I have been doing 3 to 5 miles on my treadmill since having my pn but as it gets progressively worse, I find myself avoiding more and more. So, in light of that, I have noticed a few things:

Cons:
It HURTS.
I mean, I know I am going to be in a burn flare after I take those shoes off. It does not hurt while I am doing it but I know I am gonna pay.

Gain weight when I don't do any.

Not healthy to avoid it.

Pros:

Healthy

Mentally it gives me that seratonin boost afterwards that I love, even though I HATE doing it and will never be a person who loves to do it.

Helps to lose or maintain weight.

Literally changes my entire day when I do it.

And last....and what I just found out, since I avoided it for 2 weeks completely....I believe it helps my PN. I am guessing it brings great amount of blood flow to my toes and thus on the days I exercise, my pn is better and my nightly horror is less severe.

That last one is newly discovered...and enough to drive my butt out of the chair and put on those horrid tennis shoes.


Just thought I would share.

This sounds so enticing. I used to love treadmill, etc., before PN. But I apparently have sensorimotor, axonal PN, and when I walk for even five minutes, my knees get stiff and painful and WEAK, and they stay that way for days. So it's hard to believe that the effect is beneficial. Anyone else have this experience?

I am not able to walk on a treadmill at all, my balance and coordination are too poor. My podiatrist spent 30 minutes trying to adjust it so he could do a gait analysis, to no avail.
I am able to walk and even do moderate hiking though. I find asphalt and cement increase the pain in my legs later, but walking in the woods on soft ground does not. I am on heavy pain meds, or I could not do it, but my pain levels are definitely lower when I walk, and as mentioned, the benefits go far beyond the effort involved. Mood improvement and a sense of accomplishment being two big ones. Even if I am useless the rest of the day the walk is a highlight. I actually am training a German shepherd puppy to be my walking buddy. I have a waist leash for her since I walk with two poles. My husband is usually with me, but I wanted her along especially for those days when he can't come. I have these visions of her rescuing me if I fall by getting a ranger....everyone needs a little fantasy, right?
I know not everyone can do it but it is really great if you can. I have small and large fiber neuropathy with muscle loss- CMT. Most of my pain is not in the feet, although I have that as well, but in my legs, seeming to come from the bones but more likely related to the muscle weakness. I was a big, strong, woman, 6'2", so have been able to keep moving at least for now. Steps are getting to be too much, though.

I find when my PN is too bad or I have too much pain, doing ANY form of exercise is still better than nothing.

I will use the stationary bike, since it requires no balance and no weight bearing on my legs, less pressure on my feet. I do like to do something that requires those dreaded tennis shoes because as I am finding out, forcing blood circulation to my toes seems to have a positive impact on my feet so that the flares during the night are LESS SEVERE.

I will also simply lift weights if I refuse to actually walk/ride bikes. It doesn't help the night flares much however it still gives me that positive energy boost/serotonin boost that simply makes me feel better mentally.


It is surprising to hear myself saying this. I have been overweight for the last 20 years. I hate exercise. My thyroid issues not withstanding, I simply never had the energy, or where with all to keep pursuing it. However, getting SOME energy back after dealing with thyroid pushed me to try to keep going and having lost 60 pds has motivated me to do it. But....my health, energy, and pain has taken over in the last month and I have almost stopped exercising completely in the last weeks.

It was learning that it helps my pn at night that gives me strength to push on even when want to quit now. I remind myself that 1 hour of exercise may give me a good nights sleep...or a better night.

Happy exercising.

(i know, don't you wanna punch me in the face? lol )

Chaucerfan

When I was having joint pain I signed up to do a water exercise class in the pool. It really works but no pain to the joint.

Maybe that is an option for you.

I did feel like a fish outta water...pun intended lol, as it was mostly old folks in the class...but I met great people. That is why older folks exercise in water, less pain.

Thanks, Stacy. I used to do lap swimming, and I'd see all the "older folks" doing water walking in another lane. Now I'll be one of them.... But your recommendation is timely because I'm even now waiting for the arrival of a bathing suit that I ordered last week on line. So I'm hopeful!

I am 100% for a regular exercise. Exercise serves my mood, lungs and PN. even when PN is painful, I still try to walk and when pain is worse, I do the stationary bicycle because it has less pressure on my feet and legs. During those "normal" pain level days, the pain disappears while walking, but once you stop walking and just standing, you will curse your neighbor.lol. I don't know why is the pain becomes tolerable while walking and becomes intolerable while just standing ??? I remember one poster wrote that just thinking of standing in line makes his blood pressure go up.

There are days though that I really cannot walk. During those days, I try to lift weights. But this hurts my osteoarthritis in my fingers. Oh well, don't ask me if there is any part of my body that does not hurt....lol.

I wish I knew why movement like walking or running makes my PN better. If I even think about standing in a line it does make my blood pressure does go up. I too have the flare ups as soon as I stop running and take the shoes off. Sometimes this can last for the whole day but the advantages makes it worth it. I feel better, much more able to deal with the bad days, helps with my weight and my attitude about myself. Now I have chronic hip bursitis so I'm weight lifting and riding a stationary bike. Not as good though.

I too swear it's blood flow but I don't have a clue if that's it. All I know is if I'm paper thin and run about 20 miles a week I'm so much better off. I haven't been able to say I'm there for 2 years though. Weight gain and limited exercise are the culprits.

Marty, I agree!!!!

My PN is soooo much better this week and I have not gotten to exercise due to company visiting, but I am using my chi machine and it really must be working.

Marty, I too, can not stand in line, it's AWFUL. Even exercise is easier than just standing. And WHY does shopping in a mall make things WAY worse than an hour of full on exercise?????? So weird.

Marty, seeing how long you've had PN, I assume you've already tried a cortisone injection for the hip bursitis? After reading in "Listen to Your Pain" that the only--but also very successful--remedy for trochanteric bursitis is corticosteroid directly into the bursa, I asked my orthopedist to try that, and so far its taken care of THAT particular issue for four or five months. (Now I wish I could tame the patella pain, from arthritis or who knows what. Before PN I was active enough to overcome that. Now it's keeping me FROM being very active again. Sigh.) BTW, I agree with you and Stacy that standing is much worse than walking. I wish I could get a "handicap placard" that would let me cut into line at the grocery check-out....