Originally Posted by Dr. Smith

Numbness is ostensibly caused by damage to the nerves; they're not signalling anything (whereas pain is a signal sent by healthy nerves). Rather than stopping numbness, I think what needs to be done is stop whatever is damaging the nerves, and allow them to heal (if possible) or regrow.

I take a prescription anti-inflammatory, and I can't say that it helps my numbness one iota, though it does help the pain from inflammation. What I have noticed is that there are some things that aggravate/worsen the numbness, and that by doing the opposite of those things, the numbness lessens (and perhaps the nerves begin to heal/regrow). This takes a long time. I'm getting some results from the supplements I take (RLA, ALC, B5); they're not only controlling the pain (burning, stabbing, electric shocks), they also seem, over the long term, to be helping the numbness.

I can't say this will work for everyone (it depends on the cause of the PN, and I don't even know my cause yet!) but if we can figure out what's making us worse and halt/stop the progression, we can find ways to regenerate those nerves to some extent. I don't expect to ever be the way I was, but I'm old enough to compromise; there are a lot of things I'm learning to have to live with (though I don't do it quietly ).

I learned some things that help by googling/reading all kinds of things related to neurogenesis. We must use common sense and caution because there's so much snake oil and hooey floating around out there, and no end to the charlatans eager to take our money.

Doc