[Ron9]

Six weeks ago (while in the shower) - I looked down at my feet. All five toes on my right foot were bent and ..... pretty much locked in the bent position.

I had noticed the 4th toe a month before that. That toe was the first to go.

My big toe was so bent - that I could not walk three steps in my boots. That meant no motorcycle rides. Motorcycle rides had been part of me for 50 years ....... that got my attention.

I went to TLC for my feet mode. To say it has paid off ..... would be like saying the USA debt is a bit high.

Four weeks into the TLC .... my big toe was flat again. The 2nd toe was showing some improvements. My 3rd - 4th and little toe were not showing much of anything.

Today ..... even my forth toe (the first one to go) is flatter and showing obvious improvements.

Some of the exercises - I dreamed up - using stuff around the house.

I did buy a commercial gel toe spreader - I love it and yesterday I made two different toe spreaders. I used tubing from rubber exercise tubes. I made one set that fits when I have on my house shoes. I was going to buy some of those yoga sandals (with toe separators in them) but just made my own - one set works with my current sandals.

I started by collecting toe/foot exercises from all over the internet. Then incorporating them into a cool system (like a very active web-site).

I now have around 75 foot/toe exercises to choose from ...

Click the button - pictures of the exercise pop on screen and the rep count starts talking to me.

I have “sections” now.

- Toe Treats - there is 18 different things in this set - around 10 or 15 in each of the other sets
- Footsies
- Tootsies
- Static
- Stuff

Yesterday I incorporated six Pilates exercises into the system.

The other day I did my first - hot / cold / hot / cold ...... foot spa session using two foot spas. One contained Epson.

Not only can I now pick up small items with my feet - I can also turn that item lose. That is something I could not do very well at all - up until about a week ago.

When I use to try to pick up a pencil (with the toes on my right foot) - it would take 5 or 6 tries to pick it up and it would fall right back out. Not now - it takes one try and I can hold it as along as I want to hold it - then drop it.

The latest “oh my” ....... is that I now have sections of my feet coming back to life ...... PRE PN like. Around 90% of the area on my feet are now sensing touch again.

I’ve made some very remarkable improvements in my feet ........

I hope someone reads this - gets some ideas from it and gets some encouragement / motivation to start some foot TLC of their own.

[dahlek]

Gotta ask tho? Where is the button to click? Wanna know, WANNA KNOW!
I haven't been able to wear my riding boots in three years [before that it was painful but, doable] And I'm NOT giving them up! If you've got new tricks up your sleeve? I wanna print them off and give 'em to my PT people and my othropod! All credit to YOU of course.

I do a jig jumping up and down and similar happy things? But, I'd more likely fall over - that's not allowed in my book.

Keep up this great work! 's and more! - j

[mrsD]

The fact that epsom salts are helping suggests you could
benefit from oral magnesium too. I'd think about that.

[glenntaj]

--that those foot baths may have something to do with improved nerve signalling down there, as magnesium is important for that.

Whatever works, though. Keep it up.

[Ron9]

Another improvement (to me at least) that I noticed was color. My feet were kind of “white” looking. They have better color now.

mrsD ..... I had (about three weeks ago) got back on magnesium. The cheap kind I got (you mentioned on my other thread) is what I started back on. Your telling me oxide was pretty worthless ..... caused me to do some research and chelated or some other form is on my list.

I don’t think the recent foot baths had much to do with things SO FAR ..... because I just started them. I had bought a ConAir that was suppose to heat the water (but did not) a couple of years ago. I got bored with constantly removing and adding hot water and stopped using it.

I recently bought a BrookStone Spa that DOES heat the water. I had read about hot / cold / hot / cold - the light bulb went off and I have done one session of that and plan to work it in about three/four times a week.

I do think the hot / cold feet treatment will be a plus but ....... it is too new to give it much credit yet.

Along with the mag (wrong type) I also restarted the pepper/garlic/genko and a few other supplements that are claimed to help circulation.

A Dr. checked around on my feet and told me I had good circulation but ........ I don’t think (if it is decent) it is getting all the way to my toes.

So far I think the exercises are helping to get blood flow (at least closer) to my toes.

I am very encouraged about the obvious (obvious to me) improvements and will keep it up. I keep adding more ideas daily. It has almost became a hobby at this point.

It is hard to ignore something that is fun (so far) and ....... good for me at the same time lol.

Now that the weather is getting warmer ..... I can also get back to the big equipment downstairs (tread mill / elliptical / bowflex-type device) - trying to keep my utility bills down - made that room too cold to hang out in. I have been doing other body (arms and such) here in my office.

[mrsD]

Once you start exercising you'll need oral magnesium anyway.

Muscles use it up when they work.

[armac]

Originally Posted by Ron9

Six weeks ago (while in the shower) - I looked down at my feet. All five toes on my right foot were bent and ..... pretty much locked in the bent position.

I had noticed the 4th toe a month before that. That toe was the first to go.

My big toe was so bent - that I could not walk three steps in my boots. That meant no motorcycle rides. Motorcycle rides had been part of me for 50 years ....... that got my attention.

I went to TLC for my feet mode. To say it has paid off ..... would be like saying the USA debt is a bit high.

Four weeks into the TLC .... my big toe was flat again. The 2nd toe was showing some improvements. My 3rd - 4th and little toe were not showing much of anything.

Today ..... even my forth toe (the first one to go) is flatter and showing obvious improvements.

Some of the exercises - I dreamed up - using stuff around the house.

I did buy a commercial gel toe spreader - I love it and yesterday I made two different toe spreaders. I used tubing from rubber exercise tubes. I made one set that fits when I have on my house shoes. I was going to buy some of those yoga sandals (with toe separators in them) but just made my own - one set works with my current sandals.

I started by collecting toe/foot exercises from all over the internet. Then incorporating them into a cool system (like a very active web-site).

I now have around 75 foot/toe exercises to choose from ...

Click the button - pictures of the exercise pop on screen and the rep count starts talking to me.

I have “sections” now.

- Toe Treats - there is 18 different things in this set - around 10 or 15 in each of the other sets
- Footsies
- Tootsies
- Static
- Stuff

Yesterday I incorporated six Pilates exercises into the system.

The other day I did my first - hot / cold / hot / cold ...... foot spa session using two foot spas. One contained Epson.

Not only can I now pick up small items with my feet - I can also turn that item lose. That is something I could not do very well at all - up until about a week ago.

When I use to try to pick up a pencil (with the toes on my right foot) - it would take 5 or 6 tries to pick it up and it would fall right back out. Not now - it takes one try and I can hold it as along as I want to hold it - then drop it.

The latest “oh my” ....... is that I now have sections of my feet coming back to life ...... PRE PN like. Around 90% of the area on my feet are now sensing touch again.

I’ve made some very remarkable improvements in my feet ........

I hope someone reads this - gets some ideas from it and gets some encouragement / motivation to start some foot TLC of their own.

I'm definitely going to try your "Spa" Hot/Cold repetitions Treatment...roughly how long do you leave the feet in each for (ie Hot then Cold then Hot etc..) and how many repeats? I guess it's down to experimentation but I'm interested in what actually worked for you and to try that first.....
thanks.....ray

[Ron9]

Hello Ray ......

Regarding the hot / cold spa thing I am doing.

I have no idea what is the “proper” way of doing it.

I go upstairs and turn on the heat (on the one that heats decent) - the heat goes off in 30 minutes so - I go back up in about 25 minutes and - turn on my iPod. That iPod has mon tue wed - a play list for each day of the week. I selected songs that added up to 30 minutes, for each daily playlist.

I have my feet in the hot one for “awhile” then over to the cold one. The unit that is not heated also has epson in the water. It also has spinning attachments. I rub around some with the moving attachment for about a minute - then back to the hot one.

So I don’t really have a set time for each - a few minutes in hot - then a couple of minutes in the cold.

The water temp in both of them start to equalize a bit. My feet are warm when I put them in the old and cold when I put them in the warm - so they start to equalize some.

That whole spa thing is just a small part of the total. I am also doing LOTS AND LOTS of foot/toe/ankle exercises. The list grows almost daily. I don't do all of them each day. I came up with so many so I don't get bored. I do around 10 or 12 different ones each day. I also have a huge selection of body exercises using things like a Magic Circle - and rubber circles and and and. I also do about a dozen of those each day. It is all a very elaborate system with pictures and timers and and and. It is actually pretty cool to work with.

I’ve already found or invented around 75 different foot/toe exercises.

Just today I made a neato circle out of soft rubber tubing (yet another exercise) and put it around my big toes and stretch them. I do that for 9 minutes. I also wiggle around the big toes during that time frame.

Just now - it dawned on me to do the toe stretch deal - while having my feet on this powerful foot vibrator. (shake up while pulling).

While I have noticed several toe related improvements ..... I really don’t know if I am helping my PN or not.

I had mostly ignored my PN for 4 years. I started all of this because all the toes on my right foot - all of a sudden “bent” and mostly locked in the bent position. There is for sure many improvements for that ...... I can only assume there may be some PN “betterment” in the process.

Anyway - I am for sure - trying and no longer ignoring my feet.