Do you have debilitating nerve pain in your foot that you are finding difficult to live with? Does soaking your feet in apple cider vinegar help neuropathy? Team Respect Caregivers finds out.
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The feet are always prone to pain and problems as they carry the entire weight of the human body and allow you to remain mobile all the time. In America, approximately every one in four older adults complains of foot pain.
Aside from being a famous and flavorful salad dressing, apple cider vinegar has remarkable healing properties and health benefits. It increases your heart health, kills germs, and relieves arthritis symptoms.
Several healthcare clinics and doctors have started to recommend apple cider vinegar as an effective remedy for Neuropathy. Let’s find out with this guide if these claims of apple cider vinegar helping Neuropathy are truly accurate or not.
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What is Neuropathy?
Peripheral Neuropathy refers to a type of nerve dysfunction within the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The PNS is responsible for maintaining sensory communication between the brain/spinal cord and all the other parts of the body, so its damage hinders the functioning of major organ systems.
The body loses all ability to feel physical sensations on the arms and legs, and body processes like digestion, urination, and blood circulation are negatively impacted.
The primary warning signs or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include :
- Muscle weakness and cramps
- Sharp Pain
- Burning
- Twitching
- Sweating
- Numbness in the affected location
- Paralysis ( in extreme cases)
- Sudden fluctuations in temperature and pressure
While you are undergoing conventional medical treatment, you can explore the possibility of taking dietary supplements as well since they have almost no harmful side effects.
Causes of Neuropathy
Diabetes
Diabetes has been confirmed to be the top cause of peripheral Neuropathy. As per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, almost 70 percent of all Americans with diabetes experience some form of Neuropathy.
High blood sugar levels are detrimental to nerve health and make the elderly more vulnerable to nerve injuries. When you can’t feel your feet, you are less likely to notice the wounds and cuts, and they might get infected and turn life-threatening.
Trauma
The trauma induced by physical injury from falls, sports, and car accidents results in nerve compression and peripheral Neuropathy.
Autoimmune or genetic disorders
Illnesses such as lupus, arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome that attack the immune system also affect the peripheral nerves. Infections like hepatitis, chickenpox, shingles, and Lyme disease can also result in the development of Neuropathy.
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Bone Marrow Diseases
Due to peripheral artery disease, blood clots, or other bone marrow disorders such as leukemia and aplastic anemia, the blood flow is interrupted, and this can also cause damage to the nerves.
How does Apple Cider Vinegar help with Neuropathy?
Apple cider vinegar is one of the best home remedies used to treat Neuropathy. But, you must keep in mind that apple cider vinegar cannot cure your nerve damage; it can only aid in the effective management of your symptoms.
Chemical and toxins can potentially worsen neuralgia or neuropathic pain – a condition where stabbing pain originates from the damaged nerves. Here are some of the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar for neuropathy.
Reduces Inflammation
The antioxidants present in apple cider vinegar provide an effective anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory response. They seek to flush out the toxins causing neuropathic pain for detoxification.
Some scientists have discovered that apple cider vinegar can neutralize a toxin released as a byproduct of metabolism known as guanidine and reduce the nerve pain linked with it.
Boosts Nerve Health
Apple Cider Vinegar contains large amounts of both potassium and sodium – the two salts that play a vital role in maintaining the health of our nerve signaling system.
Potassium, in particular, has proved to be beneficial in alleviating nerve pain. Individuals suffering from a potassium deficiency often feel tingling in their feet due to degeneration in the nerves. Thus, apple cider vinegar enables our nerves to achieve optimal functioning and combat the pain triggered by Neuropathy.
The vinegar also contains other essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which help get rid of the swelling caused by Neuropathy when applied to your feet in a concentrated amount.
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Maintains healthy weight
The Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome found a strong link between diabetic Neuropathy and body fat. Through a 12-week Apple Cider Vinegar Diet, the participants in a clinical trial achieved a reduction in their weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) to improve their neuropathy symptoms.
Lowers Blood Sugar
Apple cider vinegar works to slow down the absorption of the carbs that you consume so that your body produces minimum glucose and prevents any sudden spikes in blood sugar levels.
And, reduced blood sugar will successfully lower your risk of suffering from peripheral Neuropathy.
An Apple Cider Vinegar Foot Soak
Soaking your feet in a bath made from the warm water and apple cider vinegar is a surefire way to relieve neuropathic pain and stimulate blood flow in the feet.
Make an apple cider vinegar soak by following these simple steps:
- Fill a basin or a bucket with warm water that cover your feet up to the ankles
- Add 500ml of apple cider vinegar to the water
- Place your feet in the soak for about twenty minutes.
- After the soak, dry your feet thoroughly with a towel and moisture to protect the skin.
Even though neuropathic pain can come up during the day, patients usually complain of the pain and burning sensations intensifying just before sleeping.
The worsening of peripheral Neuropathy at night can be attributed to the exertion of stress at the end of the day and a drop in temperatures, as the feet are more sensitive to cool air.
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To help with this, submerge your feet in the apple cider vinegar foot soak two hours before bedtime, and then cover them with a blanket to preserve the warmth.
You can consider investing in an at-home foot spa to allow your feet to receive more regular apple cider vinegar soaks. A few foot spas have an in-built massager that can help reduce foot pain more easily.
Even if you do not have peripheral Neuropathy, soaking your feet in apple cider vinegar can help get rid of bad odor, foot fungus, bacterial infections, and even treat athlete’s feet.
Other Ways to Get Apple Cider Vinegar
There are an endless number of ways that you can use to get apple cider vinegar into your system. Let’s look at the most common ones :
- Mix two tablespoons of the raw organic vinegar in water in a cup of hot water, add a natural sweetener of your choice – either honey or stevia and then stir well before drinking.
- Add some apple cider vinegar to your morning or evening tea.
- Include Apple Cider Vinegar gummies in your supplement routine
- Massage it on the area of your feet where the nerve damage has occurred.
- Use it as a skincare product on your feet.
- Soak in an apple cider vinegar bath to get benefitted from its dermatological advantages
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Wrap Up
If left unaddressed, peripheral Neuropathy can make daily tasks seem like a challenge and prevent you from leading a normal life. Over time, you might notice your balance deteriorating which puts you at a higher risk of accidental falls.
Thus, you must visit your doctor and get a nerve exam done to identify the cause of your nerve dysfunction and seek treatment and solutions for your nerve pain. Since the persistent symptoms brought on by Neuropathy are incredibly frustrating to live through, soaking your feet in apple cider vinegar at least thrice a week can provide considerable relief.
Even though there’s no direct medical evidence to prove the role of apple cider vinegar in helping with Neuropathy, taking into account numerous personal experiences, you must test its efficacy for yourself.
We hope this article has helped make up your mind about soaking your feet in apple cider vinegar for your neuropathic pain. If you have any more questions on the information here, please drop in a comment down below, and we will get back to you soon. Please spread the word about this guide with all your friends and family.