Nerve Damage/Nerve Pain

Nerve injury is injury to nervous tissue. There is no single classification system that can describe all the many variations of nerve injury. Most systems attempt to correlate the degree of injury with symptoms, pathology and prognosis. In 1941, Seddon introduced a classification of nerve injuries based on three main types of nerve fiber injury and whether there is continuity of the nerve.

Neurapraxia
This is the least severe form of nerve injury, with complete recovery. In this case, the actual structure of the nerve remains intact, but there is an interruption in conduction of the impulse down the nerve fiber. Most commonly, this involves compression of the nerve or disruption to the blood supply (ischemia). There is a temporary loss of function which is reversible within hours to months of the injury (the average is 6–9 weeks). Wallerian degeneration does not occur, so recovery does not involve actual regeneration. There is frequently greater involvement of motor than sensory function with autonomic function being retained. In electrodiagnostic testing with nerve conduction studies, there is a normal compound motor action potential amplitude distal to the lesion at day 10, and this indicates a diagnosis of mild neuropraxia instead of axonotmesis or neurotmesis.
Axonotmesis
This is a more severe nerve injury with disruption of the neuronal axon, but with maintenance of the myelin sheath. This type of nerve damage may cause paralysis of the motor, sensory, and autonomic. Mainly seen in crush injury.
If the force creating the nerve damage is removed in a timely fashion, the axon may regenerate, leading to recovery. Electrically, the nerve shows rapid and complete degeneration, with loss of voluntary motor units. Regeneration of the motor end plates will occur, as long as the endoneural tubules are intact.
Axonotmesis involves loss of the relative continuity of the axon and its covering of myelin, but preservation of the connective tissue framework of the nerve ( the encapsulating tissue, the epineurium and perineurium, are preserved ). Because axonal continuity is lost, Wallerian degeneration occurs. Electromyography ( EMG ) performed 2 to 4 weeks later shows fibrillations and denervation potentials in musculature distal to the injury site. Loss in both motor and sensory spines is more complete with axonotmesis than with neurapraxia, and recovery occurs only through regenerations of the axons, a process requiring time.
Axonotmesis is usually the result of a more severe crush or contusion than neurapraxia, but can also occur when the nerve is stretched (without damage to the epineurium). There is usually an element of retrograde proximal degeneration of the axon, and for regeneration to occur, this loss must first be overcome. The regeneration fibers must cross the injury site and regeneration through the proximal or retrograde area of degeneration may require several weeks. Then the neuritis tip progresses down the distal site, such as the wrist or hand. Proximal lesion may grow distally as fast as 2 to 3 mm per day and distal lesion as slowly as 1.5 mm per day. Regeneration occurs over weeks to years.
Neurotmesis
Neurotmesis is the most severe lesion with potential of recovering. It occurs on severe contusion, stretch, laceration, or Local Anesthetic Toxicity. Not only the axon, but the encapsulating connective tissue lose their continuity. The last (extreme) degree of neurotmesis is transsection, but most neurotmetic injuries do not produce gross loss of continuity of the nerve but rather internal disruption of the architecture of the nerve sufficient to involve perineurium and endoneuruim as well as axons and their covering. Denervation changes recorded by EMG are the same as those seen with axonotmetic injury. There is a complete loss of motor, sensory and autonomic function. If the nerve has been completely divided, axonal regeneration causes a neuroma to form in the proximal stump. For neurotmesis, it is better to use a new more complete classification called the Sunderland System.

Regeneration
Physiological mechanisms or neuroregeneration may include remyelination, generation of new neurons, glia, axons, myelin or synapses. Neuroregeneration differs between the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) and the Central Nervous System (CNS) by the functional mechanisms and especially, the extent and speed.
Surgery can be done in case a nerve has become cut or otherwise divided. Recovery of a nerve after surgical repair depends mainly on the age of the patient. Young children can recover close-to-normal nerve function. In contrast, a patient over 60 years old with a cut nerve in the hand would expect to recover only protective sensation, that is, the ability to distinguish hot/cold or sharp/dull. Many other factors also affect nerve recovery.

In contrast, repair after damage to the central nervous system is limited.

There are three principal types of nerves in the body. Sensory nerves are the ones which send information to our brain regarding our tangible environment, and they comprise our sense of touch. Motor nerves send information to muscles which govern our voluntary movements. Our autonomic nerves control involuntary body functions like our heartbeat.

Nerve damage is any kind of injury, whether minor or severe, that occurs to nerve fibers in any area of the body.

Various causes can be responsible for nerve damage, which generally presents in one of three forms: neurotmesis, neurapraxia, and axonotmesis.
Dozens of different types of nerve damage exist, but almost all of them can be described by one of the three above categories. Neurotmesis is the most severe form of nerve damage, which results in a complete loss of function and nerve continuity. It can be caused by severe bruising, tearing, or stretching of the nerve or surrounding tissue.

Axonotmesis is a less severe form of nerve damage, mainly seen as a result of injuries where the nerve is crushed or placed under too much pressure. The axon of the nerve is disrupted, but the nerve's structural integrity remains intact. This type of injury allows for the possibility of regeneration, which can take months or years to be complete.

Neurapraxia is the mildest type of damage, and usually allows for complete recovery within days or months. It is usually a result of pressure on a nerve which keeps it from functioning, and blocks the transmission of signals. Loss of blood supply may also cause neurapraxia.

The specific situational causes of nerve damage are as varied as the disorders that humans suffer from. Some conditions, however, are well-known for their ability to cause nerve damage. Diabetes is foremost among these, often causing the type of nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy. This term is nonspecific and refers to many types of nerve injury brought about due to diabetes.

About two thirds of people with diabetes suffer from some form of neuropathy.

The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy can strike any part of the nervous system, but there are some common signs to look out for. Pain, tingling sensations, and numbness in the extremities, as well as muscle atrophy in the feet and hands are some of the classic signs of this form of nerve damage. Digestive symptoms and sexual dysfunction, as well as an overall weakness, are also somewhat common for neuropathies of this type, although many people who suffer from it experience no noticeable symptoms at all.

The word neuropathy is derived from two parts: "neuro" referring to the nerve and "pathy" indicating disease. Peripheral neuropathy is a condition involving the nerves outside the central nervous system, mainly in the arms and legs.

Nerves are the communication lines of the body.

Electrical signals from the brain travel through the nerves and give instructions to the various body parts. The body receives information from the environment through the senses and sends this information to the brain via the nerves.
The majority of the peripheral nerves are responsible for sensations you feel such as touch, pain and temperature. There are literally millions of these nerve endings in your fingers, hands, toes and feet which are designed to keep you out of danger and away from the things that are hot, cold, sharp, etc.
These nerves in your hands and feet also help you control the numerous small muscles and intricate movements in these regions of the body. It would also be difficult to walk without knowing what your feet are standing on or to pick things up if you had no idea how hard you were gripping something.

Peripheral nerve cells have three main parts: cell body, axons, and dendrites (or terminal).
Nerve damage or neuropathy normally occurs when the outer sheathing or the myelin (protective covering) of nerve cells degenerate. Without this protection the electrical signals are not transferred properly just like if you stripped the covering off of the electrical wires in your house.
As the nerve damage gets worse, the nerves either lose their ability to transmit information (numbness), or they start sending false signals (pain and tingling).
When the insulation begins to crumble, the unprotected "wire" will start short-circuiting.

When the signal cannot be sent through the nerve, the area not receiving the messages will result in numbness.

Neuropathy is the condition where the nerves have sustained enough damage that there is noticeable numbness, pain or tingling.

Types of Nerves that can be Damaged:
Cranial: Nerves go from your brain to your eyes, mouth, ears and other parts of your head.
Peripheral: Nerves go from your spinal cord to your arms, hands, legs and feet.

Central Nerves are in your brain and spinal cord.

Autonomic: Nerves go from your spinal cord to your lungs, heart, stomach, intestines, bladder and sex organs.

What causes this nerve damage?
Most commonly, it is diabetics that suffer from this type of nerve pain and it is a major complication of the disease. It is the higher than normal sugar levels that creates the damage.

However, there are many other reasons some of which are listed below (alphabetically).

1. • Alcoholism
2. • Amyloidosis (metabolic disorder)
3. • Autoimmune disorders
4. • Bell's Palsy
5. • Cancer
6. • Cancer treatments
7. • Carpal tunnel syndrome
8. • Charco Marie-Tooth disease
9. • Chemotherapy Treatment
10. • Chronic kidney failure
11. • Compression neuropathy - pressure on an area
12. • Connective tissue disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sarcoidosis)
13. • Diabetes mellitus
14. • Foods that are toxic
15. • Herniated disc
16. • Infectious disease (e.g., Lyme disease, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, leprosy)
17. • Liver failure
18. • Many Medications (such as Lyrica, Cymbalta, Duloxetine hydrochloride, Pregabalin, and more.
19. • Radiation Treatment
20. • Radiculopathy
21. • Surgeries that damage a nerve
22. • Vitamin deficiencies (e.g., pernicious anemia, etc.)
23. • Zinc induced copper deficiency (denture adhesive creams)

The sad fact is that after a while this misfiring of the nerves can get so bad that people are unable to walk or pick things up and can get to a point where they would rather have a limb amputated then continue with this nerve pain.

How does this happen?
Chronic Neuropathy can start when your nerves are deprived of oxygen (anoxia). But, here are many reasons why this might happen and it is sometimes a combination of reasons.

1. • Too much sugar or insulin in your blood (diabetes)
2. • The use of many medications
3. • Nutritional deficiencies,
4. • Exposure to toxic substances (ingested in food, drugs, chemicals, water or pollution)
5. • Radiation therapy for cancer,
6. • Chemo therapy for cancer
7. • Laying in one position too long (nerve compression, entrapment or laceration)
8. • Physical injuries (trauma) to the nerve
9. • Injury from a surgery.
10. • Prolonged compression as in the wearing of inappropriate footwear, etc.
11. • Infections that can all block oxygen getting to your nerve cells.

Too many free radicals in your bloodstream can also attach themselves to the oxygen and make it unavailable to the cells. Sometimes inflammation in the lower back or sciatic nerve area of the buttocks can restrict blood flow, depriving oxygen to the nerves. Common drugs like statins (to reduce cholesterol) can eat away the myelin sheath - which is composed mostly of cholesterol. Statins are designed to lower the cholesterol which is what the body needs to maintain the myelin sheath.
High blood pressure medication can cause neuropathy by decreasing blood flow at the extremities, like the feet or hands. There are many reasons.


Other terms for Neuropathy:

1. Nerve Damage
2. Paresthesia or paraesthesia
3. Dysesthesias
4. HSAN1 - Hereditory sensory and autonomic neuropathy
5. HSN1 - Hereditory sensory neuropathy
6. Neuralgia
7. "Numbness & tingling" or "pins and needles"
8. "Poor balance of nerve damage" - Ataxia
9. Formication
10. Demyelinating Syndrome
11. Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP):

Neuropathy Symptoms:
More than 100 types of neuropathy pain have been identified, each with its own set of symptoms, development, Impaired function and symptoms.
These symptoms depend on the type of nerves -- motor, sensory, or autonomic -- that are damaged. Some people may experience numbness, tingling, and pricking sensations, sensitivity to touch, or muscle weakness. It is the cause of numbness in the fingers and even left arm pain and tingling.
Others may suffer more extreme symptoms, including burning pain (especially at night), shooting pain, muscle wasting, paralysis, or organ or gland dysfunction. When motor nerves are damaged, the muscles are affected and effect coordination and control. Small fiber neuropathy affects the nerve endings in the fingers or toes.
You can get nerve damage in any part of your body, it depends on what nerve is damaged. It can be your hands, feet, arms, legs, head, face, etc. etc.
The symptoms of nerve damage and thus what is referred to as diabetic nerve pain and other nerve pain are often slight at first. In fact, some mild cases may go unnoticed for a long time.

Numbness, pain, or tingling in the feet and ankles or legs may, after several years, lead to weakness in the muscles of the feet and burning feet.

Diabetic neuropathy can flare up suddenly and affect specific nerves so that an affected individual will develop double vision or drooping eyelids, or weakness and atrophy of the thigh muscles. Nerve damage caused by diabetes generally occurs over a period of years and may lead to problems with the digestive tract and sexual organs, which can cause indigestion, diarrhea or constipation, dizziness, bladder infections, and impotence.
Neuropathy as a side effect of chemotherapy can cause these same symptoms, can create a lack of coordination due to the motor nerves being effected and can even cause chemo-brain as it is due to nerve damage.
The loss of sensation in the feet may increase the possibility for foot injuries to go unnoticed and develop into ulcers or lesions that become infected, not to mention having trouble with coordination.
Certain artificial stimulants, namely cigarettes and alcohol, are known to aggravate the condition. Both of these work to slow blood flow throughout the body. In the process, less nutrients and oxygen is being delivered. This is the last thing that you want if you have neuropathy.

Peripheral neuropathy affects at least 20 million people in the United States.

Treatments for Neuropathy Pain:
There are several drug treatments for neuropathy. There are medications such as Lyrica and Cymbalta that attempt to cover up the pain. Lyrica, is an anti-seizure medication... It is used for neuropathy as it stops the nerves from talking to each other so you don't feel the pain. But long term it can cause more damage. Cymbalta is a anti-depressant which is used because it lowers a person's awareness and thus their awareness of the pain.
As with all medications, they have side effects that do not enhance your health. Additionally, Cymbalta as an anti-depressant can be difficult to stop taking, especially without severe side effects.
Rebuilder: Combines a footbath with an electrical current. Claims to open up nerve channels and stimulate circulation to the affected area.
Alpha lipolic acid which as an anti-oxidant attempts to protect the nerves that no further damage is done to the body. It can help with the symptoms, but will not repair the nerves. In some cases, it can bring some relief, but needs to be taken in large amounts (800-1200 mg) a day.
Glutamine & B6 – (no scientific evidence), some people with chemo induced neuropathy have had some relief. There is, however, some concern that it may stimulate tumor growth.
Anodyne Therapy: Infrared light to increase circulation and stimulate production of nitric acid. It is supposed to relax the arteries and eliminate free radicals. Pads are put over the injured areas. Pain is supposed to be relieved with increased circulation and more nitric oxide in the blood. Can treat common injuries.
None of the above treatments, however, have the nutrients the body needs to repair the damaged nerves They do not address the actual cause of neuropathy - the nerve damage.

Natural Neuropathy Pain Treatment:
Most people with neuropathy are only treating the symptoms of the nerve damage and not the cause of the problem. Whether it is diabetic nerve damage, or damage from chemo, the cause has to be addressed.
Many medications given for this problem only attempts to cover up the pain. Sometimes the medications actually makes the problem worse due to side effects of the drug given. This can cause more problems instead of correcting the problem.
Other electronic devices (infrared) that merely heat the feet have been tried unsuccessfully.

The only way to correctly manage neuropathy is to address the real causes, not the symptoms.

The body will heal the nerve if it is given the correct tools to do so.
It has been known for some time that increased levels of Thiamine (vitamin B1) in the blood stream are very effective in reducing and reversing neuropathy.
Unfortunately, the oral intake of vitamin B1 does not greatly increase the levels of B1 in the blood stream. Previously, intravenous feeding or injections directly into blood stream every few weeks were needed to increased levels of B1.
The reason methods like this had to be used is that Thiamine (sometimes spelled Tiamine), like all of the B vitamins, is water-soluble. Thiamine cannot be stored in the body and flushes out within 4 to 5 hours. Oral intake of Thiamine over 5 mg results in greatly reduced bioavailability (available for the body to use) and immediate flushing from the body (this is why urine frequently turns yellow when taking larger doses of B vitamins).
Neuropathy has also been found to be caused and made worse by deficiencies of vitamin B12 in the body. Vitamin B12 supports the sheathing that protects nerve cells and has shown in studies that it promotes the regeneration and growth of nerve cells.
In the past it has been difficult to remedy this deficiency. The reason for this is that while vitamin B12 is readily stored by the body, it is not readily absorbed by the body. For this reason much larger amounts have been used in supplementation, but even large oral dosages have not been an adequate solution.
The most common type of vitamin B12 used in supplements is called Cyanocobalamine. Taking Cyanocobalamine can result in absorption of as little as 1/2 of 1% of the amount taken, which makes it almost impossible to get enough of this vitally important vitamin.
In addition to the very low absorption, the body must convert the Cyanocobalamine (which cannot be used by the body) to a form of vitamin B12 the body can use called Methylcobalamine. Unfortunately, as the body gets older it loses this ability to convert Cynocobalamine to Methylcobalamine.
For the above reasons, as people get older, many physicians recommend regular monthly injections of vitamin B12 to maintain adequate body levels or to replenish greatly depleted stores of this vital nutrient.
Medical marijuana given as a whole plant extract: tincture, oil, edibles, vaporizer, balm.

A Remedy for this Problem:
You might have heard of the new type of vitamin B1 being produced, called Benfotiamine. It is a fat-soluble version of vitamin B1. What does this mean? It means this new form of vitamin B1 can be taken orally in large dosages and it will not flush out of the body the way ordinary Thiamine (vitamin B1) does.
The result is that by taking Benfotiamine the blood stream levels of vitamin B1 can now be greatly increased, nutritionally supporting the body to rapidly and effectively decrease or eliminate the symptoms of Neuropathy.
Also available is Methylcobalamine (called Methyl B12). This is the form of vitamin B12 that can be directly utilized by the body and is available in the quantities nutritionally needed by the body to repair itself. Methyl B12 can be taken orally and is immediately available to the body much like injectable vitamin B12.
The vitamins talked about above are available together. The name of the product is “Nerve Support Formula” It contains both Benfotiamine and Methyl B12. The result is that the blood stream levels of vitamin B1 and vitamin B12 can be greatly increased, providing the nutritional support needed by the body to rapidly and far more effectively to decrease or eliminate the symptoms of neuropathy by repairing the nerve damage that was done.
Reports are that someone previously using just the Benfotiamine reported a lessening of their symptoms within 4 to 7 days. The “Nerve Support Formula” is far more effective than either the Benfotiamine or Methyl B12 alone.
Both Benfotiamine and Methyl B12 have been shown to be non-toxic and without any side effects even in very high dosages.
These vitamins have a 90 Day money back guarantee and the company who makes it also has a live support line. This money back guarantee means that you can buy 1, 2 or 3 bottles (up to three months worth) and return them if this doesn't work for you. They have consultants that will guide you through whatever you need to do to get relief. They don't just sell you a vitamin. They keep in communication with you by email to make sure that you are getting results from the product.
However, people often have gotten relief in as little as two weeks and less. Some take longer, due to the fact that this remedy is actually giving the body what it needs to heal the body. It allows the body to actually repair the nerves.
The dosage can also be adjusted to get the best results in the least amount of time. If you are experiencing nerve damage with symptoms such as:

• * Tingling or numbness in the fingers, toes or legs.
• * Feeling cold, burning or pain in the hands, feet or legs.
• * Extreme sensitivity to touch, even a light touch.
• * Sharp pains or cramps, stabbing and shocks, shooting pain
• * Loss of balance and coordination.(ataxia)

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.

• 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.

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 is 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
• • medical marijuana

Complementary and alternative approaches may also help alleviate your nerve pain and discomfort. These include:

• • acupuncture
• • biofeedback
• • hypnosis
• • meditation
• • medical marijuana

Medical Marijuana and Nerve damage/Nerve pain

Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications. These include pain relief-particularly of neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage)-nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia. Emerging research suggests that marijuana’s medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors and are neuroprotective.
Currently, more than 60 U.S. and international health organizations-including the American Public Health Association, Health Canada and the Federation of American Scientists-support granting patients immediate legal access to medicinal marijuana under a physician’s supervision. (Click here for a complete listing of organizations.) Several others, including the American Cancer Society and the American Medical Association support the facilitation of wide-scale, clinical research trials so that physicians may better assess cannabis’ medical potential. In addition, a 1991 Harvard study found that 44 percent of oncologists had previously advised marijuana therapy to their patients. Fifty percent responded they would do so if marijuana was legal. A more recent national survey performed by researchers at Providence Rhode Island Hospital found that nearly half of physicians with opinions supported legalizing medical marijuana.
The American Medical Association (AMA) was one of the most vocal organizations to testify against the ban, arguing that it would deprive patients of a past, present and future medicine.
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Smoking cannabis, also known as marijuana, reduced pain in patients with nerve pain stemming from injuries or surgical complications, new research shows.
Twenty-one adults with chronic nerve pain were taught to take a single inhalation of 25 milligrams of cannabis through a pipe, three times a day, for five days. The cannabis contained one of three levels of potency of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, as well as a placebo dosage containing no THC.
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TOO POOR FOR POT? All of the patients rotated through each of the four dosages, with nine days of no smoking in between.
Patients smoking the highest potency marijuana (9.4%) reported less pain than those smoking samples containing no THC. Patients also reported better sleep and less anxiety, according to the Canadian study.
On an 11-point scale, the average daily pain intensity was 6.1 for those smoking 9.4% THC concentration, compared to 5.4 for those smoking cannabis containing no THC.
"Patients have repeatedly made claims that smoked cannabis helps to treat pain, but the issue for me had always been the lack of clinical research to support that claim," said Dr. Mark Ware, director of clinical research at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit of the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal. In this small but randomized, controlled trial, "the pain reductions were modest, but significant," he said. "And it was in people for whom nothing else worked."
The study is published in the Aug. 30 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Persistent nerve pain, clinically known as neuropathy, can be very difficult to treat, Ware said. These patients had tried other treatments for neuropathy, such as opioids, anticonvulsants, antidepressants and local anesthetics, with little relief, Ware said.
In addition, the THC potency levels used in the study were kept at 2.5%, 6% and 9% — considerably less than the 12% to 15% often found in marijuana sold on the street, Ware said.
Researchers kept the levels low for two reasons, Ware explained. One was to minimize the psychoactive effects, such as feeling lightheaded, dizzy, detached, nauseous or euphoric. Secondly, because this was a randomized, controlled clinical trial, minimizing the obvious signs of being "high" helped keep participants in the dark about what potency they were smoking.
In an accompanying commentary, Dr. Henry McQuay, a professor in the chronic pain unit at Oxford University in England, called the study well-designed, adding that it provides more evidence cannabis can help relieve pain.
But the unwanted side effects of cannabis can be significant, McQuay said.
"If you regard each paper like a brick in a wall, we have a number of studies, including this one, that suggest some pain patients are helped by cannabis," McQuay said. "The usual caveat is, 'Do the side effects to the nervous system outweigh the benefits, if they have to push the dose?'"
In his experience working with pain patients, few have seen long-term benefits of smoked cannabis, he said. Most find morphine and other painkillers more effective.
Side effects are a real problem with using smoked cannabis, Ware said. While recreational users are seeking an altered state of mind, research shows that legitimate medical marijuana users are not looking to get high. Instead, they only want to smoke what they need to reduce their pain so they can work and function more normally.
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Has anyone here used marijuana to alleviate the side effects of nerve damage and/or nerve regeneration after damage?
Two years ago, I had a gastric bypass operation. I suffered from some post-op aneorexia, and eventually I was numb to my chest, the muscles in my feet and legs atrophed, and I completely lost use of my feet/legs. I had a Bilateral Peripheral Neuropathy/myopathy combination.
It's a much longer story than that, but that's the basics.
I was in a wheelchair for 6 months, then began smoking pot.
I was up walking with a walker within a month, and could walk on my own within two.
I had shown no real improvements until I started smoking the pot. I'm just curious about others who maybe HAVE been scripted for neuropathy or similar...Scientifically, how does it work for nerve regen?
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Pot May Ease Nerve Pain, Study Shows
Patients Report Less Neuropathic Pain After Smoking Marijuana Cigarettes, but Their Mental Skills Falter
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
June 26, 2008 -- New research on "medical marijuana" shows that smoking pot may ease nerve pain at the expense of certain mental skills.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis report that news in the June edition of The Journal of Pain.
They studied 38 adults with nerve pain (neuropathic pain) who had smoked pot in the past but abstained from smoking marijuana for 30 days before the study.
Participants visited the researchers' lab three times, where they smoked a marijuana cigarette made for research purposes, under the National Institute of Drug Abuse's supervision.
During the sessions, which were held at least three days apart, participants either smoked a pot cigarette containing a high dose of THC (marijuana's active ingredient), a lower dose of THC, or no THC.
Participants got specific instructions about when to light up, inhale, and exhale. They were supervised as they smoked and for two hours after that, and then taken home.
Before and after smoking their assigned cigarette, participants rated their pain. Their pain ratings dropped more after smoking the THC cigarettes than the placebo cigarette lacking THC. The higher dose and lower THC doses had comparable effects, which began to wear off an hour or two after they stopped smoking.
People that suffer with chronic pain either have severed, or damaged pain receptor nerve endings. Scientifically proven, if an opiate nerve receiver is not available to block pain because of nerve damage, or severed nerves, opiates such as morphine, or codeine would have little to no effect on the pain area. Scientific studies further point out, although an opiate nerve ending receiver may be severed, or damaged, the THC (marijuana nerve receivers) are intact and do benefit the pain patient by alleviating pain. This is because the nerve cannabinoid receptors appear to maintain functional pain blocking receivers regardless of damage at a pain trigger point which also benefits neuropathic radial pain (radiating pain to distal portions of the body through neural conduit highways).
Two of the studies recommended for funding would look at whether smoking marijuana helps relieve nerve pain that comes with HIV. Current drugs have proved ineffective at blunting the pain, researchers said.
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I believe..Cannabis treats my ulnar nerve damage.
My doctor made the comment you suggested bubble, edibles are way more effective.. but I will tell you this..smoking cannabis has reversed the numbing and tingling in my nerves that vicotin only masked..
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Bubba Kush is what I was smoking when one morning I woke up without the constant tingling, just as quickly, as it had appeared...i still have pain, and my fingers will "lock up" if i bend my elbow for a long time..hand washing dishes always get me, but other than that, cannabis has improved my quality of life.
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Re: Nerve Damage
I have radial nerve damage, use edible cannabis (not weed, sarc.) and feel way better. Perhaps the key is not to smoke cannabis, but to ingest it.
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Well, we found something else medical marijuana can help: chronic nerve pain. This comes from the International Anesthesia Research Society, or IARS. Using a compound similar in makeup to marijuana, they were able to significantly reduce neuropathic pain symptoms in adults. What's even better is that this compound, currently called MDA19, successfully treated chronic nerve pain without the usual painkiller side effects.
This is great news, considering how hard it is to treat neuropathic pain. Often, pain doctors prescribe painkillers originally designed for other uses, such as anticonvulsants or antidepressants. Even then, pain may not be well controlled.
Here's hoping that MDA19 research carries on! This could be a major breakthrough for people who suffer from chronic nerve pain every day.
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Medical Marijuana for Nerve Pain
From Erica Jacques, About.com Guide July 11, 2010
A decade ago, California gave almost $9 million dollars to the Medicinal Cannabis Research Center at UC San Diego. That money paid for seven clinical trials. Five are done; two are still in the works. The Center’s Igor Grant says researchers found marijuana helps relieve pain that’s caused by nerve damage or disease — or by taking anti-viral drugs for HIV-AIDS.
"Burning, tingling, painful, unpleasant to sometimes insufferable feelings largely in the feet and legs and also in the arms," Grant said.
The condition’s called “painful peripheral neuropathy.” UC San Diego’s Igor Grant says about 10 percent of people in the U.S. suffer from it.
University researchers focused on this nerve condition because opiates, anti-depressants or other common treatments don’t work all the time for any patient — and don’t work at all for some.
Researchers added marijuana to the treatment regimen for patients with “painful peripheral neuropathy” — and it helped. They also tested marijuana’s effect on muscle spasms that cripple patients with multiple sclerosis and prevent them from sleeping. Marijuana helped reduce the spasms.
"What was interesting to us about the findings is that they were very consistent. That short-term treatment did reduce pain," Grant said.
Very short term treatment. Researchers administered marijuana to patients for as little as a week. California’s marijuana studies were also limited in size; just 200 people participated.
UC San Diego’s Igor Grant said the clinical trials on marijuana took a long time to complete because of all the federal regulation involved. He says the federal government approved only one source of marijuana for medical research. Once UC San Diego had some of the stuff, federal agents came to the Medicinal Cannabis Research Center in San Diego to verify the stash was kept in a vault — bolted to the floor.
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I have terrible nerve damage all over my body. The only thing that has come close to alleviating it is pot.
About 6 years ago, I suffered a skiing accident that left me with nerve damage on my entire left side. I made some recovery for the next 9 months, but was really down in the dumps. At that point I made the decision to try marijuana and man was it the right decision. In the next 5 years I am on the verge of recovering my hand and my leg is almost back to where it was. Similarly, research now suggests that marijuana stimulates the production of new neurons and nerves in the brain. There have been some reports in very recent research that marijuana stimulates the growth of gross motor nerves.
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Pot May Ease Nerve Pain, Study Shows
Patients Report Less Neuropathic Pain After Smoking Marijuana Cigarettes, but Their Mental Skills Falter
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
June 26, 2008 -- New research on "medical marijuana" shows that smoking pot may ease nerve pain at the expense of certain mental skills.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis report that news in the June edition of The Journal of Pain.
They studied 38 adults with nerve pain (neuropathic pain) who had smoked pot in the past but abstained from smoking marijuana for 30 days before the study.
Participants visited the researchers' lab three times, where they smoked a marijuana cigarette made for research purposes, under the National Institute of Drug Abuse's supervision.
During the sessions, which were held at least three days apart, participants either smoked a pot cigarette containing a high dose of THC (marijuana's active ingredient), a lower dose of THC, or no THC.
Participants got specific instructions about when to light up, inhale, and exhale. They were supervised as they smoked and for two hours after that, and then taken home.
Before and after smoking their assigned cigarette, participants rated their pain. Their pain ratings dropped more after smoking the THC cigarettes than the placebo cigarette lacking THC. The higher dose and lower THC doses had comparable effects, which began to wear off an hour or two after they stopped smoking.
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Recommended Strains for Nerve damage/pain:
Grape Ape, Sour Grape, Blueberry, Trainwreck, Caviar, ChemBerry, Ice, G-13, Purple Kush..