Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can occur if you have diabetes. High blood sugar (glucose) levels can injure nerves throughout your body, but diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in your legs and feet, a condition known as peripheral neuropathy, also known as diabetic foot pain.
Symptoms cover a wide spectrum, ranging from pain and numbness in your legs and feet to problems with your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels and heart.
Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
The two types of diabetes differ in their origin and treatment, but they present the same problem, too much glucose is circulating in the blood. With type 1, the body produces little or no insulin, while with type 2, the body’s cells no longer respond to insulin. The vast majority (about 95%) of diabetes cases are type 2, and one of the results of excessive glucose is inflammation and pain.
Treatment with CBD oil
One innovative approach for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy is the use of CBD oil. CBD is short for Cannabidiol, a compound found in the Cannabis sativa plant. The other major compound in the plant is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the element that produces the “high” you think of when you hear cannabis. CBD, however, has no such psychoactive properties.
To date, research on the use of CBD oil in the treatment of diabetes-related issues has been quite limited, but preliminary studies indicate it may help with inflammation and pain.
The bottom line
At present, the best prevention for diabetic nerve pain is to carefully manage your type 1 or type 2 diabetes under the watchful eye of your physician and to talk to our podiatrists at Alpine Foot Specialists.