A promising treatment for diabetic foot pain

If you have diabetes and experience a tingling or burning sensation in your toes or feet, you may have diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). If you do, you are not alone since problems with nerve function affect almost 50%of patients who have diabetes and can have a significant negative effect on quality of life.

Neuropathy simply means damage to the nerves and happens as a result of changes in blood flow and nerve cell metabolism. If you suffer from DPN, you may lose sensation in your feet and have difficulty telling if you’ve stepped on something sharp or you may not be able to sense hot or cold. You may even experience foot ulcers which are very painful and difficult to treat.

Over time, DPN can be harder to manage and some symptoms may eventually become irreversible which is why it is important to talk to your doctor about DPN early in the course of treating your diabetes.

One promising therapy for the treatment for DPN is supplementation with an amino acid called acetyl-L-carnitine or ALC.

What is ALC and why is it important?

Acetyl-L-carnitine has a number of important functions in the body:

*It is necessary for normal nerve cell function and metabolism

*It is an important antioxidant

*It enhances factors necessary for normal cell growth and regeneration

*It improves regional blood flow

*It regulates nerve excitability

Patients with DPN have low levels of ALC and studies have shown that supplementation with ALC in patients with diabetes can improve
nerve function and alleviate some of the clinical symptoms associated with DPN.

A study published in 2005 in the journal Diabetes Care, showed that patients who
took 1000 mg of ALC 3 times a day showed the biggest improvement in the pain
associated with DPN.

Treatment with ALC has also been shown to be safe and is well-tolerated by patients.

Dr. Lemberger has recommended this supplement to patients
for several years and has seen promising results that have been far more
beneficial to his patients than traditional prescription medications.

If you have any questions about ALC or feel you have symptoms of DPN, please ask Dr. Lemberger if this treatment may be of benefit to you.

Dr. Lemberger is a Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, Vice Chairmen Department of Podiatry Centrastate Medical Center, and Director of Medical Education at Centrastate Medical Center and maintains  a private practice at 505 Stillwells Corner Road Freehold, NJ. He can be reached at footcaredoc@yahoo.com or at his office 732-863-7010.