New ways in neuropathy: Germany revolutionizes treatment
New ways in neuropathy: Germany revolutionizes treatment
Patients with chronic peripheral neuropathy, a disease in which the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are damaged, often experience severe pain and impairments in everyday life. Traditional drug therapies can sometimes have undesirable side effects or do not offer the hoped -for relief. In such cases, it is increasingly being sought for complementary treatment methods to improve the quality of life of those affected.
A study published in January 2024 has dealt with two special, interdisciplinary forms of therapy that are used in Germany for more severe cases of peripheral neuropathy in an inpatient, acute medicine setting: naturopathic complex therapy and multimodal pain therapy. Both approaches combine several different treatment methods and are carried out by specialized treatment teams. Their effect was assessed using six dimensions of the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), which measure the quality of life in areas such as energy, sleep, pain, physicality, emotional reaction and social isolation.
The results show that both forms of therapy lead to a significant improvement in all dimensions of the quality of life. It should be emphasized that even patients with acute pain and a high degree of chronification benefit from the treatments. Due to its versatility, naturopathic complex therapy offers further advantages. It allows the integration of nutritional counseling, phytotherapeutic methods and approaches from traditional Chinese medicine into treatment; In this way, an individually adapted, holistic therapy can take place.
However, the study also makes it clear that interdisciplinary, holistic therapy for the treatment team and the patient is more complex, both in terms of time and implementation. This must be taken into account in the health systems, especially within the framework of the diagnostic case groups, in order to ensure the availability and financing of such therapy options.
The possible future effects of this research could be a greater integration of complementary therapy approaches in the standard treatment of chronic diseases. This could lead to better and personalized patient care that goes beyond pure symptom control and improves the quality of life as a whole.
Explanation of basic terms
- peripheral neuropathy: a disease in which the peripheral nerves - those that are outside the brain and spinal cord are damaged.
- naturopathic complex therapy: a form of treatment that combines different methods of naturopathy.
- multimodal pain therapy: A treatment approach in which various therapy methods for pain treatment are combined.
- Nottingham Health Profile (NHP): An instrument for measuring the quality of life that includes different dimensions of well -being.
- chronification: The process through which a condition or illness becomes chronic, i.e. long -term.
- diagnostic case groups: A system that is used in some health systems for the classification of hospital cases after diagnoses for billing purposes.
significant improvement in the quality of life in chronic peripheral neuropathy through complex therapy approaches
chronic peripheral neuropathy represents a significant burden for those affected and often leads to a restriction of quality of life. In addition to drug therapeutic approaches that can be associated with unwanted side effects and intolerances, complementary and complex treatment methods gain in importance. In this study, two interdisciplinary complex forms of therapy - naturopathic complex therapy and multimodal pain therapy - were examined in their influence on the quality of life of patients with severe peripheral neuropathy. The six dimensions of the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) were used for assessment.
The results show a significant reduction in impairment in all NHP dimensions (energy, sleep, pain, physicality, emotional reaction and social isolation) in patients who have been subjected to one of the two complex therapies. In order to analyze the effectiveness of the forms of therapy, taking into account various influencing factors, a multivariate analysis was carried out. In particular, the degree of chronification of the disease was recorded when included in the clinic. It could be shown that even patients with acute exacerbated pain and the highest degree of chronification benefit from both complex treatments.
Naturopathic complex therapy extends the treatment spectrum with aspects such as nutrition, phytotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine, which enables patient -centered, holistic therapy. However, such an interdisciplinary, holistic therapy approach requires more time for both the practitioner and for the patient. This should be taken into account in the context of the diagnostic groups in the health system.
The study shows the effectiveness and the benefits of complex therapy approaches in the treatment of severe peripheral neuropathy. In view of the significant improvements in the quality of life dimensions, it is clear that these forms of therapy can be a valuable addition to existing drug treatments. Further research is required to determine the long -term effects and the optimal composition of the therapies.