Nerve pain, or neuropathy, is something that plagues millions of people worldwide, including many people in my own family. Growing up, the conversation of neuropathy was something I heard about regularly, as it affected my mom, her mom, and her mom before her. I had never given much thought to it until I started studying the healing arts, and realized I might be able to help relieve some of the suffering I was watching my family go through. And so began many hours of studying, formulating, and testing, until my sister and I found what we believed to be a product we could be proud of: Nerve Ease.
What is Neuropathy?
Neuropathy, as defined by the national cancer institute, is a nerve problem that causes pain, numbness, tingling, swelling, or muscle weakness in different parts of the body.
Most of my life I had thought of neuropathy as something that plagued diabetics, though, I knew this couldn't be quite accurate, as several of the people I knew who suffered from it were not in fact diabetic. Turns out, there are over 100 types of peripheral neuropathy! Peripheral neuropathy refers to neuropathy of peripheral nerves, those outside of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by damage to those nerves as a result of a physical accident, certain diseases or infections, treatment to certain diseases, and excessive alcohol consumption. When damage
takes place, it can affect the signals these nerves send out, and cause any combination of the above listed symptoms, as well as itchiness and sensitivity to touch.
If you're like me, you tend to think of neuropathy as affecting the feet, but with over 100 types of neuropathies, the feet are only the beginning. Other forms of neuropathy can include things like carpal tunnel, Bell's palsy, and postherpetic neuralgia from the shingles virus to name a few. And while there are some oral medications on the market to treat this disease, none of them claim to repair the nerves, therefore making it incurable. Between this and the side effects that some people experience from these medications, we felt that a natural, topical solution might be a better option for these people.
What is Nerve-Ease?
Specifically formulated to work with pain associated with the nerves, Nerve-Ease is a topical cream that is designed to be applied directly to the area of discomfort. As it contains no medication, it can be used multiple times a day as needed but is also crafted with active ingredients that may offer continued relief when used daily. Many people have found great relief with Nerve-Ease for several conditions that include arthritic pain, muscle pain, brachioradial pruritis, peripheral neuropathy, quilter's elbow, and fasciitis. Below I will walk you through the ingredients we chose to include in Nerve-Ease, and how they work when applied topically to the body.
Key Ingredients:
Helichrysum Essential Oil- Perhaps the most impressive ingredient in Nerve-Ease, Helichrysum oil's properties include anti-inflammatory, analgesic, calming, antispasmodic, neuro-protective, and regenerative. It is known to penetrate deep into the tissues and circulatory system where it is said to regenerate cells in the body and restore damaged nerves. Helichrysum stimulates the lymphatic system, aiding it in eliminating debris from the body.
Castor Oil- This oil has been used throughout history for pain relief. It is rich in Ricinoleic acid which is proven to be an effective pain reliever. The essential fatty acid content is said to reduce inflammation and increase blood flow. The oil can also be effective in alleviating numbness and tingling often associated with nerve disorders, as well as restoring nerve tissue.
Cayenne- Cayenne, and its active ingredient capsaicin have been extensively studied for pain relief of many kinds, including neuropathy. When applied topically to the skin, capsaicin can help reduce the pain associated with peripheral neuropathy by desensitizing the nerve endings in the affected area. It works by depleting a neurotransmitter called substance P, which is involved in transmitting pain signals to the brain. Research suggests that it may be effective in providing relief for certain types of neuropathic pain, such as postherpetic neuralgia (nerve pain that follows shingles) and diabetic neuropathy.
Magnesium- Magnesium is needed for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, yet as many as 70% of us are deficient in this mineral. Topical application allows the body to increase its stores of magnesium, thus optimizing these enzymatic reactions. As it relates to nerves, magnesium is essential for the health of the myelin sheath (the insulating lining of the nerves), nerve conduction, and muscle relaxation.
Arnica- This herb is anti-inflammatory and analgesic in nature. It is commonly used to reduce swelling and stimulate circulation, both of which can be very beneficial when trying to heal nerve problems. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of arnica is its ability to stimulate white blood cell activity, necessary for healing the body.
In addition to the above listed ingredients, we included Colt's Foot as an active ingredient. There has been only a little research into its use for neuropathy, but what they are finding shows a lot of promise in its ability to help neuropathy! We will update the blog as more information is made available.
As you can see, Nerve-Ease is packed full of active ingredients to offer the best possible results. We are proud to say that there are no fillers in our nerve cream, and each ingredient is all natural, so you can feel good about putting it on your body!
Ready to try Nerve-Ease for your nerve pain? Follow the link below and get 15% off your first order with coupon code: BLOG15