| Sometimes my waiting room looks like a bad | | | | patients. |
| B-Movie. There are all sorts of poor souls, barely | | | | I told Norb that I couldn't promise him anything, |
| able to walk. Glazed look on their faces from the | | | | but that I could offer him several types of |
| heavy doses of medications they use to try to | | | | treatment that were unlike anything he had tried |
| quell their nerve pain. My office is most often the | | | | before. I was going to try to reverse Norb's |
| last stop on the train for these folks. To say they | | | | neuropathy using a 2000 year old treatment, |
| have been everywhere and tried everything is | | | | acupuncture and a 21st century treatment, low |
| not an overstatement. Their medical records are | | | | level laser therapy. I also started him on an herb |
| typically thicker than the Phoenix Metro phone | | | | called Centellia Asiatica that studies have shown |
| book. They are desperate and cynical. You can't | | | | may help nerve tissue to regenerate. |
| blame them, however, because the best medical | | | | We had less than a month to make enough |
| care available has done little to help them. They | | | | change in Norb's feet to convince the surgeon not |
| have the unenviable choice between horrific pain in | | | | to amputate his toes. Four silver needles were |
| their feet and legs or a zombie-like drug induced | | | | inserted into Norb's legs at acupuncture points |
| stupor. Not much of a choice, that's why they | | | | that were described thousands of years ago. The |
| come to see me. For one more "last chance" to | | | | ulcers in Norb's toes were "painted" with low level |
| get their life back. They are hoping for one more | | | | laser light. We treated Norb daily and by the end |
| option beside constant unrelenting pain and the | | | | of the first week, something remarkable |
| fog of powerful drugs. Their hopes have been | | | | happened. The angry flaming red tissue in Norb's |
| raised and dashed many times before, yet they | | | | feet changed to a healthy pink color. The ulcers |
| are willing to try one more thing to find some | | | | scabbed over. By the end of the second week |
| relief. They suffer from peripheral neuropathy. | | | | Norb's feet looked as healthy as a 40 year old. |
| What is neuropathy? | | | | His 10 over 10 pain rating dropped to zero. His |
| The literal translation of neuropathy means: neuro | | | | surgeon while bewildered happily canceled his |
| = pertaining to the nerves and pathy = sickness. | | | | amputation. |
| So, neuropathy then means "sick nerves". When | | | | It has been over a year now and Norb has had |
| nerves get sick people have big problems. The | | | | his neuropathy rear its ugly head several times. |
| nervous system controls and coordinates all | | | | Each and every time, four silver needles as fine |
| functions of the body. It is the communication | | | | as a hair and a simple red light have tamed the |
| system that carries information from one part of | | | | nasty beast. |
| the body to another. It is what allows organs to | | | | Neuropathy doesn't choose the aged and infirm. It |
| communicate and react to changes both inside | | | | doesn't spare the young and healthy. I'd like to tell |
| the body and in the external environment in which | | | | you about Joan (again name changed). Joan was a |
| the body must function. | | | | very successful executive secretary in her late |
| When nerves are damaged, they either send | | | | forties. One day her legs started to ache. It was |
| signals when they are not supposed to, or don't | | | | an annoyance at first. But rapidly progressed to |
| send signals when they should. This plays havoc | | | | pain in her feet and legs so horrific she was |
| with the complex command and control systems | | | | incapacitated. The burning and weakness in her |
| of the body by knocking out proper | | | | legs became so bad she was bed ridden. Like all |
| communications between various organs and | | | | of our neuropathy patients, she had been to |
| tissues. | | | | every type of doctor imaginable. She was quickly |
| So anything that interferes with the normal | | | | diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. Unlike Norb |
| communications process within the body has far | | | | whose neuropathy was secondary to diabetes, |
| reaching negative affects on a person. To put it | | | | the cause of Joan's neuropathy could not be |
| simply, sick nerves mean a sick person. | | | | determined. She is one of a large group of |
| Neuropathy can occur anywhere in the body, but | | | | patients diagnosed with idiopathic neuropathy. Or |
| is common in the lower extremities and in | | | | neuropathy of unknown cause or origin. Despite |
| particular the feet. Often the feet are affected | | | | standard medical care, she spiraled downward. |
| first and the symptoms progress up the body. | | | | She became totally disabled, lost her job and was |
| The hands are also commonly affected. Clinically | | | | given a grim prognosis. There was no identifiable |
| the classic sign of neuropathy is pain and or | | | | reason for her neuropathy, she was not |
| numbness in a "glove and stocking" pattern. | | | | responding to standard medical treatment and she |
| Meaning the patient has troubles in their hands and | | | | would likely keep deteriorating. She was told to |
| feet. | | | | consider the possibility that she would be a |
| In severe cases of neuropathy the nerves that | | | | wheelchair before she reached her 50th birthday. |
| control the stomach, heart or other organs can | | | | The specialist she was seeing told her that there |
| become damaged. This causes all sorts of | | | | was really nothing he or anyone could do for her |
| secondary signs and symptoms, depending on | | | | and there was no need for her to reschedule an |
| which nerves are damaged and the organs that | | | | appointment with him. |
| are controlled by those nerves. | | | | When I first saw Joan she wasn't in a wheelchair, |
| Even when the nerves are starting to regenerate, | | | | but she should have been. She absolutely could |
| troublesome symptoms may appear. As nerves | | | | not stand without holding on to someone or |
| are damaged, they repair by sprouting. These | | | | something. It took her forever to walk from our |
| immature nerve sprouts, called rootlets, are very | | | | waiting room to the treatment room. She was on |
| sensitive. They send signals spontaneously and are | | | | all sorts of powerful drugs that made it difficult |
| very sensitive to stimulation. Even a patient's | | | | for her to concentrate or to even carry on a |
| clothes touching the skin in the area of these | | | | conversation. She as is typical, had a stack of |
| immature rootlets can cause pain. For a patient to | | | | medical records testifying to the futility of |
| obtain good relief, it is essential to help these | | | | previous medical treatments. Neuropathy had |
| immature rootlets develop and mature to reduce | | | | taken her from an independent lady with a high |
| their mechanical sensitivity. | | | | paying job to total disability. |
| Neuropathy is one of the most common | | | | She could not work, she could not interact with |
| affiliations of the nervous system. Despite the | | | | her family, she could barely walk, and all the |
| fact that the condition affects so many people, | | | | specialists she consulted gave her grim prognosis |
| the typical approach to treatment is usually | | | | after grim prognosis. |
| inadequate. | | | | I told her about a 2000 year old remedy from |
| I would like to share with you the stories of two | | | | China that recent studies suggest can enhance |
| of my patients. They are actual patients, and | | | | nerve regeneration. She had heard about the |
| have agreed to allow me to discuss their cases, | | | | good results our other neuropathy patients had |
| but I will nevertheless change their names, to | | | | obtained with the low level laser therapy and |
| protect their privacy. | | | | acupuncture. She realized that standard medical |
| They represent the typical kind of cases of | | | | care had nothing left to offer her and she was |
| neuropathy treated in our office. Norb is a spry | | | | willing to give these and other forms of |
| full-of-life 90 year old. He has suffered from | | | | alternative medicine a try. She acknowledged she |
| diabetes for years. He has kept his diabetes under | | | | had nothing left to lose. |
| control and is in remarkable health and good | | | | Joan's neuropathy was severe; we gave her a |
| spirits. He still drives and is very active in the | | | | series of natural substances including specific |
| community. That was until he developed stinging | | | | amino acids, Elk Antler Velvet and other nerve |
| and burning pain in his feet. Over the next few | | | | growth promoting factors. We used acupuncture |
| months his toes turned flaming red. He | | | | and laser and ultrasound and electrical stimulation |
| experienced burning pain at night that he rated as | | | | to stimulate the nerves in her legs. She was very |
| a 10 over 10 on a pain scale. Then several of his | | | | dedicated and we treated her for over four |
| toes developed small sores. Needless to say Norb | | | | months. |
| went to every type of doctor imaginable. His | | | | You should she see her today. She is not cured, |
| condition deteriorated until one day he received a | | | | but she walks quite normally. She goes weeks |
| dire prognosis from his diabetes specialist. Norb's | | | | without severe pain and has been able to stop or |
| toes would have to be amputated. Norb as you | | | | reduce many of her pain medications. She plays |
| could imagine was devastated. | | | | with her grandchildren and is, as she describes, |
| Norb was also lucky, because he relayed his story | | | | "more close to normal than anyone could have |
| to a dental hygienist who happened to be a | | | | imagined". |
| patient in our office. She told him how we used a | | | | These cases represent what is possible with the |
| simple little red laser light to help her with her foot | | | | integration of alternative medicine with standard |
| problems. Norb scheduled an appointment for an | | | | medical care. Do all neuropathy patients respond |
| evaluation in a last ditch effort to save his toes. | | | | this way? Unfortunately the answer is no. But |
| When I met Norb, he could barely stand because | | | | alternative medicine and integrative neurology |
| of the pain in his feet. He had several sores | | | | offer tremendous promise to those patients who |
| known as diabetic ulcers on this toes and a few | | | | have exhausted all hope offered from standard |
| more on his shin. The stack of medical records he | | | | medical care. |
| brought with him was so large that his wife had | | | | What's more is that modern scientific studies on |
| to carry it. He admitted to me that he had tried | | | | many alternative interventions are documenting |
| so many other treatments and had seen so | | | | their effectiveness. Offering help and hope for |
| many other doctors; he had little hope that | | | | patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy, like |
| anything could help him. This is an admission I've | | | | Norb and Joan. |
| heard time-and time again from our neuropathy | | | | |