There are specific dietary recommendations and nutritional compounds that can reduce nerve inflammation, improve your blood sugar levels naturally, reduce your need for drugs known to cause neuropathy such as statins and make a better environment for the repair of damaged peripheral nerves. We combine these evidence-based drug-free dietary recommendations and nutritional supplements with our nerve stimulation therapies to achieve maximal benefit for our neuropathy patients.
We base a patient’s specific nutritional needs on their preliminary lab results. The following are some of the lab tests we may run to determine the best nutritional approach each individual patient will need:
Preliminary Lab Testing
- A Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP)
- A Lipid Panel
- A Thyroid Panel
- A CBC (Complete Blood Chemistry with Auto Differential)
- Vitamin and Mineral Testing (Vit D, B12, Calcium, phosphorus etc)
- Inflammation Testing: We test for Inflammation in your system by testing Homocysteine Levels and C - reactive protein (CRP).
- Iron and Ferritin Testing For Anemia
Many people with high cholesterol seen on their lipid panel are given statins. Statins have been studied to be a big cause of neuropathy
A study from the Neurology Journal May 2002 that says that statin/cholesterol drugs increase risk of PN by 1600%
Statins can cause neuropath because they:
- Inhibit the formation of cholesterol
- Cholesterol makes up the “sheath” of the nerve
- Statin drugs also inhibit formation of the CoQ10 enzyme
- CoQ10 is necessary for nerves to function
We can also assess your thyroid, adrenal, immune, blood and gut function. All can be affecting your nerve health. By addressing any problems with your thyroid, adrenal glands, immune system, blood chemistry or gut function, we can help your nervous system to function more properly. The complete metabolic panel allows us to check your blood glucose levels since glucose and oxygen are needed by the nerves to function properly.
Special Lab Panels and Testing
Your preliminary blood testing will let us know if any of the special testing listed below will be necessary in helping you recover from your neuropathy:
- Cyrex array 2-Intestinal permeability (Leaky gut testing)
Many neuropathy patients especially have an undiagnosed underlying auto-immune reaction going on in their body that is attacking their peripheral nerves. Many have a microscopic breakdown of their intestinal wall known as intestinal permeability. This breakdown called leaky gut will cause the small intestines and colon to become inflamed and porous most of the time without GI symptoms. An inflamed and leaky gut will cause overall body inflammation and lead to an inflamed nervous system. This is often an underlying cause of neuropathy. A leaky gut is also associated with driving a hypersensitive immune system attack on the nerves. The Cyrex Labs specialized immune testing for intestinal permeability will determine if you have leaky gut and if so what specific type. There are 3 types of leaky gut, and each has a specific treatment approach.
The Gut-Brain Connection:
The gastrointestinal system is known as the "Second Brain" and has just as many neurons as the brain itself. Our 2 brains- the one in our head and the one in our bowel- must cooperate. When they do not, then there is chaos in the gut and misery in the head-everything from "butterflies' to cramps, from diarrhea to constipation.
- Cyrex array 3- Advanced gluten sensitivity testing
Neuropathy sufferers that are also gluten sensitive may have excess gut and nerve inflammation from gluten sensitivity. Food sensitivities can drive the autoimmunity seen in immune based neuropathies. - Cyrex array 4-Food sensitivity and cross reactive food testing:
Neuropathy sufferers may also be sensitive to multiple foods beyond gluten. This test will pinpoint what foods are causing excess gut and nerve inflammation. (See CYREX Gut Brain Immune video tab on website) - Stool Microbial Ecology testing
for intestinal bacteria, yeast, parasites and dysbiosis. Eliminating intestinal inflammation will help to reduce overall body and brain inflammation - Adrenal Stress Index (ASI)
We can further test your adrenal glands with a test called an Adrenal Stress Index. Your adrenal glands are your “stress” organs, meaning that they react to stress. If you have been or are currently under stress, this test may be important! When your body’s cortisol levels are abnormal, it is a sign that your body’s sympathetic nervous system is over-firing. Abnormal cortisol levels can be corrected via specific neurologic and nutritional protocols
Note: Not all of the special tests are necessary for every neuropathy patient. Every neuropathy patient is different. Each patient will have specific recommendations for special tests based on their initial exam, preliminary blood work and their unique set of health complaints. Preliminary blood testing will help determine if any of the special lab panels explained above will be necessary for you.
Specific Nutritional Protocols
These specific nutritional protocols are based on your neurological testing, your blood work findings and your special lab panels. Our goal is to provide the nerves with the best metabolic environment to support and obtain the best results from our neurological care. These protocols are designed specifically for you and may include any of the following:
- Anti-inflammatory diet
- Specific diet and supplement protocols for leaky gut correction.
- Liver detoxification
- Specific diet and supplement protocols to decrease brain and gut inflammation and decrease chronic pain
- Non-drug protocols for high blood sugars, diabetes, hypoglycemia and high cholesterol
- Natural protocols for hypothyroidism
- Nutritional protocols for abnormal adrenal (stress gland) function
- Specific diet and supplement protocols for autoimmunity
- Food sensitivity diet recommendations
For information about our Reduced Cost Peripheral Neuropathy Recovery Evaluation including our neurological exam, advanced diagnostic testing and Report of Findings please put your name and email in the box below and we will send it to you along with other Peripheral Neuropathy care tips right away! Thank you!
