HIMPower Magazine HimPower November/December 2018 | Page 16

B6? In many studies, early intervention with vitamin B6 completely reversed this condition. Unfortunately, if left untreated long enough, and the dysfunction becomes severe, vitamin B6 alone may not be suffi- cient. Every doctor in America should be required to read the published clinical studies on vitamin B6 and carpal tunnel prior to sending any patient off for surgery. Vitamin B6 is excellent for reducing the pain and relieving the swelling that causes CTS. Supplementing with vitamin B6 when the first symptoms are noticed is important, as it can help reverse the damage caused by the inflammation before it is so severe the only option for pain relief is surgery. BURNING FEET (DIABETIC NEUROPATHY) Feeling like the bottoms of your feet are painfully hot and prickly is a condition known as burning feet. Although there can be a number of causes, the pain results from damage to the nerves in the foot, whether due directly to frost bite or other injury, or indirectly as a result of poorly controlled diabetes, a stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, or gout. The pain is often worse at night. 16  HimPower November/December 2018 Vitamin B6 has been shown to reduce the nerve pain associated with diabetic neurop- athy, one of the most common causes of burning feet. In a study combining vitamin B6 with another B vitamin (thiamin), 88% of participants experienced a reduction in pain after only 4 weeks, and their symp- toms of peripheral neuropathy decreased by almost 50% (Abbas ZG. East Afr Med J. 1997;74(12):803-8). WATER RETENTION (EDEMA) IN PMS AND PREGNANCY Hormonal changes around the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy often trigger water retention. Retention of water can cause clothing, jewelry and even shoes to be uncomfortably tight. In fact, retaining water can increase weight by as much as four or five pounds. High levels of estrogen and progesterone cause a woman’s body to retain sodium (salt), which in turn causes water to become trapped in the cells. Vitamin B6 helps the liver process these hormones more efficiently and balance sodium levels, leading to a reduction in symptoms such as water retention. In one study, supplemental vitamin B6 helped reduce the breast tender-