Reviewed by: Dr. Alex Tam, DC
Natural diabetic neuropathy treatments are non-drug strategies that support diabetes management, physical function, symptom control, and protection against complications associated with nerve damage. They work best as part of a comprehensive plan rather than as a replacement for appropriate medical or diabetes care.
What Are the Most Effective Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatments?
Natural diabetic neuropathy treatments focus on managing the factors that can contribute to nerve damage while reducing symptoms and protecting daily function. They may include blood glucose management, regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, foot care, and other clinically appropriate lifestyle strategies.
These approaches are not a guaranteed way to reverse established nerve damage. Their role is often to support nerve health, reduce symptom burden, improve physical function, and lower the risk of complications.
Blood Glucose Management
Keeping blood glucose within the range recommended by your diabetes care team is one of the most important steps for protecting nerves. Better glucose management can help prevent or delay diabetic neuropathy and may slow progression in some people.
However, improving blood glucose does not mean that established nerve damage will automatically disappear. Diabetes management should be individualized with a qualified healthcare professional.
Exercise and Physical Activity
Regular physical activity may help people with diabetic neuropathy improve strength, mobility, balance, and physical function. Some research also suggests that exercise can reduce neuropathic symptoms.
The safest form and intensity of exercise depend on factors such as sensation loss, balance, foot health, cardiovascular health, and overall fitness. People with significant numbness or balance problems may need professional guidance before beginning a new exercise program.
Nutrition and Nutrient Status
A balanced diet supports overall metabolic health and diabetes management. Adequate intake of essential nutrients is also important for normal nerve function.
Nutritional deficiencies can have multiple causes, and taking supplements without identifying a deficiency is not automatically beneficial. A healthcare professional can determine whether nutritional testing or supplementation is appropriate.
Sleep and Daily Recovery
Poor sleep can make pain and other neuropathy symptoms harder to manage. Establishing consistent sleep habits may help improve energy, coping, and daily function.
Sleep improvement should be viewed as part of overall symptom management rather than a standalone treatment that repairs damaged nerves.
Foot Protection and Daily Foot Care
Reduced sensation can make it difficult to notice cuts, blisters, burns, pressure points, or other foot injuries. Daily foot checks and appropriate footwear can help identify problems before they become more serious.
Foot protection is especially important when diabetic neuropathy has caused numbness or reduced sensitivity. New wounds, infections, changes in skin color, swelling, or persistent foot problems should receive prompt medical attention.
Can Natural Treatments Reverse Diabetic Neuropathy?
Natural approaches cannot be expected to completely reverse established diabetic nerve damage. Current diabetes guidelines emphasize preventing or delaying neuropathy, slowing progression when possible, managing symptoms, and protecting function.
Some people may experience meaningful improvements in pain, tingling, physical function, sleep, or quality of life when contributing factors are addressed. Improvement in symptoms does not necessarily mean that damaged nerves have fully regenerated.
How Long Does It Take for Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatments to Work?
There is no single timeline for natural diabetic neuropathy treatments. Some changes, such as improved exercise tolerance, sleep, or symptom control, may become noticeable within weeks. Changes involving long-standing numbness or sensory loss may take much longer, and some deficits may persist.
The timeline depends on the duration and severity of neuropathy, blood glucose control, physical activity, overall health, consistency with treatment, and whether other conditions are contributing to symptoms.
What May Improve First?
Early improvement may involve changes in how symptoms affect daily life rather than immediate restoration of normal sensation.
Possible signs include:
- Burning or nerve pain becoming less intense
- Tingling occurring less often
- Fewer symptoms interfering with sleep
- Greater comfort while walking
- Improved strength or physical activity tolerance
- Better confidence with movement
- Fewer symptom flare-ups
- Better control of factors that can worsen neuropathy
These changes can be encouraging, but they should not be interpreted as proof that nerve damage has completely healed.
How Long Does Diabetic Neuropathy Pain Take to Improve Naturally?
Painful diabetic neuropathy may improve over weeks to months, but the response varies substantially between individuals. Long-standing or severe neuropathy may require a longer period of consistent management.
Pain intensity is only one measure of progress. A person may also benefit from better sleep, improved mobility, fewer disruptions during daily activities, or reduced symptom frequency even when some nerve sensations remain.
How Long Does Diabetic Neuropathy Numbness Take to Improve?
Numbness can be more persistent than pain or tingling. When sensation has been reduced for a long time, improvement may be gradual and may not return completely.
Because numbness can reduce awareness of injuries, symptom improvement should never replace regular foot checks. Even when pain decreases, reduced sensation can continue to create a risk of unnoticed foot problems.
How Can You Tell If Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment Is Helping?
Progress can be evaluated by tracking changes rather than relying on one symptom.
Useful measures may include:
- Pain intensity and frequency
- Burning or tingling episodes
- Areas of numbness
- Sleep disruption
- Walking tolerance
- Balance and stability
- Strength and mobility
- Ability to perform daily activities
- Foot condition
- Blood glucose measures recommended by the diabetes care team
Keeping a simple symptom and activity record can make gradual changes easier to recognize. Clinical evaluation may also be needed to determine whether sensory or neurological findings have changed.
What Is the Difference Between Managing Diabetic Neuropathy and Healing Nerve Damage?
Managing diabetic neuropathy means reducing symptoms, protecting the feet, maintaining mobility, addressing contributing factors, and preventing further complications.
Healing nerve damage is a different and more difficult goal. A reduction in burning, tingling, or pain does not automatically mean that damaged nerves have returned to normal.
For this reason, a successful treatment plan should consider both how you feel and how well you function, while continuing to address diabetes and other underlying risk factors.
Can Natural Treatments Be Part of a Pain Management Plan?
Yes. Lifestyle measures and other supportive strategies may be incorporated into a broader pain management plan when diabetic neuropathy is affecting comfort, mobility, or daily activities.
For people seeking non-surgical options for chronic pain and related mobility concerns, a personalized pain management approach in Vacaville can consider symptoms, movement, function, and contributing factors alongside the person's existing diabetes care.
Explore Non-Surgical Pain ManagementWhen Should Natural Treatment Not Be the Only Approach?
Natural strategies should not replace appropriate medical evaluation or diabetes care. Additional evaluation is particularly important when neuropathy symptoms are new, rapidly worsening, severe, or affecting walking or balance.
Prompt medical attention is also important for foot wounds, signs of infection, significant swelling, changes in skin color or temperature, or an injury that is difficult to feel because of numbness.
A comprehensive approach can combine lifestyle strategies with clinically appropriate treatment when symptoms require additional management.
What Is the Best Natural Treatment for Diabetic Neuropathy?
There is no single natural treatment that works for everyone with diabetic neuropathy. The most appropriate approach depends on the person's symptoms, diabetes control, duration of nerve problems, physical function, foot health, and other medical factors.
A comprehensive approach may combine several strategies rather than relying on one supplement, exercise, or lifestyle change.
Which Natural Treatments May Help With Diabetic Neuropathy Symptoms?
Different approaches target different aspects of diabetic neuropathy. Some focus on metabolic health, while others support mobility, physical function, symptom management, or injury prevention.
| Natural Approach | Potential Goal | Important Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose management | Reduce risk of progression | Follow the diabetes care plan |
| Regular physical activity | Support strength, mobility, and balance | Exercise should match physical ability and foot health |
| Balanced nutrition | Support metabolic and overall health | Supplements are not automatically necessary |
| Adequate sleep | Support recovery and symptom coping | Persistent sleep problems may need evaluation |
| Foot care | Prevent unnoticed injuries | Especially important with reduced sensation |
| Weight and cardiovascular risk management | Address factors associated with diabetes complications | Individual goals vary |
| Stress management | Support overall well-being and coping | Not a replacement for neuropathy treatment |
Can Walking Help Diabetic Neuropathy?
Walking may be useful for maintaining physical activity, cardiovascular fitness, and lower-body function. For some people, regular activity may also help with neuropathic symptoms.
However, reduced sensation in the feet can increase the risk of unnoticed blisters, pressure injuries, or wounds. Anyone with significant numbness, foot deformities, ulcers, or balance problems should discuss an appropriate activity plan with a healthcare professional.
Can Strength Training Help Diabetic Neuropathy?
Strength training can help maintain or improve muscle strength and physical function. This may be particularly useful when neuropathy contributes to weakness, difficulty walking, or reduced activity.
The program should be adjusted to the person's balance, sensation, fitness level, and other health conditions. Starting gradually and using proper technique can help reduce unnecessary strain or injury.
Are Supplements a Natural Treatment for Diabetic Neuropathy?
Supplements are sometimes promoted as natural treatments for diabetic neuropathy, but natural does not automatically mean effective or appropriate.
Certain nutrient deficiencies can contribute to nerve problems, and correcting a confirmed deficiency may be appropriate. However, taking high doses of vitamins or other supplements without professional guidance can cause adverse effects or interact with medications.
Can Diet Improve Diabetic Neuropathy?
A balanced eating pattern can support blood glucose management and overall metabolic health, which are important parts of managing diabetic neuropathy.
Diet alone should not be presented as a guaranteed way to repair damaged nerves. Nutritional needs vary, particularly for people taking diabetes medications or managing other medical conditions.
What Should You Avoid If You Have Diabetic Neuropathy?
People with diabetic neuropathy should be cautious about anything that can increase the risk of nerve injury, foot injury, or uncontrolled blood glucose.
Important precautions include:
- Avoid walking barefoot when sensation is reduced.
- Avoid exposing numb areas to very hot water or heating devices.
- Do not ignore cuts, blisters, sores, or changes in the feet.
- Avoid suddenly increasing exercise intensity.
- Do not assume that severe or worsening symptoms are normal.
- Avoid taking large doses of supplements without professional guidance.
- Do not stop prescribed diabetes or other medications without speaking with the prescribing clinician.
What Is a Realistic Timeline for Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment?
A realistic timeline depends on what outcome is being measured. Improvements in activity tolerance, sleep, or symptom intensity may occur sooner than changes in long-standing sensory loss.
| Goal | Possible Timeframe | What to Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Establishing healthier daily habits | Days to weeks | Consistency and tolerance |
| Improved activity tolerance | Weeks to months | Strength, walking, and endurance |
| Reduced symptom frequency or intensity | Weeks to months | Pain, burning, and tingling |
| Improved balance or physical function | Weeks to months | Stability and daily mobility |
| Changes in long-standing numbness | Months or longer | Sensory changes and clinical findings |
| Preventing further complications | Ongoing | Foot health and diabetes management |
These timeframes are general expectations, not guarantees. Diabetic neuropathy can progress differently from one person to another.
How Does Diabetic Neuropathy Compare With Other Conditions?
Recovery timelines for diabetic neuropathy should not be compared directly with conditions that heal through different biological processes.
| Condition | General Improvement Pattern | Why It Differs |
|---|---|---|
| Acute pain | May improve over days to weeks | Often associated with a recent injury or temporary irritation |
| Chronic joint pain | Often changes gradually over weeks to months | Multiple structural and lifestyle factors may contribute |
| Inflammation | May change over days to weeks | Depends on the underlying cause |
| Skin recovery | Often progresses over days to weeks | Skin tissue can repair differently from damaged nerves |
| Diabetic neuropathy | Often requires longer-term management | Diabetes-related nerve damage can be persistent and may not fully reverse |
This comparison is useful for setting expectations, but it should not be used to predict an individual's recovery.
What Are the Key Takeaways About Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatments?
- Natural diabetic neuropathy treatments generally focus on symptom management, physical function, metabolic health, and prevention of complications.
- Blood glucose management remains an important part of protecting nerve health.
- Exercise may support strength, balance, mobility, and some neuropathy symptoms when appropriately prescribed.
- Nutrition can support overall metabolic health, but supplements should not be assumed to repair nerve damage.
- Foot protection is essential when neuropathy causes reduced sensation.
- Pain or tingling may improve before numbness does.
- Symptom improvement does not necessarily prove that damaged nerves have healed.
- Long-standing nerve damage may require ongoing management.
- New, severe, or rapidly worsening symptoms should be medically evaluated.
When Should You Get Professional Help for Diabetic Neuropathy?
Natural diabetic neuropathy treatments can support long-term symptom management, but they should not replace appropriate medical evaluation or diabetes care. Professional assessment is especially important when symptoms are new, worsening, severe, or affecting movement and daily activities.
A healthcare professional can help determine whether symptoms are related to diabetic neuropathy or another condition. This is important because neuropathy is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning other possible causes of nerve symptoms may need to be considered.
What Symptoms Should Not Be Ignored?
Contact a healthcare professional if you develop:
- New or worsening numbness or tingling
- Persistent burning or nerve pain
- Muscle weakness
- Increasing difficulty walking
- New balance problems or falls
- Loss of sensation that affects daily activities
- A wound or blister that does not heal
- Redness, swelling, drainage, or other signs of infection
- Significant changes in foot temperature or color
A sudden or rapidly developing neurological problem may require urgent evaluation rather than routine lifestyle management.
How Can You Protect Your Feet With Diabetic Neuropathy?
Foot protection is one of the most important parts of managing diabetic neuropathy because reduced sensation can make injuries difficult to notice.
Check your feet regularly for cuts, blisters, cracks, redness, swelling, pressure areas, or changes in skin condition. Wear properly fitting footwear and avoid exposing numb areas to extreme temperatures.
If you cannot easily see or inspect your feet, ask a healthcare professional or another appropriate person to help you check them regularly.
Can Natural Treatment Prevent Diabetic Neuropathy From Getting Worse?
Some lifestyle measures can help address risk factors associated with diabetic neuropathy. Maintaining blood glucose within the range recommended by your diabetes care team, staying physically active when appropriate, managing cardiovascular risk factors, and protecting the feet can all support long-term health.
These measures are better understood as part of prevention and management rather than a guarantee that neuropathy will stop progressing.
What Should You Expect From a Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment Plan?
A realistic treatment plan should focus on measurable goals rather than promising complete nerve regeneration.
Depending on the individual, goals may include:
- Reducing the intensity or frequency of nerve symptoms
- Improving sleep disrupted by neuropathic discomfort
- Maintaining or improving strength
- Supporting balance and mobility
- Protecting areas with reduced sensation
- Supporting healthy blood glucose management
- Reducing the risk of foot complications
- Improving confidence with everyday movement
- Maintaining quality of life
Progress should be reviewed over time. If symptoms continue to worsen despite consistent management, the treatment approach may need to be reassessed.
How Can You Track Progress With Diabetic Neuropathy?
Tracking symptoms can help distinguish gradual improvement from day-to-day fluctuations.
Consider recording:
| Measure | What to Track |
|---|---|
| Pain | Intensity, duration, and frequency |
| Burning | How often it occurs and how disruptive it is |
| Tingling | Frequency and affected areas |
| Numbness | Areas affected and changes in sensation |
| Sleep | Nights affected by symptoms |
| Walking | Distance, duration, or comfort |
| Balance | Stability and confidence |
| Strength | Changes in everyday physical tasks |
| Feet | Cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, or other changes |
| Diabetes management | Measures recommended by your diabetes care team |
A symptom diary does not replace a clinical examination, but it can provide useful information when evaluating whether a treatment strategy is helping.
What Are the Main Takeaways About Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatments?
Natural diabetic neuropathy treatments are best viewed as part of a broader management strategy rather than a guaranteed cure.
The most important principles are:
- Address diabetes and blood glucose management with your healthcare team.
- Stay physically active when exercise is safe for your health and foot condition.
- Support overall nutrition rather than relying on unproven supplements.
- Prioritize adequate sleep and healthy daily routines.
- Protect and inspect the feet when sensation is reduced.
- Track symptoms and functional changes over time.
- Understand that symptom relief does not necessarily mean complete nerve healing.
- Seek professional evaluation when symptoms are new, severe, rapidly worsening, or associated with foot complications.
For established diabetic neuropathy, improvement can be gradual. The most meaningful goal is often a combination of better symptom control, preserved function, safer mobility, and prevention of further complications.
Can Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatments Work for Everyone?
No. Diabetic neuropathy varies considerably from person to person. The severity and duration of nerve damage, blood glucose control, overall health, physical activity, and other medical conditions can all influence symptoms and treatment response.
Some people may experience meaningful improvements in pain, tingling, physical function, or quality of life. Others may primarily benefit from preventing further complications and maintaining their current level of function.
How Does the Stage of Neuropathy Affect Treatment Expectations?
Earlier neuropathy may be easier to manage because there may be less established nerve damage and fewer functional limitations. As neuropathy progresses, numbness, weakness, balance problems, and foot complications can become more difficult to address.
Understanding the progression of neuropathy can help put treatment expectations into context: the 5 stages of neuropathy.
Treatment should focus on the individual's current symptoms and functional needs rather than assuming that everyone will follow the same timeline.
What If Burning Feet Are the Main Symptom?
Burning feet can occur with diabetic neuropathy, but burning sensations can also have other causes. The location, timing, associated symptoms, and medical history can help determine what may be contributing to the problem.
If burning feet are persistent, worsening, or accompanied by numbness or reduced sensation, professional evaluation can help identify the underlying cause. Learn more about why your feet may be burning.
How Can You Tell Whether Tingling Is From Nerve Damage?
Tingling, pins-and-needles sensations, burning, and numbness are common manifestations of nerve dysfunction, but these symptoms are not specific to diabetic neuropathy.
A proper evaluation considers the pattern of symptoms, medical history, diabetes status, physical findings, and other potential causes. Persistent or progressive symptoms should not be self-diagnosed solely on the basis of how they feel. For a broader explanation of nerve-related sensations, see what nerve damage feels like.
Can Natural Treatment Help With Chronic Nerve Pain?
Natural strategies may help support people managing chronic nerve pain, particularly when they improve physical function, address contributing health factors, or reduce behaviors that can worsen symptoms.
However, persistent nerve pain may require a more comprehensive evaluation. Treatment should be based on the underlying cause, severity of symptoms, functional limitations, and overall health.
What Happens If Diabetic Neuropathy Is Left Untreated?
Untreated diabetic neuropathy can increase the risk of complications, particularly when reduced sensation makes injuries difficult to detect.
Loss of sensation in the feet can allow cuts, blisters, burns, pressure injuries, or infections to go unnoticed. Neuropathy can also contribute to weakness, balance problems, and difficulty with normal activities.
Early evaluation and ongoing foot protection can help reduce avoidable complications.
Can Natural Treatment Be Used Alongside Other Treatments?
Natural approaches can often be incorporated into a broader treatment plan. They do not have to be viewed as an alternative to every other form of care.
For example, a person may work with their diabetes care team on blood glucose management while also using appropriate exercise, nutrition, sleep, foot-care, and symptom-management strategies.
The safest approach is to make treatment decisions based on the individual's health status and coordinate care when multiple conditions or treatments are involved.
When Is Diabetic Neuropathy Considered a Long-Term Condition?
Diabetic neuropathy can become a long-term condition, particularly when nerve damage has been present for an extended period. Management may therefore continue even after symptoms improve.
Long-term management is not necessarily a sign that treatment has failed. Maintaining mobility, protecting sensation-limited areas, managing diabetes, and preventing complications can all represent meaningful treatment goals.
What Should You Remember About Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatments?
Natural diabetic neuropathy treatments are primarily about supporting overall health, managing symptoms, protecting function, and reducing the risk of complications.
The most realistic expectations are:
- Improvement can take time.
- Pain and tingling may change before numbness.
- Symptom relief does not prove complete nerve regeneration.
- Exercise can support physical function when appropriately selected.
- Nutrition and blood glucose management are important components of diabetes care.
- Foot protection becomes increasingly important when sensation is reduced.
- Established nerve damage may not completely reverse.
- Persistent or worsening symptoms require appropriate professional evaluation.
A consistent, individualized approach is generally more useful than relying on a single natural remedy or expecting rapid nerve recovery.
What Medical Conditions Can Cause Similar Nerve Symptoms?
Not every case of burning, tingling, numbness, or weakness is caused by diabetic neuropathy. Similar symptoms can occur with nutritional deficiencies, medication effects, nerve compression, alcohol-related nerve damage, kidney disease, thyroid disorders, and other neurological conditions.
This is why persistent nerve symptoms should be evaluated rather than automatically attributed to diabetes. Identifying other contributing factors can change the appropriate treatment approach.
Can Diabetic Neuropathy Improve After Lifestyle Changes?
Lifestyle changes can support better overall diabetes management and physical function, but improvement is not always immediate.
Changes such as becoming more physically active, improving nutrition, maintaining recommended blood glucose levels, improving sleep, and protecting the feet are long-term strategies. Their benefits may accumulate over time rather than producing a noticeable change after only a few days.
What Does a Long-Term Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Plan Look Like?
A long-term plan should address both symptom management and prevention. Rather than focusing only on whether pain disappears, progress can be evaluated through several areas of health and function.
A practical plan may include:
- Monitor diabetic neuropathy symptoms and changes in sensation.
- Follow the diabetes care plan recommended by your healthcare team.
- Maintain physical activity appropriate for your health and foot condition.
- Support a balanced nutritional pattern.
- Protect and inspect the feet regularly.
- Address sleep and other lifestyle factors that affect daily function.
- Review persistent or worsening symptoms with a healthcare professional.
- Adjust the approach as symptoms, function, and health needs change.
How Can You Set Realistic Goals for Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment?
Realistic goals should be specific and measurable. Instead of expecting all symptoms to disappear, consider whether the treatment approach is helping you function better or manage symptoms more effectively.
Examples include:
- Sleeping with fewer interruptions from nerve pain
- Walking more comfortably
- Increasing activity gradually
- Experiencing fewer or less intense burning episodes
- Maintaining stable foot health
- Improving balance or physical confidence
- Following recommended diabetes-management goals
- Preventing new injuries related to reduced sensation
These goals can provide a more useful picture of progress than focusing on a single symptom.
Is Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment Worth Trying?
Natural strategies can be valuable components of diabetic neuropathy management when they are appropriate for the individual. Their greatest value is often in supporting overall health, physical function, symptom management, and prevention of additional complications.
They should not be presented as a guaranteed cure or as a substitute for diabetes care. Established nerve damage can be difficult to reverse, so expectations should remain realistic.
The most appropriate approach depends on the individual's symptoms, health history, functional limitations, diabetes management, and risk of complications.
What Are the Most Important Things to Know About Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatments?
Natural diabetic neuropathy treatments are not one specific therapy. They are a collection of supportive strategies that can be incorporated into a broader plan for managing diabetes-related nerve problems.
The key points are:
- Diabetic neuropathy can cause pain, burning, tingling, numbness, weakness, and balance problems.
- Better diabetes management can help reduce the risk of progression and protect nerve health.
- Physical activity can support strength, mobility, balance, and physical function when appropriately selected.
- Nutrition supports overall metabolic health, but supplements should not be assumed to repair damaged nerves.
- Foot care is essential when sensation is reduced.
- Improvement may occur gradually and can vary significantly between individuals.
- Pain may improve before numbness or other sensory changes.
- Feeling better does not necessarily mean that damaged nerves have completely recovered.
- Long-standing neuropathy may require ongoing management.
- New, severe, or worsening symptoms should receive appropriate professional evaluation.
References for Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment Information
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — Diabetic Neuropathy: Read more
American Diabetes Association — Standards of Care in Diabetes: Retinopathy, Neuropathy, and Foot Care: Read more
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — Diabetes and Foot Problems: Read more
Exercise for diabetic peripheral neuropathy — systematic review and meta-analysis: Read more
Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Diabetic Neuropathy Treatments
Final Answer
Natural diabetic neuropathy treatments can support symptom management, physical function, diabetes management, and prevention of complications, but there is no guaranteed natural cure for established nerve damage.
The most useful approach is individualized and focuses on sustainable changes such as appropriate physical activity, healthy nutrition, blood glucose management, adequate sleep, and careful foot protection. Improvement can take weeks, months, or longer depending on the severity and duration of neuropathy.
If symptoms are persistent, worsening, or affecting sensation, balance, walking, or foot health, professional evaluation is important. Natural strategies can be incorporated into appropriate care rather than used as a substitute for necessary medical treatment.
This content has been reviewed by our healthcare professionals for accuracy and educational purposes. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
