OK, I know I have posted about my chi machine before but I am learning there is SOMETHING important to this, and I guess it is circulation.

When I went to Florida for a month I did not take my chi machine but I did exercise everyday or almost.

At home I use my chi machine at night and exercise hit and miss.

So last week I got busy and it was late and I just skipped my chi machine and I did not realize it but I went without using it for about 5 days AND no exercise.

Now, after skipping both for about four days I started having horrid days and nights like I have not had horrid since last summer. I was near tears, actually I was in tears mostly because I was like, what is going on? It is still cold weather but my feet are hurting and toes are swelling like full blown attack no matter what I did.

THEN it occurred to me I was not doing chi machine and I was not exercising, fact is when it gets that bad all I want to do is sit and do nothing.

Then I remember it was those two things that helped me last time, so I started right away 2 days ago, using my chi machine three times a day. Today, no pain, no fan, the most amazing day ever. Even now, just slight burning in my heel but no toes and nothing bad.

So, all that to say, why????

Why does this chi machine, which is mostly about circulation, help my burning???? Or even just 30 min on my treadmill help??? What is the deal??? I do not feel I have circulation issues yet this thing helps my feet burning.

This is making me question the root cause of my PN. I wonder if my hashimotos is the fault, I have auto immune issues with hashi's, which is causing a great deal of inflamation in my body. I am just trying to put the puzzle pieces together, thyroid, hashi's, inflamation and the fact that getting circulation in my feet helps.

Any ideas or thoughts?

--a number of neuropathies are thought to be primarily circulatory or ischmeic in nature; autoimmune vasculitic neuropathies that tend to break down connective tissue such as blood vessel walls impair circulation so that nerves (and lots of other things) do not get the nutrition/oxygen they need or the removal of waste products that they should, and diabetic neuropathy also works primarily through a circulatory "nerve-starving" mechanism, so that anything that would improve circulation, allowing more blood to flow, would presumably be a good thing.

One of the benefits of exercise in general is the growth of and "cleaning" (removal of deposits) in small blood vessels, making the metabolic processes more efficient, which promotes healing as well as requiring less energy for the day to day biochemical processes. It's why anyone with almost any condition (there are a few exceptions) should be encouraged to exercise to tolerance--there are many good things that can happen when the body doesn't have to work as hard to get nutrients to and toxins from cells.

Thank you for that info. So apparently that is the "kind" of pn that I have. My diagnosis has always been just a guess from doctors of my thyroid. But I am starting to wonder if inflamation or hashi's is the cause even though there is nothing to prove that link.

I dont know, always looking for more clarification. Thinking if it is inflamation and I got it under control things would get better. OR if it is caused from high antibodies from Hashi's then bringing my antibodies down might help.

I am taking action to try and help both situations.

thank you!