Pain, an unpleasant sensation and emotional experience that in our daily life, is an alert of tissue injury to prevent further or impending tissue damage Acute pain is a useful biologic purpose and self-limiting in nature that arises in response to a specific injury. Chronic pain, in contrast, may be considered as a disease state. It may outlast the usual duration of recovery, if accompanied with a disease or injury . The definition of chronic neuropathic pain is “pain that comes from direct consequence of a lesion or disease which affect the somatosensory system” . It may be classified as central or peripheral, depending on the site of the lesion. The most causes of chronic neuropathic pain are metabolic disease, viral, trauma, severe ischemic insults, and autoimmune diseases

Neuropathic pain usually does not have effective treatment, because of heterogeneous etiology and complex underlying psychophysiology, moreover, the unwanted side effect profiles limit the use of available drugs

4 herbs for neuropathy

The following herbs are often suggested as natural treatments for neuropathy resulting from an injury or other medical condition:

Cayenne pepper

The key ingredient is capsaicin, which is also used for topical pain relief. Capsaicin targets Substance P, which is a neurochemical that produces pain. First cayenne pepper promotes further production of Substance P, but then it reduces the quantity of the chemical, thereby alleviating pain.

Note that cayenne pepper, among neuropathy herbs, should not be considered a “miracle cure”: an analysis of studies by University of Oxford scholars in 2004 states that capsaicin has only moderate pain-relieving capabilities. The pharmacy at Wright State University recommends taking cayenne pepper in its lowest concentration and then gradually – over 30-60 days – raising the dose.

Evening Primrose oil

This powerful oil, called EPO for short, is rich in the omega-6 acid gamma-linoleum acid. A 2003 report, conducted by University of California – San Francisco medical researchers and published in The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, surveyed studies evaluating EPO as a treatment for diabetic neuropathy. The study’s authors determined that EPO could positively affect patients with mild forms of the condition, making it one of the most promising neuropathy herbs.

St. John’s Wort

Antidepressants have been found to be effective in many cases at reducing the symptoms of polyurethane (neuropathy located in various bodily regions). St. John’s wort is an herb often used to treat depression. Although St. John’s wort is one of the most highly recommended herbs for neuropathy, note that a 2001 report published in Pain determined that St. John’s wort was no more effective against polyurethane than a placebo.

Ginkgo biloba

A 2009 study in Anesthesia and Analgesia determined that this herb reduced neuropathic pain in the rodents used for testing. The study’s authors argued that Ginkgo biloba would be helpful for treating people with the disorder as well.

Neuropathic pain is a complex and often disabling condition and many people suffer moderate or severe pain for many years, affecting quality of life. This condition is difficult to treat and typically only 40% to 60% of people with this condition achieve partial relief.

Neuropathic pain is pain coming from damaged nerves. It is different from pain messages that are carried along healthy nerves from damaged tissue (for example, a fall or cut, or arthritic knee). Neuropathic pain is often treated by different medicines to those used for pain from damaged tissue. Medicines that are sometimes used to treat neuropathic pain can have damaging side effects and therefore people are now trying herbal products to help relieve pain instead.

We conducted a search for relevant clinical trials in March 2018. We looked for studies in adults suffering from moderate neuropathic pain who took some form of herbal product, either by consuming it in their diet, in tablet form, or by applying it to the skin to relieve pain. We also collected information on side effects these herbal products might have.