A specific sound can drastically improve neuropathy according to a new study in the journal Supportive Care.
Best of all, you can do this at home.
Conducted in Vienna, Austria, the researchers recruited patients with colorectal cancer experiencing nerve pain after chemotherapy.
They divided them into two groups: one received a treatment called high tone therapy, which uses specific sound waves to target nerves. The other received a placebo device that looked the same but didn’t emit sound waves.
Neither the patients nor the researchers knew who had the real device until the end of the study.
Patients’ neuropathic symptoms and quality of life were assessed through questionnaires before and after the therapy period.
After the treatment period, participants could swap treatments, so that those who had received the real treatment were now receiving the sham and vice versa.
For those using the real device, there was a significant improvement in two key areas.
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1. Reduced tingling and prickling, often called paresthesias.
2. Less mental stress from nerve pain.
3. These two improvements led to an increased quality of life score.
Many devices are being sold that can deliver this therapy, but before you worsen your condition by accidentally applying it incorrectly, it is better to talk to a doctor before you try it. Consulting your doctor also has the advantage of testing it in a clinical setting before spending the money on a home device.