The first thing is that a good neurologist (that's usually an oxymoron) assured me that walking would not cause further nerve damage, so I felt free to ignore the pain as much as possible. I didn't and don't have arthritis or other condition that would preclude walking. When you start walking with PN, it feels like you're destroying your feet and legs with all the pain, but actually, you're helping by increasing fresh blood flow, and reestablishing balance and normal rhythmic nerve firing. Clinically, nerves firing and muscles contracting release healing endorphins that eventually reduce pain and promote healing.

I wear comfortable and roomy running or walking sneakers, with Spenco sock liners replacing the cheap foam inserts that come even with quality shoes. The athletic socks are 100% acrylic for added bounce, padding, wicking of moisture and warmth even if wet. I stretch daily, a combination of yoga and the program in the book "Three Minutes to a Pain Free Life" ( http://www.amazon.com/Minutes-Pain-F...5119057&sr=1-2 ). I was an active yoga student when starting walking again about 10 years ago, and was in extreme 24 hr. pain, but was starting to heal a bit because of the yoga and slowly getting rid of my chronic low level anger.

Like any exercise program, start slowly and don't increase more than 10% a week. Even that rapid an increase risks injury. Breaking up the walking to half the distance twice a day is worth considering, at least the first year or two. BTW, living with a dog or three (like we did back then) is a powerful motive to get out every day. They need it for their sanity and so do we. Dogs (the surviving one is now 14 yrs. old) make you feel soooo guilty if you don't take them out after all their begging and manipulating.

Realistically, I don't expect to ever run or backpack again. My last backpacking trip in 1994 ended up disastrous. Our third and final day, with about 10 mostly steep uphill miles to go to the trail head in North Zion NP my partner had to carry my pack out and come back to help me. I was almost delirious from the excruciating metatarsal foot pain with every footfall. A dream is to someday try hiking in a few uphill miles with a light pack just to get far from the madding crowd. But not out of cell phone range just in case.

Like Rose wrote, I don't think any one thing can turn our PN around except in those rare cases with a single identifiable and reversible cause. Walking or other exercise is but a part of promoting healing and reducing pain. Others aspects are learning about our health, aging, and PN, eating a healing diet, taking carefully selected supplements, cultivating love and support from family, physicians, and friends, giving back to others, and getting our emotional and spiritual lives on a serene and empowering track. Obviously, that's all a lifelong process rather than a reachable goal.

Rose wrote years ago about PN being an adventure. It can be that, a lifelong journey of discovery with unexpected challenges and rewards on the way. What a noble life quest that can be...a life enhancing gift from what seems to be disabling and life reducing. Learning to walk again through the pain and fear is part of it.

For you to be considering taking this on is an inspiration. Best of luck to you.