International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine Short Communication Open Access Peripheral neuropathy as the common ground between eastern and western medicine Abstract Volume 12 Issue 6 - 2019 This work concerns the direct connection of Western and Eastern Medicine. Both are based Edward F Block in a greater part upon what modern western medicine calls Peripheral Neuropathy (PN). A Block Institute for Astrobiological Studies, USA review of both PN and Chinese medicine are delineated and discussed in reference to each other. It is demonstrated that the signs and symptoms of PN are exactly the same as the Correspondence: Edward F Block, Intitute for Astrobiological signs and symptoms of Chinese medicine and thus both have this common ground between Studies is now: 160 Holiday Loop, Unit 2, New Braunfels, TX them. It is very interesting that Chinese medicine describes the signs and symptoms of PN 78132, USA, Email before the advent of modern physiology. Received: October 31, 2019 | Published: November 25, 2019 Keywords: peripheral neuropathy, nerve cell disfunction, autoimmune disorders, friedreich’s ataxia, guillian-barre’ syndrome Abbreviations: PN, peripheral neuropathy; ECM, extracellular industries. The causative agents are organic solvents, organic base matrix; ATP, adenosine tri-phosphate; CIDP, chronic inflammatory materials, welding fumes and heavy metals (cadmium, lead, arsenic, demyelinating syndrome; AIDP, acute inflammatory demyelinating mercury and hexavalent chromium). Pharmaceutical drugs, especially polyneuropathy; TCM, Traditional Chinese medicine; BMR, basal drugs of chemotherapy, are known potent causes of neuropathy. metabolic rate Certain drugs interfere with nerve cell metabolism directly and others are more systemic in their effects. For drug-induced neuropathy, Introduction taking L-acetyl-carnitine (available at any vitamin store) may be helpful. In my study of both Western and Eastern medicine, I have noticed what I hypothesize to be the common link between these different Mild polyneuropathy may develop in persons with low thyroid systems of medical thought. This link deals with the effects within hormone levels. Individuals with abnormally enlarged skeletal the body of neuropathy, a condition of nerve cell disfunction, caused extremities (acromegaly), caused by an overabundance of growth by physical, emotional & mental trauma, parasites, bacterial and viral hormone, may also develop mild polyneuropathy. infections, aberrations in diet (including alcoholism), autoimmune disorders, toxins and environmental stressors. Peripheral neuropathy, Discussion disfunction of nerve cells outside of the brain and spinal cord (CNS), The causes of the neuropathy are such as to interfere with the is very common and found in most serious diseases in some form. natural inherent rhythms and cellular physiology of nerves. The first Neuropathy due to physical trauma most commonly due to abnormal means that organic life used to signal changes in cellular response in pressure on a nerve at locations of tunnels between bone, ligaments order to bring the cell or organism into resonance with the totality and muscle tendons (such as carpal tunnel syndrome due to repetitive of the living environment was chemical or, in the case of living use). A blow to the ulnar nerve at the groove of the humerous at the cells and organisms, biochemical. The second was the development elbow results in tingling, numbness and pain and is known as “hitting of specialized cells known as nerves in the more complex animate my funny bone”, a form of direct trauma. Abnormal bone growth or organisms. Both the biochemical and nervous systems are scalar tumors will also constrict the openings that nerves travel and cause phenomena working at very minute receptors on cellular membrane neuropathy. surfaces to elicit first cellular effects, then localized tissue effects At least half of the people with diabetes will develop some form and eventually to organismal effects. Ultimately, all the bewildering of neuropathy that may even lead to eventual amputation of toes and arrays of the systems of cell physiology come into play. Cellular fingers or limbs. Guillian-Barre’ syndrome (nerve de-myelination) surface phenomena play a crucial role in this drama. Biochemical most often occurs after an infection, surgery or immunization and integration is by nature slower and more whole-body pervasive than disrupts the nerve impulse. Leprosy is the most common bacterial nervous integration while nervous integration is much more localized cause of neuropathy and Herpes is the most common viral cause. and much faster. Thus, the effects of hormones (chemical) are gradual Autoimmune disorders such as Systematic Lupus Erythematosis, in intensity and ebb just as slowly, like a sine wave. Conversely, the Rheumatoid Arthritis, Polyarteritis Nodosa, and Sjogren Syndrome effects of nerve stimulation are, in comparison, very fast and almost are the cause of neuropathy and add to the suffering of those affected. instantaneous. Two inherited disorders are known to cause neuropathy: Charcot- Cellular surface phenomena entail many phenomena such as Marie-Tooth Disease and Friedreich’s Ataxia. transport of nutrient and waste substances, reception of signal The B-vitamins (especially B-12) and folate seem to play a crucial molecules, release of specific substances, cellular movement, trans- role in the prevention of neuropathy as deficiencies in these vitamins membrane flux of ions, cellular adhesion and the integration of the result in systemic (body wide) neuropathic symptoms. Exposure to extracellular matrix (ECM) with cellular architecture, just to name a toxic substances is a very frequent cause of neuropathy and a huge few. Many enzyme systems within the outer cell membrane system problem in the chemical, petroleum, mining and manufacturing are sensitive to toxic compounds such as heavy metal ions, man- Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Int J Complement Alt Med. 2019;12(6):250‒255. 250 ©2019 Block. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Copyright: Peripheral neuropathy as the common ground between eastern and western medicine ©2019 Block 251 made organic industrial compounds and pharmaceuticals. All cells plaque, non-functional ECM components, displaced blood proteins, but especially nervous cells are very sensitive to ischemia - the dissolved gases {low O2, high CO2} and damaged enzyme systems; deprivation of oxygenated blood and interstitial fluid. Nerve cells to name a few) that are the additional cause of neuropathy. The have a great need for energy as adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) and peripheral nerve cells of the body do not replace themselves whereas thus require increased oxygen levels more than other cells, as cell the immune cells are replaced continuously. surface phenomena requires great amounts of ATP in order to function. Thus, neuropathy is a prime candidate for the common link Since nerve cells have very long processes that are far removed from between Western and Eastern medicine. The etiology of disease in the nerve cell body, anything that interferes with cellular transport Eastern medicine is essentially the same as that of Western medicine. from the cell body to the synapse and return will have detrimental However, the philosophical concepts are seemingly quite different. On effects on nerve cell function. Neurotransmitters are manufactured the surface this seems irreconcilable. It is with peripheral neuropathy in the cell body and transported for use to the synaptic region at the that the common ground between these two systems of thought is end of the nerve cell axon. Also, events that occur at the synapse are revealed. sensitive to toxins that degrade key enzyme systems involved with neurotransmitter events. Since the nerves that go to and come from the So, just what is this western concept of peripheral neuropathy? extremities are the longest nerves of the body, these nerves are usually Peripheral neuropathy describes damage to the peripheral nervous affected first. This one of the reasons that these conditions are called system (PNS). The PNS transmits information from the brain and “peripheral” neuropathy. spinal cord (the CNS) to every other part of the body. Peripheral nerves also send sensory information to the brain and spinal cord Both the biochemical and nervous system modes of the from the skin and tissues. Damage to the PNS interferes with this integration of bodily events in time are ultimately dependent upon communication system. Like static on a radio, peripheral neuropathy the neuroendocrine system to set the pace and rhythms of cellular distorts and sometimes interrupts messages between the brain and the metabolism throughout the body. Thus, anything that disrupts the rest of the body. Neuropathy may affect the nerve directly or impair neuroendocrine system of the CNS affects the entire organism. The the synapse or neuromuscular junction, depending upon the cause. peripheral nervous system coordinates all events in the body proper. The neuropathy may be symmetrical, generalized or focal (a specific The extensive network of peripheral nerves includes the motor nerves location). Generalized peripheral neuropathies are symmetrical, and (that help your muscles contract) and the sensory nerves (that allow for usually due to various systematic illnesses and disease