I agree with Nide44 on this. I went from having a mountain goat's balance before getting PN, even with a 50 pound backpack on, to what a neurologist called "unsteady on his feet". I tripped several times a day, and lost all confidence while walking.

Ayengar type yoga helped my balance tremendously. I'm no longer the mountain goat I was before getting PN, but have good balance and confidence now.

The basic principle is to work on your balance every day, and it will improve as your brain and muscles learn to make sense out of the changed sensations from your legs and feet. You can make up your own exercise program with a 10 or 12 foot long 2 x 4 beam on the floor. Start out walking both directions near a wall for support and confidence, looking at your feet and the beam as needed. Progress to walking away from the wall, progressing to looking at a spot on the far wall. Walk slowly. Walk quickly. Walk heal to toe. Walk backwards on the beam. Walk on curbs as you gain confidence. Your balance will improve, even if your PN gets worse.

Daily exercise helps. It sounds like you garden. While excellent exercise, gardening doesn't work on your equilibrium per se, or your "cross patterning" (see http://www.google.com/search?q=%22cr...en-US:official ). I found that walking daily, as much as one can without injury or increasing soreness, pretty much ignoring the PN pain, was and continues to be extremely theraputic. We have an aging large older dog that needs the exercise for physical and mental health, so she is our motivation for a 45 minute brisk walk every day. I still have PN pain and numbness, but it is tolerable and hasn't gotten worse in years. You and everybody else on this board should be so lucky (that's a prayer for people with progressive, crippling PN).

You might find some good ideas for coping and therapy in the "Sticky" section at the top of the main PN forum thread listing page. I've got a three part posting there starting with #18 at http://forums.braintalk2.org/showthr...p?t=177&page=2 . Good luck.