A Spicy Treatment for Diabetic Neuropathy

Up to half of all people with diabetes will develop diabetic neuropathy over the course of their disease. A safe, simple, topical herbal cream can help.

Diabetic neuropathy is caused by peripheral nerve damage that causes numbness, tingling, burning, pain and weakness in the fingers, legs and feet. It can lead to further problems, like foot ulcers and infections.

Drugs that are used for diabetic neuropathy focus on pain management rather than treating the underlying condition, and they are associated with significant side effects.

Capsaicin is an active component in chili peppers with anti-inflammatory and pain-killing properties. This systematic review put together the evidence from 18 studies of capsaicin for treating diabetic neuropathy.

The conclusion was that a 0.075% capsaicin cream applied to the painful areas 4 times a day for 8 weeks reduces pain intensity and improved pain relief. As a bonus, perhaps because of the pain relief, the topical herbal application also improved sleep quality.

Capsaicin cream not only works, but, unlike the drugs, it works safely: the herbal cream was well tolerated in the studies. It safely improved pain, walking, working and sleeping.

Biomed Pharmacother. September 2022;153:113439.

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For much more on preventing and treating diabetes naturally, see our book The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.

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