Health

Signs That Indicate Weak Nerves and Nutritional Deficiency

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Weakened nerves can have a major impact on functioning on a daily basis. Weakened nerves can potentially disrupt your abilities to move around, sensations, and even quality of life. Nutritional deficiencies are among the common factors that contribute to nerve weakness or nerve dysfunction.

Understanding Nerve Weakness

Nerves are responsible for conducting signals to and from the brain and spinal cord as well as between the brain and the rest of the body. Once a nerve is weak from injury or disease, the ability to communicate these signals can be delayed, lost, or completely interrupted. Weak nerves are most commonly associated with peripheral neuropathy or other neurological dysfunctions, while nutritional deficiencies are often associated with the development of nerve weakness. Nutritional supplements such as nurokind plus capsules are sometimes considered when deficiencies play a role in nerve-related conditions.

Weakness in nerves can present in different ways either through non-motor symptoms, which result from sensory changes, or through motor symptoms, which do not always have a sensory component. Meaning, nerve weakness may develop slowly or rapidly depending on the underlying cause of their symptoms and the number of nerves involved in the process.

Common Signs of Weak Nerves

To recognize nerve weakness, we need to look for common pronounced abnormal signals pertaining to either sensory perception about your body or signals that relate to muscle control:

  • Muscle weakness or muscle strength loss: Muscle weakness is often one of the earliest abnormal signs of nerve weakness. Muscle weakness can present as mild weakness or as a significant loss of muscle function that makes even the simple activities of daily living significantly difficult to perform.

  • Numbness or tingling sensations: The sensations we often refer to as numbness or tingling are sometimes referred to as paresthesia. When patients describe these sensations as tingling, burning, or numbness, it can actually feel like pins and needles, or even a complete loss of feeling. This sensation is most often described beginning in the extremities, including the hands and feet.

  • Pain or burning sensations: Neuropathic pain is pain that can occur by either nerve irritation or damage that transverse the entire region supplied by the nerve. Neuropathic pain can present as sharp, stabbing pain, and/or dull, throbbing pain.

  • Loss of Coordination and Balance: Weak nerves decrease proprioception, or sense of where your body is in the real world. This can lead people to develop an unsteady gait and increase the risk for falls.

  • Muscle Cramps or Twitching: Also known as fasciculations, involuntary muscle movements are due to nerves not sending appropriate signals to muscles.

  • Difficulty with Fine Motor Skills: Many jobs and activities that involve small muscle control, such as buttoning your clothes or writing with a pen, may become difficult due to a loss of motor control.

  • Sensory Loss: Loss of perception to your sensation of heat, cold, and vibration puts you at risk for injury.

  • Fatigue and Feeling Weak: Nerve damage may cause a whole body feeling of tiredness and poor feeling of physical capability.

  • Vision Disturbances: Sometimes weak nerves in the central nervous system affecting the eyes can cause double vision or blurred eyesight.

  • Cognitive Problems: Symptoms of weakness in the nerves supplying the central nervous system can result in inability to concentrate or think, or problems with memory.

Nutrition Deficiency Affecting Nerves

There are vitamins and minerals critical for the proper structure and functioning of the nervous system. Nutritional deficiencies will impact the conduction of nerve signals and the role of repair in nerve damage:

  • Vitamin B Complex (B1, B6, B12): These vitamins make the nervous system healthy. A deficiency in vitamin B12 can cause demyelination, destruction of the protective layer, and result in symptoms of neuropathy.

  • Vitamin D: A correlation exists between vitamin D deficiency and feelings of nerve pain, as well as increased risk of neuropathy.

  • Vitamin E: This vitamin functions as an antioxidant and protects the nerves from oxidative stress; signs of deficiency can result with neurological symptoms.

  • Folate: Folate is important for nerve cell DNA synthesis and repair.

  • Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium: These three electrolytes are important in the conduction of nerve impulses and muscle function.

  • Zinc: Zinc is important in nerve regeneration and immune function. Counseling on these nutrients can arise from many causes like poor nutritional intake, malabsorption syndrome, chronic alcohol abuse, medications, and diseases.

Identifying Nerve Weakness Related to Nutritional Deficiency

There are various indicators that numbness and tingling or nerve weakness may be associated with nutritional deficiency:

  • A gradual and progressive onset of numbness and tingling that starts in the toes or the fingers.

  • Progressive cramping or weakness of muscles.

  • Signs and symptoms improving with nutritional support or worsening with nutritional neglect.

  • Additional signs of vitamin deficiencies such as anemia, skin changes, memory problems, or bone pain.

Diagnosis and Assessment

Health care providers determine nerve weakness as related to nutritional problems by:

  • Clinical History: Identify the onset, progression, social history, body habits, and diet.

  • Physical and Neurological Exam: To identify muscle strength, reflexes, sensation and coordination.

  • Laboratory Test: Blood work to determine vitamins, mineral levels, inclusion return of malnourishment.

  • Electrodiagnostic Studies: Electromyography and nerve conduction studies to evaluate the nerves.

  • Imaging studies: When the central nervous system is suspected to be involved.

The sooner nerve weakness can be identified the better the chances are to limit nerve damage and improve outcomes.

Management

Addressing nutritional aspects of nerve weakness includes:

Nutritional optimization

  • Replenishing deficiencies through including foods high in vitamins and minerals.

  • Replenishing deficiencies through supplementation as prescribe by a health professional (e.g., injections of vitamin b12 or oral vitamin b12).

  • Combination supplements such as Nurokind Plus & Nurolip Od has espoused that they support nerve health and provides nutrients the nerves need, however, should include the oversight of a health provider.

Lifestyle changes

  • Eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low fat protein, and healthy fats.

  • Avoiding consumption of alcohol and smoking, which work against nerve healing.

  • Drinking plenty of fluids, and doing frequent exercises that improve circulation, immune function, and muscular strength.

Symptomatic management

  • Physical therapy is suggested to enhance strength, flexibility, and coordination.

  • Pain control as prescribed by a health care provider with medication that is reviewed and approved.

  • Protection by wearing speciality socks and shoes to minimize injury where sensation may be diminished.

Monitoring and Review

  • Regular review with your medical doctor to determine the effectiveness of management.

  • You should continue to monitor your nutritional status and assess changes in the function of your nervous system.

  • Adjustments to the management should be made to optimize recovery.

When to seek medical care

You should see your health provider immediately if symptoms include persistent numbness, increasing weakness, loss of balance, or pain you cannot control. The sooner you receive treatment, will also prevent further damage to the nerve, which could alter the prognosis.

Weak nerves can range from a variety of motor and sensory symptoms. Nutritional deficiency conditions have an important impact on nutrition and include diet and appropriate supplementation. Products such as Nurokind Plus and Nurolip Od Forte Capsule provide support for nerve health. Identification of nutritional nerve problems, as formalized by a health professional, and including a comprehensive plan of management remain to be keys to optimal nerve health.