This means that exercise will not only make your feet and legs feel better, but can actually keep your neuropathy from progressing to a more severe stage. This can reduce your risk of falls, wounds, and other severe complications.
If your pain is manageable while you walk, it's a good idea to gradually increase the frequency and duration each time you walk. One principle to remember is that your body needs rest days. So rather than walking every day for 25 minutes five or six days per week, it may be better to walk four days for 35-45 minutes.
The pain from the damage to the nerves in your feet and lower legs can, however, actually be reduced by exercising. This isn't a permanent solution or a type of neuropathy treatment that addresses the cause of the nerve damage, but it can help you strengthen your legs and improve your balance.
You can start with a simple walk to your kitchen, then the mailbox and perhaps even down the block of your neighborhood. In case you need that extra motivation to start walking, consider its many benefits. Make it your new weekly routine to walk 30 minutes a day with a 20-minute stretch prior.
Smoking constricts the blood vessels that supply nutrients to the peripheral nerves and can worsen neuropathic symptoms. Exercise can deliver more blood, oxygen, and nutrients to far-off nerve endings, improve muscle strength, and limit muscle atrophy.
Why Exercise? While the general benefits of aerobic and flexibility exercises are well-known, increasing movement and heart-rate are particularly important for people suffering with peripheral neuropathy. Physical activity can improve blood circulation, which strengthens nerve tissues by increasing the flow of oxygen.
If you have nerve damage in your feet, avoid repetitive, weight-bearing exercises, such as jogging, prolonged walking, and step aerobics.
How do I know the nerve is recovering? As your nerve recovers, the area the nerve supplies may feel quite unpleasant and tingly. This may be accompanied by an electric shock sensation at the level of the growing nerve fibres; the location of this sensation should move as the nerve heals and grows.
Treating the underlying cause of the neuropathy can cause it to go away on its own, such as: Controlling blood sugar in patients who have diabetes. Controlling inflammatory and autoimmune conditions that can cause neuropathy.
Treating peripheral neuropathy
For example, if you have diabetes it may help to gain better control of your blood sugar level, stop smoking, and cut down on alcohol. Nerve pain may be treated with prescribed medications called neuropathic pain agents, as standard painkillers are often ineffective.
Adequate rest is so important and can help with chronic nerve pain. Make sleep as easy for yourself as possible. Want more helpful tips on living with peripheral, diabetic or chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy?
They can help if you have poor circulation and neurological issues. Compression socks improve nerve sensitivity if you suffer from nerve damage or neuropathy. Because compression socks help hinder excess swelling and inflammation, utilizing them can decrease swelling and, therefore, lessen the risk of infection.
Drink lots of water
Water should be a staple in any diet, and even more so for those looking to reduce nerve pain. It's critical to stay hydrated throughout the day to reduce inflammation and avoid triggering pain receptors. Aim to drink eight 8-oz. of water each day.
DOs and DON'Ts in Managing Peripheral Neuropathy:
Exercise, eat healthy meals, lose weight, and quit smoking. DO avoid repetitive movements, cramped positions, toxic chemicals, and too much alcohol—things that cause nerve damage.
ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Jan. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Proclaim™ XR spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system to treat painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), a debilitating complication of diabetes.
Mean survival time for those with PN was 10.8 years, compared with 13.9 years for subjects without PN. PN was also indirectly associated through impaired balance.
Peripheral neuropathy is rarely fatal but may cause serious complications if left untreated. These complications may affect a person's life expectancy. A healthcare professional can advise on their condition, their outlook, and how they can manage it.
Being sedentary can cause an uptick in your blood sugar. In turn, this can trigger nerve pain. While this is especially concerning for those living with diabetic neuropathy, everyone should remember to eat a balanced diet and move regularly to keep their blood sugar under control.
An exclusive and effective treatment for neuropathy in the legs and feet, The Combination Electro-analgesia Therapy, (CET), has been extremely effective in relieving pain and discomfort, reversing your numbness, and restoring your sensation while improving your acuity, balance, and strength in your hands and feet.
Fried foods are high in fat and contain a lot of trans fats, which can worsen the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. These include fried chicken, French fries, and onion rings. It is best to avoid fried foods and opt for healthier options such as boiled, baked or grilled dishes.
Peripheral neuropathy can result from traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic problems, inherited causes and exposure to toxins. One of the most common causes of neuropathy is diabetes.