After many tests and seeing neurologists over the past 4 years I have been diagnosed with PN. My symptoms are numbness in feet, heaviness in legs and ankles, extreme weakness of the legs and balance problems. The symptoms are progressive in nature. Since I don't experience much pain the doctors are at a loss to prescribe any type of treatment other than exercise legs as much as possible. On my own I have tried Anodyne Light and electro stimulation therapy with no benefit.
I ask if anyone is experiencing the same symptoms, and if so, are you having any medically prescribed treatments or know of any current studies of possible benefit.

I have experienced the "heavy legs and and balance problems" along with sciatica.. Mine was helped aby a physical therapist who is also an RN. I went for massage therapy twice a week for two months. She knows accupressure and "trigger points" and very effective. At one point I had a sudden onset of severe knee pain.
she cured that in one visit. Now I go once a month "for a tuneup".

Northengirl had experience with heavy leggs

You might use the search function for Amyotrophy. I have all your symptoms plus, at one point in time, had lumbar and knee and butt pain that was deep and felt like "bone"pain. I contend that your symptoms don't have to be progressive. my leg weakness got to a point where I started falling and had to go to a walker. After about 6 or 8 months, my leg strength started coming back. I may have had muscle wasting also. I no longer use the walker but continue to struggle with leg strength. If you are like me, the exercise doesn't seem to "build" the legs. I feel that nerve regrowth would help but I haven't seen any progress in about 6 or 8 months now. I fear that I have grown as strong as I am capable of being. Lots of R&D going on such as PTEN knockdown and VM-2something but much still in rats and mice. I have even thought about volunteering as a Guinea pig in a promising study. My balance problems are still there but much improved.I am 2.5 yrs into and the pain is less now. I did feel strength increase when my b-12 went from 119 to 1000. Do you know your b-12 number? Good Luck, Ken in Texas.

Thanks for sharing. Some things to think about. Will check into B12 levels.

I have all of the symptoms you mentioned, numbness in feet, heaviness in lower legs, balance problems, weakness, muscle atrophy in calves, but, no pain. It started in toes and slowly progressed up toward knees. For treatment I had prednisone, IVIG, plasmapherisis, and rituxin. I stopped all treatment 2 and a half years ago. It has not progressed.
The thought is, either the above treatments stopped it or it burnt itself out.
I try to exercise, but I don't feel it is possible for me to build my calf muscles back up until the nerve to those muscles regenerate. I can not dorsi flex (lift my foot upward) due to the weakness.
I am currently attempting stem cell therapy hoping it will help regenerate the damaged nerves in my lower legs.

When i was lifting weight the nerve pain in my left writs diminish but i didnt notice that only after some time.

But i also have a gradually increasing numbnes in my feet and a little bit in my hands.
But this is conclusion i have "the parts that where only damaged very lightly healed but the heavy dameged parts havent healed but are getting numb.
For example :the burning in my underarms is gone as the burning in my hands is gone.What is not gone is the damage of the mylen sheet or axonal nerves.
It is only partial healed.

When i have a really bad day and my feet hurt ,feel very uncomfertable i am going to sauna and it can take up 2 hours to calm down and the next day they feel reasonable fine.

So i wander what happend with the blood supply to surounding tissue where the nerve is located

Thank you for these suggestions. How did your doctor decide on these different therapies? Did you have some tests that indicated they were a possible solution? If so, what tests were you given? Where is your doctor located?
If you don't mind me asking, what is your age. I am 76 and all this started when I was in my early 70's. I try to go to the gym at least 2 - 3 days a week, do 30 minutes on the treadmill or bicycle, some weights, and 30 minutes of walking in the pool. I can use the treadmill because I can hold on. Nothing seems to help rebuild my muscle in my legs. I'm very interested in your stem cell therapy. More please.

I just developed NP last July. I was only 45. I am learning so much more about it. I am learning that I need to take vitamins daily and to try and exercise daily. I also just moved to Oregon and have realized that the cold weather effects my condition more so I am looking to move to Arizona. I hope that you can get the help you need and that the doctors will be able to help your pain to subsided.


Jenny