Neuropathic pain by diabetes does not have to incapacitate the patient

According to the Mexican Association for the study and treatment of pain, in the country 4.5 percent of the population suffers some neuropathic pain, which originates from an injury or dysfunction of the central nervous system, although the most common cause is diabetes.

The constant high levels of blood glucose gradually affect the nerves of the whole body, which alters its functions;This problem is medically called diabetic neuropathy, from which the so -called neuropathic pain is derived, which is explained as the damage to the nerve endings that work so that we have sensations, for example, by recognizing the temperature of an object, among others.

In this regard, Rocío Guillén Núñez, head of the Service of the Palliative Support and pain in Oncology, of the National Cancer Institute, explains that excess blood glucose wears the outer layer that protects the peripheral nerves, called myelin, leavingexposed by sections the “duct” through which electrical information is transmitted through the body.

"Glucose wears myelin until it leaves` Hoyitos´ and the electrical impulse has no protection, so sensation occurs as touches or downloads, "says the algologist (medical specialist in pain treatment).

The damage is gradual and affects the function of the nerves in arms, legs, chest, abdomen, in vertebrae (where the spinal cord is located) or inside the cranial vault.Thus, the affected party feels cramps, electrical touch sensations, burning or itching, or that the skin ants walk, being able to numb or numb certain parts of the body.

Those who have experienced neuropathic pain indicate it as capable of making it impossible to have a normal life, for its intensity and frequency.

Dr. Guillén Núñez adds that the patient with diabetes at some point in her illness will have painful distal diabetic poly-disease (neuropathic pain), and the time it arises will depend on the control you have on their blood glucose.

Unfortunately, many people do not know that glucose levels have high until they have this type of ailments.On the other hand, there are patients who consider normal to support pain, until they no longer endure burning, itching, feeling of cold excessive and heat that are part of the neuropathic clinical picture.

Those who experience pain for years have created their entire life system around it, and this does not mean that it should live.

While pain is a significant sign that something is wrong in our body, we do not have to live with it or create a life system around it, in other words, neuropathic pain should not be disabled.So whoever decides to leave it behind must receive psychological therapy, and the help of other disciplines, such as yoga or self -realization techniques, to learn to live without the ailment.

In addition, specialists in their treatment can prescribe drugs such as neuromodulators who try to return to normal to the nervous system, and who act by repressing their excitation function in order to modulate the intensity of pain.

It should be noted that few people know about the existence of pain clinics, entities in which patients with uncontrollable discomfort are received and where conventional treatment has not helped them.In this place the diagnosis of the patient is evaluated and measures are implemented to give it a solution.

However, the first step will be to keep glucose levels always in a range within normality, by administration of drugs, exercising and taking care of food.(Source: ID/DICYT agency)