Your nervous system is involved in everything your body does, from regulating your breathing to controlling your muscles and sensing heat and cold.

There are three types of nerves, or neurons, in the body:


Autonomic nerves.
These nerves control the involuntary or partially voluntary activities of your body, including heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and temperature regulation.
Motor nerves. These nerves control your movements and actions by passing information from your brain and spinal cord to your muscles.

Sensory nerves.
These nerves relay information from your skin and muscles back to your spinal cord and brain. The information is then processed to let you feel pain and other sensations.
Nerve pain and nerve damage can be mild. But, because nerves are essential to all you do, nerve pain and damage can seriously affect your quality of life.

What Are the Symptoms of Nerve Pain and Nerve Damage?

With nerve damage there can be a wide array of symptoms. Which ones you may have depends on the location and type of nerves that are affected. Damage can occur to nerves in your brain and spinal cord. It can also occur in the peripheral nerves, which are located throughout the rest of your body.

Autonomic nerve damage may produce the following symptoms:

inability to sense chest pain, such as angina or heart attack
too much sweating (known as hyperhidrosis) or too little sweating (known as anhidrosis)
lightheadedness
dry eyes and mouth
constipation
bladder dysfunction
sexual dysfunction
Damage to motor nerves may produce the following symptoms:

weakness
muscle atrophy
twitching, also known as fasciculation
paralysis
Sensory nerve damage may produce the following symptoms:

pain
sensitivity
numbness
tingling or prickling
burning
problems with positional awareness
In some instances, people with nerve damage will have symptoms that indicate damage to two, or even three, different types of nerves. For instance, you might experience weakness and burning of your legs at the same time.



What Causes Nerve Pain and Nerve Damage?

There are more than 100 different types of nerve damage. The various types may have different symptoms and may require different types of treatment.

More than 20 million Americans are afflicted with peripheral nerve damage. This type of damage becomes increasingly more common with age. In one out of every three people with peripheral nerve damage, the damage comes from diabetes. In another third, the cause of the nerve damage remains unknown.

While not an exhaustive list, the following are some of the possible causes of nerve pain and nerve damage:

Autoimmune diseases . A variety of different types of autoimmune diseases can produce symptoms of nerve pain and nerve damage. These include: multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome (a rare condition in which the immune system attacks the peripheral nerves), myasthenia gravis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Cancer . Cancer can cause nerve pain and nerve damage in multiple ways. In some instances, cancerous masses may push against or crush nerves. In other cases, certain types of cancer may result in nutritional deficiencies that affect nerve function. Additionally, chemotherapy and radiation may produce nerve pain and nerve damage in certain individuals.
Compression/trauma. Anything that results in trauma or compression of nerves can result in nerve pain and nerve damage. This includes pinched nerves in the neck, crush injuries, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Diabetes. About 50% of people with diabetes suffer from nerve damage, which becomes more likely as the disease progresses. Diabetic neuropathy is a serious complication and may affect all three types of neurons. Sensory nerves are most often affected, causing burning or numbness. If you have diabetes and are experiencing symptoms of nerve pain or nerve damage, you should consult a medical professional as soon as possible.
Drug side effects and toxic substances. Various substances that are taken into the body intentionally or unintentionally have the ability to cause nerve pain and nerve damage. These include medications, such as chemotherapies for cancer and certain drugs used to treat HIV. Toxic substances that may be ingested accidentally, including lead, arsenic, and mercury, may also cause damage to your nerves.
Motor neuron diseases. The motor neurons are nerves in your brain and spinal column that communicate with the muscles throughout your body. Diseases that affect these nerves, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, can result in progressively worsening nerve damage.
Nutritional deficiencies. Deficiencies of certain nutrients, including vitamins B6 and B12, may produce symptoms of nerve pain and nerve damage, including weakness or burning sensations. Nutritional deficiencies that cause nerve damage may also result from excessive alcohol ingestion or develop after gastric surgery.
Infectious disease. Certain infectious diseases have the ability to affect the nerves in your body. These conditions include Lyme disease, the herpes viruses, HIV, and hepatitis C.

how Are Nerve Pain and Nerve Damage Treated?

In many instances, nerve damage cannot be cured entirely. But there are various treatments that can reduce your symptoms. Because nerve damage is often progressive, it is important to consult with a doctor when you first notice symptoms. That way you can reduce the likelihood of permanent damage.

Often, the first goal of treatment is to address the underlying condition that's causing your nerve pain or nerve damage. This may mean:

regulating blood sugar levels for people with diabetes
correcting nutritional deficiencies
changing medications when drugs are causing nerve damage
physical therapy or surgery to address compression or trauma to nerves
medications to treat autoimmune conditions
Additionally, your doctor may prescribe medications aimed at minimizing the nerve pain you are feeling. These may include:

pain relievers
tricyclic antidepressants
certain anti-seizure drugs



Homeopathic Remedies

Aconite While in Hering's Guiding Symptoms over seventy remedies are mentioned as applicable in various neuralgias, yet there are a few that come to mind and use much more frequently than others. Aconite is one of these. It is almost a specific for facial neuralgias of congestive form. It seems to have an elective action on the trigeminus nerve, producing painful sensations. It corresponds to recent cases in young subjects traceable to cold drafts, exposure to dry, cold winds, etc. The special features are the continuous pain not only in the nerve, but in the surroundings parts; the red, swollen face, tingling, great excitement and intolerance of the pain; patient declares that something must be done. According to Baehr and other observers, it acts better in the higher potencies in neuralgia. It is also applicable to rheumatic prosopalgia, with swelling of the face. The zygoma, cheek and articulation of the jaw are favorite seats of the pain. Plantago major is especially applicable to sharp neuralgic pains plying between the teeth and ears. Otalgia finds a valuable remedy in Plantago. Chamomilla. Neuralgia with great nervousness; pains uterly intolerable, worse at night and from warmth, accompanied with heat of face, thirst, redness, hot sweat, very impatient, can hardly answer a civil question. Of little use in the lower potencies.

Colocynth This is also a remedy for recent cases traceable to emotions, catarrh, or exposure, the characteristic being tearing pressive pains worse from motion and touch and relieved by rest and external warmth. The attacks are paroxysmal,mostly on left side, though the sciatica is right-sided. Abdominal neuralgias of a pure nervous type, not inflammatory. Ovarian neuralgias are often greatly benefited by colocynth. The pains of Colocynth are better from rest and pressure, but return as soon as pressure is removed. Nux vomica has also proved useful in many cases. Jousset places great reliance on it in high dilutions. Neuralgias about the abdomen, worse on left side. Stannum pains gradually increase and gradually decrease. "Sun neuralgias." Of great use in neuralgias of the supraorbital nerve following intermittent fever and abuse of quinine. Rhus. Neuralgia from eating,worse in damp weather. Spigelia. Baehr claims first place for this remedy in the treatment of prosopalgia. The pains are rheumatic, jerking,tearing,worse from dampness, contact, motion,touch sending a shudder through the frame, are periodical and attended with anxiety at the heart and restlessness or preceded by palpitation. The location of the pain is in the nerves of the forehead,orbit and teeth of upper jaw. There is often a sensation as if the eye were too large. Ciliary neuralgias or leftsided prosopalgias where the pain comes up over the head from the occiput; burning,sticking pains,worse from change of weather,call for the remedy. It is not so often indicated in chronic cases. Colchicum also has left-sided pains,a kind of paralytic weakness, lacking the severity of Spigelia. Cimicifuga has supra-orbital neuralgia, but it is usually reflex, dependent upon uterine disturbances. This remedy produces a picture of myalgia, worse at night;prosopalgia in nervous women, coming on afternoons and going off at night. Left infra-mammary pains, which often indicate ovarian troubles, will suggest Cimicifuga.

Belladonna. Hartmann lays special emphasis on Belladonna for infra-orbital neuralgic, accompanied with increase of tears and saliva. There are violent cutting pains coming on towards evening, most violent about midnight; the paroxysms are of long duration and there are symptoms of vascular excitement; the pains radiate to temples, ears and nape; are worse from noise, motion , jar, chewing, cold air, etc., and are relieved by absolute rest and warmth. In prosopalgia the face is swollen, bright red and the pain is particularly severe; the pains come and go suddenly and hyperaesthesia marks the remedy. Atropine sulphuricum 3 is recommended by Kafka in case Belladonna fails. Hale also speaks highly of Atropine in neuralgias. The indications seem to be intermittency of the pains, appearing and disappearing suddenly. Jerking and twitching of the muscles mark the remedy. China has neuralgic pains which are aggravated by touching the parts, or by a draft of cold air. A malarial basis or complication is an additional indications. Most neuralgias that are recurrent are on an anaemic basis and here China often finds its indications. Belladonna has a plethoric habit which strongly contrasts with China.

Arsenicum. The more purely nervous the affection the more effective is Arsenicum. It has the well-known intermitting burning, stinging, hot needle-pain, the distressed countenance, the restlessness and the periodicity. It holds the first place in miasmatic neuralgias, especially of malarial origin, neuralgias from influenza or simple debility with great aggravation at approach of night, and relief from external heat. The pain are severe and drive the patient from place to place. It suits especially infra-orbital forms with a Hippocratic countenance during the attack. Its effect is rapid, and sometimes rivals a powerful dose of Opium. Among other remedies for malarial neuralgias are: Natrum muriaticum. Neuralgias worse at seashore; ciliary neuralgias worse at midday, affections from abuse of quinine. Cedron. Periodicity, appearing every evening with clock-like regularity. Supra-orbital pains worse on left side with burning in eyes. It especially suits the trigeminal form due to malarial poisoning. Sulphur, China and Chininum sulphuricum are also useful remedies in malarial neuralgias. Capsicum has fine, acute, penetrating,burning neuralgic pains in the right malar bone,worse by contact and by draft of air,and is especially severe just as the patient is about to go to sleep. In prescribing Arsenicum in neuralgia one must be careful not to give too low a potency, even the 6th will often aggravate, as the nerves are apt to be specially irritated. Baehr says Arsenicum quiets nervous pain better than any other medicine.

Platinum. A useful remedy where there is a constrictive pain, numbness, profuse lachrymation, worse at night and at rest. The pains are cramping, causing numbness and tingling; pain at the root of the nose or in the other part of the body as if squeezed in a vise. The pains also increase gradually and decrease gradually, as in Stannum. Mercurius. Neuralgias from hollow teeth, worse at night. Staphisagria. Neuralgias from hollow teeth, especially suitable to old people with a mouth full of hollow stumps, which pain violently at times. Platinum suits especially hysterical subjects who have profuse, thick, black exhausting menses.

Mezereum. This remedy is indicated by the spreading character of the pains, and the aggravation from warmth; they are accompanied with chilliness and sensitiveness. There is a stupefying pressure and the pains are worse at the midnight hours. Especially useful in mercurial and syphilitic subjects. After the attack there is a numbness remaining. It is a chief remedy in intercostal neuralgia setting in with zona or shingles. Ranunculus bulbosus is the remedy for intercostal neuralgia with sharp stitching pains following the course of the nerves ; stitches in chest on every change of weather , sore spot in chest. Among other remedies having chest pains are: Gaultheria, pains in anterior mediastinum; arnica,sore,bruised feeling; Rhus radicans, pains shoot to shoulder blade; Senega, pain and soreness; Cimicifuga, etc. a psoric or arthritic soil will demand as a systemic remedy an antipsoric such as Sulphur or Lycopodium, and if of syphilitic origin high dilutions of Syphilinum will clear the field. Mezereum is most useful in ciliary neuralgia when there is a cold feeling in the eye, and it is one of the best remedies for neuralgias which are reflex from decayed teeth.

Verbascum. Pressure, tensive pain in the zygomatic bones worse from pressure, mastication and cold air. The parts feel crushed, as if squeezed between tongs; aggravated by talking and sneezing. Kalmia has a neuralgia brought on by exposure to cold,involving the teeth of the upper jaw,rending pains, worse from worry or mental excitement, worse on right side. It has cured some of the most severe and long lasting cases. The tincture is recommended by Cowperthwaite, but other observes find the higher potencies quite as useful. The neuralgia is not confined to the facial nerve, but extends to the sides of the neck and shoulders.

Magnesia phosphorica. This remedy has an excellent clinical record in neuralgias. It is curative in a typical facial neuralgia where the pains are intermitting, darting and are relieved by warmth, this relief from warmth being the guiding symptom; neuralgias involving whole of side of head and neck. pulsatilla is one of the best remedies for acute facial neuralgias of rheumatic origin. Allium cepa. Nueralgias of stumps after amputation, also Hypericum. Prunus is frequently promptly curative in severe ciliary neuralgias with agonizing lightning-like pains, worse right side.

Calcarea carbonica is especially adapted to neuralgias in those of a leuco-phlegmatic temperament. It has pain from right mental foramen along jaw to ear, attended with frequent urination, and relieved by warm applications. Scrofulous constitution, disposition to grow fat, flabby muscles, aversion to cold air, the least cold air goes through fat, flabby muscles, aversion to cold air, the least cold air goes through and through, feet are always damp and cold. These are valuable symptoms. To treat neuralgias successfully one should not rely alone on the symptoms, but take into consideration the neuralgic temperament and the soil that produces such, whether of psoric, sycotic or some other toxaemic basis.

Agaricus is used when muscles on one side of the face are stiff and twitching, or grimacing happens on the other side. Agaricus helps those who are excitable and have health anxiety and overacute senses.

Overwhelming weakness, chilliness and paralysis on the left side may be helped by Cadmium sulphuratum. The patient could also have a distorted mouth and have extreme difficulty closing one eye.

Causticum helps when the paralysis has developed gradually on the right side, opening and closing the mouth has become difficult, and the patient inadvertently bites the inside of his cheek or tongue. The person does best in warmth and may be weak and restless

Cocculus deals with one-sided facial paralysis that accompanies tension or pain in the other cheek that increases when the mouth is being opened. Dizziness, weakness, numbness and a worsening of symptoms may occur as an indication that this remedy is needed.

Nux vomica also tends to be used for those with one-sided paralysis that is usually on the left and goes along with a person who is hypersensitive to odors, sounds, light and a personality that is irritable and impatient.

Platina (Platinum) can be used in those who have a distortion that raises one eyebrow and also causes numb cheeks, lips and other body parts.

Arnica Montana is best for those who have sustained an injury prior to getting Bell's Palsy symptoms. They may have also experienced grief, financial loss, aching limbs, and an aversion to tobacco.

Hypericum performatum can be utilized when there has been nerve damage and the jaw begins to lock. It may be needed when the patient has spasms and asthmatic attacks.

When the mouth and face begin to feel stiff and the patient is sensitive to cold air, you can use Mezerum.

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