Diabetes Is Fueling an Amputation Crisis

Each year, approximately 80,000-84,000
lower-limb amputations are performed due to
complications from diabetes in the United States alone.

Sugar excess and dehydration work powerfully to create inflammation in the body, and this starts a long process that ends up with people facing major diseases. Today, men, women, and children consume more sugar in a more corrupted form than ever. They are poisoning themselves with the blessings of the government and many nutritionists who have no problem with a diet loaded with carbohydrates. Understandably, one of the first places we feel the damage is in our extremities, especially our feet, where microcirculation is critical.

Men show up in medical facilities with disturbing regularity, having sores on their feet that won’t go away. And they leave with the same devastating news: Their diabetes has progressed to the point that their leg must be amputated to save their lives. Pathetic health care, diets high in processed foods, and sedentary lifestyles have created a crisis that is costing a growing number of men their feet and legs — and eventually, for some, their lives. Texas has one of the highest rates in the nation for people undergoing diabetes-related amputations, at about 52 per 100,000 hospital admissions.

Peripheral nerve injury is a common
complication in diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Early on the road to amputations is neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy is one of the most common symptoms of diabetes, but it can also result from injuries, infections, and exposure to toxins. Symptoms include pain, a pins-and-needles sensation, numbness, and weakness.

The worse that gets, the chances of eventually needing an amputation grow. Symptoms of neuropathy may lessen but not completely go away. For example, nerve injury caused by radiation often does not recover well. Neuropathy caused by chemotherapy is also difficult to cure, and recovery may take 18 months to five years or longer.

Neuropathy can cause abnormal sensations in your affected body area, such as:

• pain, which is often worse at night
• numbness
• tingling, or ‘pins and needles’
• a burning sensation
• electric shock-like sensations

Neuropathy can also cause:

• muscle weakness
• a loss of movement or function
• problems with balance

Dr. Bert Berkson tells us, “An alarming number of adults, even adults in their 20s, suffer from a pre-diabetic state. The high-carbohydrate, high-sugar diet that is so popular in America overloads the body’s response to sugar. This alters the body’s use of insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Much research has focused on ALA’s ability to stimulate the insulin response and get people back to normal blood sugar levels. I’ve seen fantastic results using ALA to reverse all stages of diabetes.” ALA also chelates Mercury. Several studies show benefits for oral Alpha lipoic acid in reducing symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Diabetic neuropathy, a complication of both type one and type two diabetes, is probably the most common complication of the disease. Studies suggest that up to 50% of people with diabetes are affected to some degree. Diabetic neuropathy is a nerve disorder caused by diabetes. The two main classifications of neuropathy are peripheral neuropathy, affecting the extremities, arms, legs, hands, and feet, and autonomic neuropathy, affecting the organ systems, mainly affecting the nerves of the digestive, cardiovascular systems, urinary tract, and sexual organs.

Mary L. Johnson, RN, at the International Diabetes Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and colleagues evaluated 206 persons for the microvascular complications of peripheral neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy. On average, subjects had diabetes for approximately ten years and demonstrated good glucose control (hemoglobin A1C 7.3% ±1.4%). Forty-eight percent of study subjects had microvascular complications, even though they had generally good glycemic control and a relatively short duration of diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy was identified in 20% of the study population; retinopathy was identified in 11%, and symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy were identified in 63%.

What Causes Peripheral Neuropathy?

Many factors can cause peripheral neuropathies, so it is often difficult to pinpoint the origin.

• Diabetes
• Several rare inherited diseases
• Alcoholism
• Poor nutrition or vitamin deficiency
• Certain kinds of cancer and chemotherapy used to treat them
• Conditions where nerves are mistakenly attacked by the body’s own immune system or damaged by an overaggressive response to injury
• Certain medications
• Kidney or thyroid disease
• Infections such as Lyme disease, shingles, or AIDS

How is neuropathy treated?

Treatment for neuropathy depends on the cause. If the cause is a medicine you are taking, you may need to change your medicine. Nerve pain may be treated with prescribed medications called neuropathic pain agents, as standard painkillers often do not work. If the underlying cause of peripheral neuropathy is not treated, you may be at risk of developing potentially serious complications, such as a foot ulcer that becomes infected.

This can lead to gangrene if untreated, and in severe cases, may mean the foot has to be amputated. Peripheral neuropathy may affect the nerves controlling the automatic functions of the heart and circulation system (cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy).

Treating the Underlying Cause of Neuropathy with Magnesium

Clinical trials highly demonstrate the benefits of magnesium on nerve pain, but the administration techniques and dosages vary. Intravenous magnesium is also a treatment option in monitored clinical settings for those in need of neuropathic pain relief and patients undergoing and recovering from surgery.

Mg²⁺-improved biomaterial will hold great promise for
applications in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration.[i]

Magnesium deficiency appears to be a factor in peripheral neuropathy. In a study presented at the 1994 International Conference on AIDS, researchers reported that of 68 patients who had symptoms consistent with peripheral neuropathy, all had decreased serum magnesium levels. Magnesium supplementation led to improvement in neuropathic symptoms. Another study reported in the August 2010 “International Journal of Nanomedicine” noted that supplementation with tiny magnesium particles helped to protect rats with diabetes from developing peripheral neuropathy symptoms.

Magnesium can be lost through the urine in excessive quantities from medication side
effects, poorly controlled diabetes, or alcohol abuse. Symptoms of magnesium
deficiency include nausea, weakness, fatigue, numbness, and tingling.

Peripheral neuropathy is common in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Transdermal magnesium may be beneficial in reducing the frequency and severity of peripheral neuropathic symptoms in patients with advanced CKD. The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy states that magnesium may help with chemotherapy-related neuropathy, but more research is needed. A study published in Nutrients of people undergoing chemotherapy found that people with high levels of magnesium in their diet were less likely to experience neuropathy.

Magnesium is essential for the survival and function of neurons: magnesium is involved in the formation of membrane phospholipids, signal transduction (Stangherlin and O’Neill, 2018), the formation of the myelin sheath (Seyama et al., 2018) and synapse (Sun et al., 2016), and regulating the transmission of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin (5-HT). Many studies have shown that magnesium can promote axon growth and neural stem cell proliferation (Vennemeyer et al., 2014; Sun et al., 2016), regulate the inflammatory response, and inhibit apoptosis. Magnesium deficiency is closely related to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) (Dong et al., 2011; Hyassat et al., 2014; Chu et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2018) and various neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease (Oyanagi et al., 2006; Yamanaka et al., 2019). Therefore, magnesium plays an essential role in maintaining the health of the nervous system (Botturi et al., 2020).

It is generally believed that magnesium ions can play a neuroprotective role by inhibiting the secondary injury after nerve injury by regulating cell function, antagonizing the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDA receptor) and calcium ions (Koltka et al., 2011).

Magnesium also supports the cells involved in nerve regeneration by repairing nerve endings and their vital protective coating (myelin sheath). This ensures that nerves injured by an accident, procedure, or condition are less affected by long-term damage.

Magnesium deficiency causes nerve sensations characteristic of peripheral neuropathy. In severe cases, it can lead to an irregular heartbeat and seizures due to improper nerve signalling to the heart and skeletal muscles.

What is the best way to treat neuropathy of the feet?

Hydrogen inhalation therapy and EWOT (Exercise with Oxygen Therapy) are also ideal treatments for neuropathy. Hydrogen will reduce oxidative stress in all tissues, and EWOT will ram oxygen into the extremities. Foot baths with high concentrations of baking soda magnesium are more than helpful, as is direct CO2 therapy via transdermal dry body suit and carbon dioxide inhalation therapy. Also, oral use of bicarbonates, slow breathing retraining, and plenty of walking are among many things one can do to treat neuropathy. Don’t forget the iodine and chlorine dioxide.

[i] Ramburrun P., Kumar P., Choonara Y., Toit L., Pillay V. (2019). Design and characterisation of PHBV-magnesium oleate directional nanofibers for neurosupport. Biomed. Mater. 14:065015. 10.1088/1748-605x/ab453c [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]