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-   -   Exercising with PN (https://www.neurotalk.org/peripheral-neuropathy/182086-exercising-pn.html)

Stacy2012 02-01-2013 09:29 PM

An incline of 7 is pretty steep, why not set it on a 3 or 4???? I would think that would be less painful.

I don't believe it hurts the nerves and if I can tolerate it I will continue. I think the key is to do what you can tolerate.

Idiopathic PN 02-02-2013 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacy2012 (Post 953367)
An incline of 7 is pretty steep, why not set it on a 3 or 4???? I would think that would be less painful.

I don't believe it hurts the nerves and if I can tolerate it I will continue. I think the key is to do what you can tolerate.

Thank you Stacey. Well, the 7 is pretty tolerable when my pain is within the tolerable level :-)

I guess I overdid myself in my exercise. I will go back to my usual walking. What is important is knowing that exercise will not do any more damage to the nerves.

hopeful 02-02-2013 08:45 PM

:)
Quote:

Originally Posted by Idiopathic PN (Post 953567)
Thank you Stacey. Well, the 7 is pretty tolerable when my pain is within the tolerable level :-)

I guess I overdid myself in my exercise. I will go back to my usual walking. What is important is knowing that exercise will not do any more damage to the nerves.

I have asked that question of a lot of doctors and have not been given an answer. They usually respond that some exercise is necessary to keep muscles from becoming to weak. I have to agree with that. I have used my exercise bike. It does not increase my pain but I can't gaurantee it does no harm to t he nerves. I have searched many sites looking for the answer also but have not found anything that states exercisemakes neuropathy worse.

Sallysblooms 02-02-2013 08:50 PM

My doctor wants me to exercise for blood flow so the nerves are fed. So they get oxygen, etc. Movement/stretching does that, doesn't have to be hard or stressful.

Marie33 02-03-2013 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idiopathic PN (Post 953351)
When my PN symptoms started, I did not realize that my pain then was just a "preview" of what to come. Anyway, there are other health issues that developed after the PN diagnosis that requires more frequent doctor's visits, more toxic medications, that I sort of grudgingly accepted the PN pain while shifting my focus to the other health condition. All this time, I continue to exercise not only for my nerves but more so for my lungs.

My question to those who regularly exercise inspite of the pain, if you can tolerate the "intolerable pain" and you continue to exercise (because for me, not exercising is not an option for my lungs), will I further damage my nerves?
My exercises are:

1. treadmill (incline of 7 and speed of 3) - when the pain is tolerable;
2. walking outdoor - when pain is moderate

Now that my feet and legs are REALLY hurting, I still want to do teh walking even slowly. I probably can still do it but I am concerned that my pain must be telling me to rest for a while or forcing to walk while the pain level is high might damage some nerves. Will recumbent bicycle be safe?

Swimming or water exercises (in a pool) is not for me. The splashes could create an "aerosolized water" that can potentially carry a bacteria which I can inhale. (My apologies for some who might think I am insensitive to those who love pools. I could not just take the risk of being exposed to bacteria or virus especially that my WBC and Neutrophils are too low.)

Will appreciate insights.

Hi There,
Sorry your going through a difficult time. I was wondering the same thing about SFN and exercise and came across your post.
My question is the same as yours to those who regularly exercise inspite of the pain, if you can tolerate the pain and you continue to exercise will It further damage our nerves? I like going on the treadmill to stay fit. But there are days when my feet burn (slightly) and walkin makes the burn worse. Sometimes I end up with some tingling in my lower calves too. I wonder if the TM is making my "condition" worse by further damaging the nerves? (I stay at around 2.4 and incline 4.)
Also, I was reading some of your posts from last year re your "normal" skin biopsy. Did you have another Skin biopsy since last April? Were you Dx with SFN or PN since then. If not how does the Dr explain your symptoms?? I had a "abnormal" skin biopsy last Oct. all other neuro diagnostic tests were normal, including vibratory, pins, hot & cold. I have neuropathy symptoms, but no cause was found. (Idiopathic -I hate that word) Burning feet, pins & needles in my legs, arms and fingers. (no numbness) some other painful sensations on and off and some days I feel it on my face and lips. Im having a hard time accepting that this "disease" that seems to have come out of nowhere has no cause. I am otherwise in great health. Have they found a cause for your neuropathy yet? Sorry for ranting, but its difficult to accept that there is no cause or that we may never heal..:(

Kitt 02-03-2013 12:15 PM

If a person has a hereditary PN such as CMT, and there are many, many types of it, you can exacerbate CMT with too much exercise. There is a fine line. We cannot build up atrophied, dead muscles. Just saying. :(

Idiopathic PN 02-03-2013 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marie33 (Post 953695)
Hi There,
Sorry your going through a difficult time. I was wondering the same thing about SFN and exercise and came across your post.
My question is the same as yours to those who regularly exercise inspite of the pain, if you can tolerate the pain and you continue to exercise will It further damage our nerves? I like going on the treadmill to stay fit. But there are days when my feet burn (slightly) and walkin makes the burn worse. Sometimes I end up with some tingling in my lower calves too. I wonder if the TM is making my "condition" worse by further damaging the nerves? (I stay at around 2.4 and incline 4.)
Also, I was reading some of your posts from last year re your "normal" skin biopsy. Did you have another Skin biopsy since last April? Were you Dx with SFN or PN since then. If not how does the Dr explain your symptoms?? I had a "abnormal" skin biopsy last Oct. all other neuro diagnostic tests were normal, including vibratory, pins, hot & cold. I have neuropathy symptoms, but no cause was found. (Idiopathic -I hate that word) Burning feet, pins & needles in my legs, arms and fingers. (no numbness) some other painful sensations on and off and some days I feel it on my face and lips. Im having a hard time accepting that this "disease" that seems to have come out of nowhere has no cause. I am otherwise in great health. Have they found a cause for your neuropathy yet? Sorry for ranting, but its difficult to accept that there is no cause or that we may never heal..:(

When my PN symptoms started more than over a year ago, I had almost all possible tests I read here but all came back normal. I had my skin biopsy but came back normal too. My journey in finding out the cause for my PN was long and arduous, just like most of the posters in this forum. The EMG/NCV was normal. My muscles are strong, in fact the word my doctor used was “robust”. He did not seem incline to give me another skin biopsy. I intend to have another skin biopsy in the future. You are right, it is hard to believe that something as painful as we have has no cause and possibly no treatment.
My symptoms are like yours: prickly skin (it used to be constant but now its minimal) but its my feet which are becoming really more painful. The feet pain I used to experience was nothing compared to the pain I have now.  But, inspite of the pain I still try to exercise because it is very important for for my other health conditions. This is the reason why I need to k now that exercise doe not do any more damage to the nerves.

Susanne C. 02-03-2013 11:12 PM

I am not an expert, but my neurologist and everything I have read would seem to indicate that you are unlikely to damage or hurt the nerves in any way through sensible exercise. What Kitt is talking about is the impossibility of regenerating dead or wasted nerve and muscle tissue due to CMT through exercise or any treatment, supplements, etc. in this case overdoing it can be damaging because it leads to fatigue and weakness and energy must be conserved, not squandered.
That doesn't mean that exercise isn't helpful at all in CMT cases. I am able to hike with poles on relatively level ground for several miles at a time. In this way I am able to preserve and even strengthen what muscle is still present and functional. In spite of this regime I am able to cover noticeably less ground than this time last year and the same route takes a little longer. I am tireder, my feet and ankles are thinner, the muscles are not coming back. Exercise does help with circulation and mental health, so even if one should not expect too much from it, movement should be deliberately incorporated in a daily wellness regime.

I cannot imagine being able to walk on a treadmill. My balance and coordination have always made it impossible. I fall down no matter how the doctor tries to adjust it for me.


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