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Stop for a minute and think about the last time you had a good night’s rest. Has it been a day? Maybe two or three? Has it been a week since you had a restful night sleep without any burning or stabbing pain keeping you up? It can seem like living with chronic nerve pain is a never-ending merry-go-round of discomfort.

If you’re living with diabetes and have experienced a tingling, burning sensation in your hands or feet, you may be suffering from diabetic nerve pain. Diabetic nerve pain or “damaged nerves” are a result of an injury or disease. The restriction of blood flow to the damaged nerves leads to the chronic, debilitating pain. Nerve pain can make doing the simplest things very painful.  Diabetes develops in children and adults typically as a result of the body not producing enough insulin. What is insulin? It’s a hormone produced by your pancreas.

Gluten has become a household name everywhere you look. It’s typically a hot topic of discussion around the dinner table, in the news and even at the local market. More often than not, the same question is always asked — what is gluten? It’s a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. You may have eaten gluten this morning with a bowl of cereal, oatmeal or toast. Though it’s not visible, the protein can cause more harm than good to individuals with a sensitivity. Gluten can affect the stomach, skin and even the brain.

Pain comes in many shapes and sizes, especially when we’re talking about peripheral neuropathy or nerve pain. It’s common to experience pain in the arms, hands, legs or feet and feel a tingling, burning or stabbing sensation that won’t stop. However, there are many other symptoms to nerve pain that can trigger the onset of chronic pain. First, let’s take a closer look at peripheral neuropathy. Each person has a string of peripheral nerves that begin at the brain and spinal cord and run down toward our hands and feet. These nerves also stretch to our internal organs, mouth and face.

Time and time again, you’re reminded to drink plenty of water throughout the day. In fact, it’s recommended that individuals drink eight 8-oz of water every day. Is it possible? Yes. Do we actually do it? Probably not. Why is it so hard to drink a refreshing glass of water? After all, it’s essential to our survival. I hate to say this, but it might be easier for most people to run a marathon, work a 50-hour week or go skydiving, then drink their daily allowance of water.

Pain is just a figment of your imagination, right? Well, yes and no. Pain is perceived differently from one individual to the next. How you react to pain will vary. For those tortured by chronic nerve pain, it can consume every waking hour and minute. But, what if you could take your mind off the pain for just a second?  Could you do it? Your mind may tend to focus on a lot of things throughout the day (and for some into the night) without even taking a minute to rest. You may focus on only the pain and how it affects you in a negative way.

Summer is officially here! Are you ready to have some fun? Of course you are! There’s no need to limit yourself, even if you’re living with nerve pain. The following activities are designed to help increase strength and flexibility, and improve your overall health. Cycling It’s time to put some pedal to the metal with an exhilarating session of cycling. Whether you’re on a stationary bike or cycling outdoors, this low-impact activity easily builds muscle, while reducing pressure on your joints. Just a few minutes of cycling can help reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

Who’s ready to eat healthy? Let’s not all raise our hands at once. The truth is eating healthy or maintaining a proper diet to help reduce nerve pain and limit additional health concerns can be challenging. But, this doesn’t mean the fun of eating our favorite foods and snacks has to go away all together. If we adjust our meals and snacks slightly, we can enjoy the pleasures of eating healthy. Here are a few tasty additions you may want to consider as you prepare your breakfast, lunch or afternoon snacks.

Do I dare ask the question — what has you stressed? For the purpose of this blog and the time (mere seconds) you have to spare, these are some of the leading stress conducers that come to mind. Feel free to toss in your favorites. Work (Deadlines, bosses, long commutes, little pay) School (Homework, tests, student loans, after-school events) Bills (House, daycare, utilities, gardeners, cable service, etc.) Family (Where are the kids? Is it time to have kids? Summer vacation or not?) Health (Is there a treatment for chronic nerve pain?) Did anything jump out at you?

First, let me just say how excited and honored I am to share this exciting new treatment with the Loma Linda University Health community and its patients. Intraneural Facilitation or INF™ has always been near-and-dear to my heart beginning with my cancer diagnosis in 2010. It was this very treatment that I found relief from nerve pain. Now, it’s my turn to help others find similar relief. INF™ was designed to reduce or eliminate chronic nerve pain often felt in the arms, hands, legs and feet.