01.07Additional ReadingNajafi B, Talal TK, Grewal GS, Menzies R, Armstrong DG, Lavery LA,Using plantar electrical stimulation to improve postural balance and plantar sensation among patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2017 Feb 1.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Castelli G.Peripheral neuropathy: Evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Phys. 2020;102(12):732-739.Lehmann H, Wunderlich G, Fink G, Sommer C.Diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy.Neurol Res Pract. 2020;2(1):20. doi:10.1186/s42466-020-00064-2Girach A, Julian T, Varrassi G, Paladini A, Vadalouka A, Zis P.Quality of life in painful peripheral neuropathies: A systematic review.Pain Res Manag. 2019 May;2019(1):2091960. doi:10.1155/2019/2091960Stein J, Geisel J, Obeid R.Association between neuropathy and B-vitamins: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Euro J Neurol. 2021 Jun;2054-2064. doi:10.1111/ene.14786National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals.Shepherd S, Batra A, Lerner D.Review of critical illness myopathy and neuropathy.Neurohospitalist. 2017 Jan;7(1):41-48. doi:10.1177/1941874416663279Park SH, Jeong YJ, Kim NH.Critical illness neuromyopathy.Ann Clin Neurophysiol. 2020;22(2):61-66. doi:10.14253/acn.2020.22.2.61Johns Hopkins Medicine.Guillain-Barré syndrome.Leonhard SE, Mandarakas MR, Gondim FAA, et al.Diagnosis and management of Guillain-Barré syndrome in ten steps.Nat Rev Neurol. 2019 Nov;15(11):671-683. doi:10.1038/s41582-019-0250-9Allen J, Gelinas D, Freimer M, Runken M, Wolfe G.Immunoglobulin administration for the treatment of CIDP: IVIG or SCIG?.J Neurol Sci. 2020 Jan;408(15):116497. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2019.116497Bondar A, Popa A.Diabetic neuropathy prevalence and its associated risk factors in two representative groups of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus patients from Bihor county.Maedica (Bucur). 2018 Sep;13(3):229-234. doi:10.26574/maedica.2018.13.3.229Alam U.Diabetic neuropthy collection: Treatment of diabetic neuropathy.Diabetes Ther. 2020 Apr;11(4):765-772. doi:10.1007/s13300-020-00784-3Mount Sinai.Alcoholic neuropathy.Julian T, Glascow N, Syeed R, Zis P.Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Neurol. 2019 Dec;266(12):2907-2919. doi:10.1007/s00415-018-9123-1Jones M, Urits I, Wolf J, et al.Drug-induced peripheral neuropathy: A narrative review.Curr Clin Pharmacol. 2020 Apr;15(1):38-48. doi:10.2174/1574884714666190121154813Loprinzi C, Lacchetti C, Bleeker J, et al.Prevention and management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in survivors of adult cancers: ASCO guideline update. 2020 Jul;38(28). doi:10.1200/JCO.20.01399Johns Hopkins Medicine.Scrambler therapy offer lasting relief for chronic pain, review paper suggests.Harvard Health Publishing.Drugs that relieve nerve pain.Bernetti A, Agostini F, de Sire A, et al.Neuropathic pain and rehabilitation: A systematic review of international guidelines.Diagnostics (Basel). 2021 Jan;11(1):74. doi:10.3390/diagnostics11010074Kaiser Permanente.Diabetic neuropathy: Treatment for urinary problems.Shridharani A, Brant W.The treatment of erectile dysfunction in patients with neurogenic disease.Transl Androl Urol. 2016 Feb;5(1):88–101. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2223-4683.2016.01.07
Castelli G.Peripheral neuropathy: Evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Phys. 2020;102(12):732-739.
Lehmann H, Wunderlich G, Fink G, Sommer C.Diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy.Neurol Res Pract. 2020;2(1):20. doi:10.1186/s42466-020-00064-2
Girach A, Julian T, Varrassi G, Paladini A, Vadalouka A, Zis P.Quality of life in painful peripheral neuropathies: A systematic review.Pain Res Manag. 2019 May;2019(1):2091960. doi:10.1155/2019/2091960
Stein J, Geisel J, Obeid R.Association between neuropathy and B-vitamins: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Euro J Neurol. 2021 Jun;2054-2064. doi:10.1111/ene.14786
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals.
Shepherd S, Batra A, Lerner D.Review of critical illness myopathy and neuropathy.Neurohospitalist. 2017 Jan;7(1):41-48. doi:10.1177/1941874416663279
Park SH, Jeong YJ, Kim NH.Critical illness neuromyopathy.Ann Clin Neurophysiol. 2020;22(2):61-66. doi:10.14253/acn.2020.22.2.61
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Leonhard SE, Mandarakas MR, Gondim FAA, et al.Diagnosis and management of Guillain-Barré syndrome in ten steps.Nat Rev Neurol. 2019 Nov;15(11):671-683. doi:10.1038/s41582-019-0250-9
Allen J, Gelinas D, Freimer M, Runken M, Wolfe G.Immunoglobulin administration for the treatment of CIDP: IVIG or SCIG?.J Neurol Sci. 2020 Jan;408(15):116497. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2019.116497
Bondar A, Popa A.Diabetic neuropathy prevalence and its associated risk factors in two representative groups of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus patients from Bihor county.Maedica (Bucur). 2018 Sep;13(3):229-234. doi:10.26574/maedica.2018.13.3.229
Alam U.Diabetic neuropthy collection: Treatment of diabetic neuropathy.Diabetes Ther. 2020 Apr;11(4):765-772. doi:10.1007/s13300-020-00784-3
Mount Sinai.Alcoholic neuropathy.
Julian T, Glascow N, Syeed R, Zis P.Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Neurol. 2019 Dec;266(12):2907-2919. doi:10.1007/s00415-018-9123-1
Jones M, Urits I, Wolf J, et al.Drug-induced peripheral neuropathy: A narrative review.Curr Clin Pharmacol. 2020 Apr;15(1):38-48. doi:10.2174/1574884714666190121154813
Loprinzi C, Lacchetti C, Bleeker J, et al.Prevention and management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in survivors of adult cancers: ASCO guideline update. 2020 Jul;38(28). doi:10.1200/JCO.20.01399
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Scrambler therapy offer lasting relief for chronic pain, review paper suggests.
Harvard Health Publishing.Drugs that relieve nerve pain.
Bernetti A, Agostini F, de Sire A, et al.Neuropathic pain and rehabilitation: A systematic review of international guidelines.Diagnostics (Basel). 2021 Jan;11(1):74. doi:10.3390/diagnostics11010074
Kaiser Permanente.Diabetic neuropathy: Treatment for urinary problems.
Shridharani A, Brant W.The treatment of erectile dysfunction in patients with neurogenic disease.Transl Androl Urol. 2016 Feb;5(1):88–101. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2223-4683.2016.01.07
Najafi B, Talal TK, Grewal GS, Menzies R, Armstrong DG, Lavery LA,Using plantar electrical stimulation to improve postural balance and plantar sensation among patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2017 Feb 1.
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