Very glad I found this site and look forward to great conversations.

My first question is - How do you excercise your toes when you're in a wheelchair. They don't get flexed and by the end of the day they become sore. Any suggestions besides a wonderful pedicure and foot message very night?

Hi Toni,
I'm not in a wheelchair but have a lot of spasticity in my legs which often keeps me fairly stiff. When I have trouble stretching my feet and toes and is unable to reach them to message them I will get a towel or pillow case and wind it up and scoop it underneath the foot and pull it upwards. I find this stretches the foot as well as the heel cord and calf area. Maybe that will work for you?

Hi, Toni! I'm glad you found us, we're a little off but we like to laugh.

I am not in the chair full time yet but do have the same problem. I use one of those foam separators for a pedi and scrunch it with my toes. Also, I have a little massage machine from HoMedics that sits on the floor. Instead of just resting my feet on it, I kind of try to "go against" the moving parts with my toes.

At night, my spasticity is very bad, and painful. Before bed, I hoist my foot up to my other knee and just apply lotion and it really helps loosen them up and to calm the spazzes.

I also keep a percussion massager handy for when it violently wakes me in the night. My toes and calves jam up so badly that I am powerless. I discovered that massaging the lower thighs actually somehow releases the feet and calves. Even if it's only psychosomatic, I'll take the relief and the sleep!

Hope you find a way and stick around, we're always up to something around here.

Cindy - I never thought about that - percussion massager! Thank you! I get cramps at night in my calves and my feet. My toes curl up so tight that sometimes it takes 45 minutes to get them to relax. Thank you thank you thank you!

Welcome Toni! Glad you found us too and asked that question! Learn something new all the time!

Welcome, Toni.. I vote for the foot message and pedecure, every night.

OK, Nappy, what is a percussion messager..huh...huh...duh!!!

It's this here thing. It goes fast and makes things under your skin relax. It works, I'm tellin' ya'!