Question about exercise...

[denisedeland]

Delete please thank you

[CaptainSwab]

I have nerve damage in my right elbow. It makes it very difficult to do any type of weight lifting. I am much more of a runner anyways, but I have discovered that if I do weight lifting exercises that don't require me to bend my elbow in weird ways, I can actually get through them with hardly any pain the next day. You need to start really, really light though.

I think that having that problem in the legs will make it more difficult. Maybe try a low impact activity. Have you done any cycling? When you do it make sure you do it for a very short time period and wait until the next day to see how you feel.

[denisedeland]

No I haven't tried any cycling. I have been so worried about making myself weaker. I am doing pretty good on walking again. But I do not run and I take uneven surface very slow. I haven't had a bad fall in several months.. thank goodness. But I also believe chemo has been making me weak as well. I have my last chemo treatment next week so I really hope my strength will pick up.. My sister in law has a bike.. I might go over and see about using it... Thanks for the tip.. Oh one other question? Do you have to take any meds for your nerve damage? I have a perscription for Lyrica. During the warm moths I don't need it. But once it turns cold I will be in bad shape again. I was wondering if you have found anything natural that has helped with the pain?

Denise

[juliebove]

I have neuropathy (nerve damage) in my feet and lower legs caused by diabetes. Walking is difficult for me as is any form of exercise that is done standing up. I also have Fibromyalgia and bad veins in my lower legs. Most of my exercise is seating using free weights. I am able to workout my upper body far more than I can my lower body. I do use the strap on ankle weights, but not very often and I have to be careful with them because they can press on the bad veins.

I used to teach dance and was a dancer for years. So this lack of balance is rather upsetting to me. I have learned to dance (as a form of exercise) by starting out on the floor and working through a variety of poses, often combining yoga into my moves. For this I use slow music. I can occasionally dance somewhat like I used to. But these occasions are rare. I will just sometimes feel a lot more mobile than usual.

You might also try a chiropractor. I took my daughter to one. He used a red laser on me and much to my amazement I was able to do a high kick with both legs. My daughter and I danced to some 50's music that night. Alas, it was a fleeting thing for me. So I just use those opportunities when they arise. Most of the time it's just difficult for me to do so much as walk across the street or do a little shopping without the aid of a cart.

I also use resist bands for travel and those times when I can't bring my weights along. I use the Bunheads (ballet) brand but there are others on the market. The trick with whatever I do is to really pace myself and not to allow myself to overdo it. It's in my nature to overdo things, so I really have to work on that.

[Brianna]

Anyone who has nerve damage or neuropathy needs to check out
www.h-wave.com. I work at Hippocrates Health Institute and I've seen miracles occur with h-wave. It promotes circulation and lymphatic drainage and actually decongests the nerves and delivers fresh blood and oxygen to them so that they have the nutrition they need. It wakes up the nerve endings and I've seen countless people with neuropathy get back complete feeling.

[denisedeland]

Thank you Julie.. They thought my neuropathy might be from Diabetes as well, but they are unsure where it came from. It is only from my hips down. And the closer you get to my feet the worse the burning is. I started losing huge amounts of weight in the first month alone I lost 40 pounds. I was starving myself and developed severe vitamins problems. After dropping another 20 pounds in the next month I no longer had diabetes. Shortly after starting the weight loss I started having strange feelings in my legs. It started as numbness and tingling. Then I walked out the door one day and made it down one step and then I fell. And for some reason I could not get up. And that's how it all started. It was so sudden. And I tried to continue walking but would fall.. Then it got to where I could hardly walk at all. The pain was awful. they sent me to specialist after specialist.. And no one could figure it out. All they could tell me was I had nerve damamge, but they had no idea where it came from. Or if it would ever go away.. Well that was 3 years ago.. I have got better. I was in a wheel chair for over a year. I can walk as long as it is not to much. I can do short distance no problem most days. I have some days that I just hurt to much, and are really weak. Do you have a problem with the cold? During the summer I do pretty good. But once it starts to turn cold I will be in bad shape again. I hurt really bad and will start to have really bad weakness again. I will spend most of the time under a heating blanket to keep warm. And swear all winter that I'm going to move back to Florida..lol.. For the last two years I have done that.. Thank you for the web site Brianna.. I am going to check that out. Thanks for all your all your help..

Denise

[Lunar*Fey]

Denise,
I haven't read the other posts but I was just thinking, have you tried swimming? I don't really know if you could do that with nerve damage but I thought swimming might not be painful, or at least not AS painful?

[juliebove]

Thank you Julie.. They thought my neuropathy might be from Diabetes as well, but they are unsure where it came from. It is only from my hips down. And the closer you get to my feet the worse the burning is. I started losing huge amounts of weight in the first month alone I lost 40 pounds. I was starving myself and developed severe vitamins problems. After dropping another 20 pounds in the next month I no longer had diabetes. Shortly after starting the weight loss I started having strange feelings in my legs. It started as numbness and tingling. Then I walked out the door one day and made it down one step and then I fell. And for some reason I could not get up. And that's how it all started. It was so sudden. And I tried to continue walking but would fall.. Then it got to where I could hardly walk at all. The pain was awful. they sent me to specialist after specialist.. And no one could figure it out. All they could tell me was I had nerve damamge, but they had no idea where it came from. Or if it would ever go away.. Well that was 3 years ago.. I have got better. I was in a wheel chair for over a year. I can walk as long as it is not to much. I can do short distance no problem most days. I have some days that I just hurt to much, and are really weak. Do you have a problem with the cold? During the summer I do pretty good. But once it starts to turn cold I will be in bad shape again. I hurt really bad and will start to have really bad weakness again. I will spend most of the time under a heating blanket to keep warm. And swear all winter that I'm going to move back to Florida..lol.. For the last two years I have done that.. Thank you for the web site Brianna.. I am going to check that out. Thanks for all your all your help..

Denise

Beware of you were told you no longer have diabetes. Diabetes doesn't go away, unless perhaps you had a temporary kind brought on my taking steroids, or had some sort of pancreas problem that has since been resolved. You should still be checking your blood sugar because any numbers that are out of normal range will cause damage to the nerves.

I take Evening Primrose Oil, 2,000 mg each morning and night. I've tried to do without it, but the pain is too bad for me to handle. With it, there is no pain unless my blood sugar is out of control.

I used to be cold all the time. Or hot. My body temperature would not regulate. I also have thyroid problems. At the time I was hyperthyroid. So I would overheat very badly and it would be difficult for me to cool off. But I would also get chilled even on cold days. I kept a stack of blankets in every room of my house and also in my vehicle because I'd need to wrap up in them.

Mine started (I think) when I was pregnant. We'd gone to the mall and I noticed I was walking more and more slowly. I just could not keep up. I did have horrible swelling in my feet and legs (this was the start of the bad leaky veins, but I didn't know it). I just assumed the swelling was the problem.

I had the baby and the swelling didn't go away. We moved from MA to CA when she was about 3 months old. I was very sick all the time with ear infections and weird rashes. Turns out I had diabetes at the time but didn't know it. My Drs. kept telling me there was nothing wrong with me. I was able to "control" the diabetes with diet and exercise, so when they tested me, I was in normal range. But if I ate just a few extra carbs or skipped a meal, my blood sugar would soar! All the while, damage was occurring.

Perhaps I didn't notice how bad my legs had gotten since I wasn't doing a lot of walking. I was so ill I rarely left the apartment. I also didn't know a soul in the area. I would go to the drug and grocery store and occasionally my husband would take us to the military exchange to do any other shopping we needed. I also ordered things online. I really didn't have to buy much because all the relatives were sending clothes and things for the new baby.

Then just before her 1st birthday, we made a trip to WA (where I'm from). We were at the mall, shopping for her birthday party. I'd bought some presents for her and we were heading over to the other side of the mall. Suddenly I could no longer walk. It was as though my legs were encased in cement. Everyone else had gone forward and didn't notice I had stayed behind for a while. I managed to inch my way over to a pole and was clinging to it in pain. My legs felt like they wanted to give out, but I couldn't even bend at the knees.

My dad finally came back and asked what was wrong. I didn't know, exactly. I thought if I had the stroller, I could push it to walk. I began to break out in a cold sweat. Felt like I was freezing, but was sweating too. Managed to make it to the other side of the mall where there were seats. I got a drink. Felt a little better, but was still struggling to walk.

I've had a bad knee since I was 12. The knee cap will pop in and out on its own. Sometimes it happened when I was sleeping and I'd wake the next day in pain. I thought perhaps it was just my knee again, although it didn't quite seem the same.

At the same time I'd been very sick to my stomach. I didn't realize it but this was probably from the high blood sugar of the as yet undiagnosed diabetes. I was a wreck!

We had the birthday party and I stayed at my parents house for a few more days. Wound up in the ER in Yreka CA on the way home. We were staying in a motel. I'd bought a lot of Immodium for my bad stomach. It had gotten so bad, I dared not eat a bite.

When we checked into the motel, I could barely make it to our room. I remember hanging onto the rough bricks of the building for support and inching my way along.

By morning, I'd gone through a whole package of Immodium (more than they say you should take) and still couldn't walk. The rest was hazy. I remember begging my husband to let me stay one more day until I got better, then begging him to take me to the hospital when the motel said they were booked up and we could not stay.

In the ER, they diagnosed diabetes. Thankfully my stomach got better for a few days (problem came back and lasted for months), but I still couldn't walk. Made another trip to the ER when we got home, but was told I just had vertigo. It felt like people were putting their hands on me. The top half of me was being pulled one direction while the other half was being pulled the other direction. This was one reason why I had trouble maintaining my balance. Things got worse after dark or in open spaces. The neurologist said this is because in those situations I was losing my visual clues. I can't feel the ground/floor beneath me so I have to use my eyes to see where I am in relation to it and everything else. I do much better indoors because there are walls I can use to walk close to.

It was many months before the neuropathy was diagnosed. People seem to think it is a lack of sensation. And indeed it can be. But in my case, I have hypersensation. That means I am feeling anything and everything and in a much magnified way. If my daughter throws a sock on the floor and I step on it, I feel like I've stepped on a hard rock! Stepping on a tiny, soft Polly Pocket shoe can feel like stepping on a needle! And yet at the same time I sometimes can't feel my feet and legs. It's as though they are not there. I have to look down to see them and assure myself they haven't floated away.

I was finally sent to a 2nd neurologist (1st one said there was nothing wrong with me but didn't test for neuropathy) by my GP after she had done extensive tests on me, including an MRI. They thought I might have lupus or MS. Luckily I didn't. I had already been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, then the neuropathy, then the bad veins in my legs. So I had to learn what works for me, with the combination of problems I have.

I could not use a wheelchair because the motion of it made me very dizzy and I'd get sick to my stomach. At first, all I could do was crawl or scoot. That was interesting. With a daughter just over a year old and learning to walk, there I was, unable to leave the floor. I simply got what I thought I would need for the day and put it down low so I could reach it. I'm sure neither of us had a very balanced diet throughout the day. I could not cook or fix any food. We ate a lot of fruit and vegetables and peanut butter sandwiches. When my husband came home, he'd take us out for dinner or help me to fix dinner, although he wasn't much help since he doesn't know how to cook nor does he show any interest in learning.

After a few weeks of this, I began using the walker more and more. I bought a bar stool to sit on and would spend about two hours each week cutting up fruit and vegetables for the week. My husband was doing most of the shopping. I still could not drive. Sometimes he would take me to the store but it would take me a long time to do it because I'd have to collapse on the floor a couple of times. This was embarrassing. Store clerks were always trying to help me or get me to use the motorized cart. I refused to do this, always assuring them I was okay, just weak from having been very ill and just needed to rest. I hated having people hover over me and just wanted to get back to normal.

I fought and fought to get myself strong again. Bought heavier weights and worked out as often as I could. Eventually got to where I was using a cane by the time we moved to NY. Living in NY required more walking than I could do very well, so this is why I had to use the cane at times.

Now we're back in WA. I have only had to use the cane a few times. Most of the time I do not. But I really do have to pace and limit myself. Sometimes I do things I know I should not. Like going to the Puyallup Fair last year. Stupid move! Far too much walking for me. I didn't think I would ever make it back to the car. My poor legs were screaming in pain. And if I overdo something like that, I'm stuck on bedrest for about two weeks because my legs simply will not move. The muscles lock up on me and refuse to relax. This could be the fibro though and not the neuropathy.

I think the worst part of having this is that you look perfectly normal. People think there is nothing wrong with you and they can't understand why you don't do certain things. Like chase after the runaway ball that rolled right past you.

[denisedeland]

Do you have a problem with muscle cramps or locking up all the time? I still have this problem. More than 10 times a day. I did take Soma 350mg for this. I was taking over 25 pills a day of different meds my doctor had put me on. Want to talk about toxins.. I was taking 14 different scripts. Right now I am doing Chemo and my last treatment is next week.. Then I will be drug free.. I stopped taking all that other stuff. It made me feel so awful.

Denise

[juliebove]

Do you have a problem with muscle cramps or locking up all the time? I still have this problem. More than 10 times a day. I did take Soma 350mg for this. I was taking over 25 pills a day of different meds my doctor had put me on. Want to talk about toxins.. I was taking 14 different scripts. Right now I am doing Chemo and my last treatment is next week.. Then I will be drug free.. I stopped taking all that other stuff. It made me feel so awful.

Denise

Oh yes! This was much more of a problem than it usually is now. Although I did recently have bad problems with cramps due to swelling in my feet and legs that I now know is the start of kidney problems.

For this I take MSM. I used to take 500 mg each morning and night but have had to up it to 1,000 mg. Like the Evening Primrose Oil, I can't do without it.

I try to do without as many prescription meds as I can. I often have very bad reactions to them and many of them make me non-functional. But I do have a lot of medical problems and at this point in time I can't do without some of them. I also take a lot of supplements, but have done extensive reserarch to make sure I am only taking those things that I need.

One thing that is very important for me to do is not overdo the walking or other leg exercise. If I do, there are guaranteed cramps. I recently worked backstage at my daughter's dance recital and dress rehearsal. This meant being on my feet for about two hours (sitting down for small stretches of time here and there) and doing a bit of walking. For me, standing seems to be far worse than slow walking. Sitting is also hard for me unless I have plenty of room to move around and change positions. Anything that causes me to stay in one position can cause the muscles to lock up. I was really suffering at the recital because she was in two shows. I worked the first show then watched the second one. Sitting down in a cramped area after all that standing caused bad cramps.

I sleep with my feet elevated at night. I bought a special wedge pillow for this. Not one of those cheapie ones. I started out with that kind. It's okay in a pinch, but the one I have now is larger and very sturdy. This takes the strain off of my bad veins by elevating my feet above my heart. Not sure if this helps with the neuropathy though. It's hard when you have so many different medical problems in the same area to sort out which condition is causing which symptom! I also have a huge jetted bathtub now. I take a long bath at night just before bed and this helps relax the muscles. I usually put in some epsom or other bath salts. I used to take a shower, but this was hard for me to do. Very hard to maintain my balance in the shower and I'd have to do a very rushed one. Also hard for me to get in and out of the shower. I do have a big walk-in shower in this house. I put a bench in it so I can sit and take a shower if need be. But really, being able to recline in the tub seems to be a huge help! I can lie back in there and put my feet up.

Shoes are another thing that can cause problems. I've pretty much resigned myself to wearing New Balance or Birkenstocks. There are a few other brands/types I can wear, but most of my shoes are big/clunky/casual. These help me with stability when walking. I once bought a pair of $90 walking shoes (Softspots) and simply could not walk in them, even with my cane! For some reason, the shoes made me feel like I was wearing foot high platform shoes. And they really didn't have a high heel at all. They also felt very heavy on my feet. They did have a steel shank but this can't be the problem since I own a pair of boots (Dunham, made by the same people who make NB) and although they do feet heavy, I don't have trouble walking in them.

And when it comes to shoes, make sure to have your feet measured by a professional to make sure you are wearing the right size. You should also have someone trace around both feet while you are standing up on a white piece of paper. Cut out the tracings and label them for the right and left foot. Compare these to the bottoms of your shoes. If any part of your tracing is hanging over the shoe, you're wearing the wrong size. Because neuropathy can change the feelings in your feet, you can't always tell if the shoes are the wrong size. I'd been wearing size 8B and needed 9D! Some shoes just cause me pain. They appear to be comfortable and appear to fit but for whatever reason, they hurt me.

I used to wear super thick cushioned socks. My reasoning was that they would be more comfortable on my feet. But as I learned after getting the thin compression hose I need for my bad veins, I can walk a lot better with thin socks on. I do wear the thick socks around the house when I have no shoes on. You should not go barefoot with neuropathy because you might accidentally step on something, hurt your foot and not know it. And neuropathy can make things much harder to heal if there is a problem. You are supposed to wear slippers if not shoes, but I've yet to find any slippers that actually fit me and that I can walk in. Used to be I thought slippers were comfortable, but now they seem not to be. So I either wear my Birkenstocks around the house, or at night, a thick pair of socks to bed. That way if I have to get up, my feet are protected.

[denisedeland]

Thanks for the help. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with this problem. I wear New Balance as well. They are a very good shoe. I have found wearing slippers or slip on shoes tends to make me feel off balance. I plan to try some of your remedies.. Thanks again..

Denise

[Pink Halo]

My First Thought Was Swimming For You. This Way You Can Get The Cardio You Need Without The Pounding On A Surface...it Would Help Sustain Your Flexiblity Too...do You Have Acess To A Pool? Have You Done/thought Of This?

[sevenbravo]

I would suggest swimming as well. It is a great, no impact exercise for the entire body. I would swim often, if I had access to a pool that was NOT full of poison. (chlorine)