DO not make the numbness go away per se. You have to be very pragmatic and realistic about how nerves are damaged...The nerves can and do die or get damaged very quickly or over a period of time...Healing or regeneration of the nerves is a glacial-like process! No and's if's or but's...ever.
There are three issues going on here?
1- Controlling your pre-diabetes state -meaning you have to change your diet and lifestyle patterns [I HATE that last one!] to put your body in the best position to heal those nerves and give them the 'environment' they need to heal, regenerate or whatever...
2- Physical won't 'cure' you, just help you learn to try and compensate for the damages done and get on with life with more stability. Should nerves and new nerves grow...those nerves are going to need 'direction' thru using them the way they should be used...Repetition of many basic exercises helps give these new nerves [when they happen] the directions they need to be useful in the long term.
3- PATIENCE!!!!! It is a key term for all of us...Taking a vitamin, a med, painkillers isn't going to make the pains of these dead or distrubed nerves go away. Plain and simple. But, they do help you give your body the things it needs best to heal those nerves. I've a more acute type of neuropathy, many many of my nerves died within HOURS! Five years later, after extensive and expensive therapies I might just might be seeing/feeling some improvements. I'm not going to expect things to be 'back to normal' any time soon... Any feeling, good bad or indifferent rite now to me is GOOD...Better feeling than totally NOT feeling [which I have experienced as well] The lack is far far worse than the pains or strangenesses of 'feeling' by far.
Walking on 'sponges' IS a really good description! I've felt like I was walking on bubble wrap, only not having the fun of popping anything.
Hope this helps? 's in the meantime...we all muddle thru somehow... - j