Sorry I'm posting so much. Anyhow I have been in bed mostly 3 months and was in an air cast boot on my bad foot for that time. On a good day an errand or two. Anyhow I was being told to get out of the boot and finally did last week.Now I wear tennis shoes and am going to when better progressed back to the foot doc for orthotics. The neuro said I need to start scheduling time out of bed and to be on my feet. I have been really trying and its been physically torture. I see some progress but still in bed most part of the day.I do a few things and then come home in tears but at least doing I guess in hopes in the long run getting stronger.Does it help the nerves in the long run or make the legs stronger? Just fear making it worse. I tried pt once who made me so much worse I couldn't move out of bed for a few days. This is a switch from me as a former runner who up till 4 months ago never missed a day on the treadmill. So I guess I don't get how being on my feet is going to make it better in the long run and was hoping some feed back. I don't want to live in bed but fear doing too much on it to early so start very very slow. I don't mean exercise with activity I mean daily life. I'm young not that means anything but at 28 want to be spunky again.

What was the air cast for? What is the cause of your PN? (If you know.)

your body are now at war about what to do. You have to MOVE! It's to keep your circulation from getting bad/worse, reduce edema which will improve that circulation...which will w/increased good blood flow get things rolling along for healing.

There have been studies done that not only SHOW but prove that any exercise, better yet, specially targeted exercise for folks w/diabetic PN and GBS/CIDP do IMPROVE mobility and recovery substantially.

I know that you are hurting, and your body tries to move and then you pay for trying something new, you mind agrees to KEEP STILL. But, you gotta get up and get moving to keep what you have left in the way of strength and balance and you CAN with the right therapy get lots of it all back. I am living proof, except when I lose ground when I fall and break something else!
I'll dig up my list of exercise site and post them in the 'stickiies'..
You don't need much: a theraband, a hand weight or two [real light weight ones...it's not how big they are-just how you use them, maybe a hand squishy thing [for want of better term] and a counter or other safe solid place to hold onto to do certain walking, stretching, and balancing acts.

I mean, IF you're in pain while in bed or in pain sitting, or in pain trying to do PT stuff...Why not keep trying the pt stuff? There's lots of things one can do in bed to build up back, abdomen, legs and arms...so when ya do get outta bed you can do some simple things a bit better/easier? Worth a try at least!

I dunno about you, I learned this past winter that wheelchairs aren't FUN [broken knee 2 places]-AT ALL! I'd much rather be mobile any which way I can!
's And turn this all into something good - wouldn't it be great if you could absolutely ASTOUND your DOCS? HEEE HEEE! - j

This brings up a question I was wondering about. My pain seems to be worse if I've had a day where I've spent a lot of time sitting. Especially with my feet hanging down. What I'm wondering, my mom has varicose veins - bad. She used to take time throughout the day to lay on the bed with her feet propped on the headboard of her bed to help with the circulation and the pain. I'm wondering if this might not help with my pain as well. At least with the night pain. That's when it's the worst. Most of the time during the day I have no symptoms at all. About 20 minutes after I lay down for the night my feet start up. I'm wondering if propping my feet up well above my heart might help relieve some of this. Any ideas? Of course I can always try it and see.

Daniella, Its not to good to be laying down to much, i realize that your in pain,
but not getting blood circulation going is not good, as Dahlek said.

I use to go down to my local swimming pool and just walk up and down the lanes, go as slow as you like, its great cardio exercise and the best part is its non weight being so you won't hurt like trying to walk on hard surfaces.

I found that if i got to the pool early for me it was 6.00 am and there were lots of people doing the same thing for all differant medical problems.
Even a 15 minute walk in the pool to start with is a lot better than nothing, then you can build up longer times as you feel you can do it.

good luck anyway
Brian

Thank you. I'm actually trying to schedule my time out now and push. Its hard aside from the pain as I have been dizzy/spacy but making small steps. This morning I thought I was stuck in the grocery store from leg pain but pushed through.I think from all the laying my neck and back is so sore like I have a hard time keeping my head up. Its a vicious cycle. I just fear making anything worse. Its weird as my lower for 3 months was only issue and now I have upper pain but still the left leg is the major. The boot was given to me 3 months ago by the ortho as when this started we thought it was an over use exercise injury and then the months past of tests with changing dx like tts and I stayed in the boot until a week ago because of fear even after the nerve issue. Regardless of issue your ankle/foot is in a weird position and its hard to readjust but doing it. I would love to learn to swim when I'm farther along out of bed as I will never run again.
Jarette I know that having your feet up is good for circulation and to help with water retension. In my recovery from an eating disorder I had to have them up and it helped with the pain. Have you talked to your doc about the veins? I was reading at the docs that in some can cause pain.
Thanks again

So I'm feeling hopeless. Yesterday I was on my feet more then I have been in the past 3 months. I pushed and did a few errands. Last night when I got home I was crying all night in pain and back to taking vicadin and this morning can barly move in pain. I have the tingling in my foot and pins back which have not been there for awhile. I still have the horrible inner ankle/foot pain and calf but the pins went away for awhile till this.Also the feeling of no circulation around the ankle. I'm so frustrated and feel I made things worse. So confused and scared its going to be a major back slide from yesterday.

Here are a few that I've found to be useful.
Some are examples of the same things, but, a different viewpoint helps to get the right way to do things straight in the mind:

Ankle:
http://www.orthoassociates.com/Ankle_rehab.htm
http://www.vsm.vanderbilt.edu/docume...ionProgram.pdf
http://www.aofas.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3330
http://www.epodiatry.com:80/ankle-sprain.htm

Knee:
http://www.kneeguru.co.uk:80/html/gy...bjectives.html
http://www.athleticadvisor.com/image...ee%20rehab.PDF

Hip:
http://www.med.umich.edu:80/1libr/sm...iopsoa_rex.htm

Back:
http://www.mayoclinic.com:80/health/back-pain/LB00001_D

Overall:
http://www.fairview.org:80/healthlib.../sma_index.htm

That Last one has a good menu and addresses all sorts of weaknesses and sprains/strains.

You don't need lots of equipment. I believe I've gotten my therabands, hand weights, exercise stretch ropes and balance discs for under $100 a bit at a time. I use the hand weights and therabands the most.

You're a bit tired after doing a lot. It's because you are trying to do what you could before all the bedrest.

Do your feet and ankles feel as if they are cramping into little balls? And it's the back of your calves that burn? That's cause they need to re-learn how to PUSH and STRETCH! They these ankle exercises a bit at a time, start out at doing each one five times ONLY for 5 times a day, then work your way slowly up to 20 times 5 times a day. I'm no therapist...I've just seen so many and done these soo much in the last few years, I can do them almost in my sleep. If you go slow, you mite even feel good, and if you keep it up, suddenly you will find you can do more with less discomfort. The ankle exercises also help any swelling go down [least for me]. Worth a try!

Hugs and keep at it! - j

Thank you. I feel right now I need to focus on daily stuff. I have so much inner ankle/foot pain that feels like no circulation. I do have cramping like you say and very tight. The pain is so horrible. I don't know why though I have the pins and burning in my foot back after so long without. Its not as botherings as the severe inner ankle pain but the whole foot hurts in general. I'm so fearful that I make things worse. Well thank you and one day at a time right.

foot cramps this winter after being off my feet due to a knee fracture...I was in absolute agony after even short 'walks' around the house. I used the thera-band and did some resistance exercises a few times each day and the swelling went down and the cramps diminished.
It took me a while to connect the pain with the need to strengthen those muscle and tendon groups! The more often I do the silly ankle exercises, the better I walk, and the less likely I am to fall.
As I've said before tho...start out very slow! Don't start out doing 20 flexes each way - you will HURT then. Do five at a time, 2-3 times a day, working up to 10-20 five times a day...doing it slowly, but regularly is far better.
Please give it a try. - j