Treatment and Prevention
Avoiding repetitive movements that could put pressure on the nerves can
prevent mononeuropathy. For example, if you use a computer all day, make
sure to adjust the angle of the keyboard so you don't hyperextend your wrists.
You need to release the pressure on the damaged nerve in order to relieve
mononeuropathy. This can be either by physiotherapy, by avoiding the cause
of the pressure, or by surgery. Surgery is the best way to relieve pressure
in severe carpal tunnel syndrome. Milder cases may respond to an injection of
corticosteroid over the nerve.
The treatment of polyneuropathy depends on it what caused it. Polyneuropathy
related to diabetes requires that the blood sugar levels be carefully controlled.
It's also important to treat cancer that's causing neuropathy. Surgery can help
for nerve damage caused by injury and compression. If a specific treatment isn't
available, the pain associated with the neuropathy can usually be helped with
medications. Several medications such as amitriptyline,* carbamazepine, gabapentin,
and topiramate have been used to relieve the pain of neuropathy. Capsaicin cream
can also be helpful, but many people do not tolerate the initial burning sensation
associated with it.
Since it can get worse very quickly, people with suspected Guillain-Barré
syndrome should be rushed to the hospital. Their breathing will be monitored,
and they will need physiotherapy to loosen tight muscles. Once the doctors are
sure it is Guillain-Barré syndrome, the person will have treatment to
remove toxic particles from their blood. Corticosteroids used to be given, but
they may actually make the disease worse. If someone with Guillain-Barré
syndrome is treated early in the disease, they get better in a matter of days
or weeks. Otherwise, it takes a few months, but most people do recover.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name
is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®).
The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen).
A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article
lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names,
speak with your doctor or pharmacist.