Q My mother-in-law has type 2 diabetes and suffers from painful peripheral neuropathy. Her doctor has suggested strong painkillers, but she’s worried about the side-effects. Are there any natural remedies that can help with the pain?
T.C., via email
A Peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes—type 1 and type 2—occurring in up to half of patients.1 It refers to nerve damage affecting the body’s extremities, such as the hands and feet, and can lead to pain, numbness and tingling, loss of sensation, loss of balance and coordination, and serious foot problems such as ulcers and infections.
Besides methods to keep diabetes under control, like taking medication, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking or drinking, conventional treatment for neuropathy usually involves drugs to alleviate the pain, such as amitriptyline (an
