#FeelLife, not ‘pamamanhid’ and ‘tusok-tusok’

Here’s why you should #KnowTheFeeling by consulting with your doctor about nerve damage

MANILA, Philippines — It’s another day in the office and you feel pins and needles (tusok-tusok) in your arm that goes on and off throughout the day. It feels a little annoying but the discomfort is bearable so you just brush it off and continue typing away.

As you clock out from work, you begin driving your way through the traffic. Your legs feel weak, like they have fallen asleep. You wish for the numbness (pamamanhid) to go away soon because how can you control a vehicle when you have this feeling in your legs?

Home at last. But you have to cook for the family, mind the dishes, all with the overuse on your hands and feet. You tell yourself it could just be pasma, the infamous folk illness.

On weekends, more house chores make you feel sore. The cycle of bending, twisting, pushing and pulling is not only taking a toll on your body but your nerves, too.

This could be peripheral neuropathy, a condition which is due to nerve damage. It affects the nerve function and is commonly due to Vitamin B deficiency. Symptoms can be recurring pamamanhid and tusok-tusok that usually manifest in your hands and feet.

Sadly, peripheral neuropathy remains underdiagnosed. Sufferers ignore the symptoms’ persistence until the nerve problem progresses with accompanying pain, visiting a doctor only when symptoms are already too late to treat.

#KnowTheFeeling of Peripheral Neuropathy

With a group of 400 Filipino men and women aged 35 to 65 from Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao, the 2022 Philippines Neuropathy Survey reveals that 82% are unaware of what neuropathy is, especially in Visayas and Mindanao.

Know more about how neuropathy affects Filipinos by checking out this infographic:

Filipinos should #KnowtheFeeling of neuropathy symptoms through proper knowledge. Neuri, Vitamins B1+B6+B12 (Neurobion)’s friendly chatbot, can help assess your risk level for nerve damage and even lets you find doctors nearby so you can schedule a more thorough consultation.

These discomforts you are feeling aren’t just simple complaints, but could be symptoms of nerve damage that should be addressed with importance. If overlooked for too long, these symptoms could get worse, and can affect quality of life such as your ability to do work and your overall mobility.

Filipinos should also understand that nerves, as an integral part of the nervous system, enable impulses of motion and sensation across the different parts of the body.

When nerves are healthy, you can #FeelLife more, enabling you to do more of the things that you love.

Addressing mild to moderate neuropathy

Before symptoms get worse and lead to permanent nerve damage, it is important to consult a doctor immediately. They can assess your nerve health and even rule out other underlying root cause or illness.

In the study, Management of peripheral neuropathy symptoms with the fixed dose combination of high-dose vitamin B1, B6 and B12: A 12-week prospective non-interventional study in Indonesia, which was published in the Asian Journal of Medical Sciences in 2018, patients with mild to moderate neuropathy were given a daily dose of 100mg Vitamin B1, 100mg Vitamin B6 and 5mg B12.

After being treated with the high-dose combination for three months, the study showed improvement and reduction of symptoms by 62.9%—more than 50% reduction on the baseline symptom.

Improvement has been observed across all symptoms, not only the pain but all—stabbing pain, burning pain, numbness and tingling sensation were all reduced for mild to moderate neuropathic cases.

Peripheral neuropathy is common and treatable, but a number of conditions also present nerve damage as a secondary complication.

There are several causes and risk factors, including chronic diseases (like diabetes), carpal tunnel syndrome, nutritional deficiencies (including Vitamin B deficiency), environmental toxins (such as smoking), alcohol, and other drugs that may induce neuropathy. It can even be idiopathic or has no known cause.

With proper diet and exercise, regular intake of Vitamins B1 + B6 + B12 (Neurobion Forte) can help stop recurring pamamanhid and tusok-tusok from bothering you again.

You get the combined benefits from these neurotropic B Vitamins:

• Vitamin B1 that helps energize the nerves
  
• Vitamin B6 that helps nerve signal transmission
  
• Vitamin B12 that helps nerve regeneration

#KnowTheFeeling now and consult with your doctor so you can keep doing the things that let you #FeelLife.

Vitamins B1 + B6 + B12 (Neurobion Forte) tablets are available at leading pharmacies and drugstores. For inquiries, visit Neurobion.com/en_PH or follow @NeurobionPhilippines on Facebook.

If symptoms persist, consult your doctor. — WITH GERALD DIZON

ASC Reference Code: P0038P060623N