What Is Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy (PN) refers to damage to the peripheral nerves that causes weakness, numbness, and pain in areas of the body. It means there could be a problem with the function of the nerves that send messages from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. According to the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy, approximately 20 million Americans suffer from the condition.
Diabetes is the number one cause of peripheral neuropathy, with 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes more likely to develop it. Chronically high blood sugar causes nerve damage to build up, leading to numbness, loss of sensation, and pain in the hands and feet. Along with diabetes, other causes include chemotherapy (10%), HIV/AIDS (2%), and other unknown causes (23%). People with diabetes can reduce their risk of developing nerve damage by keeping their blood sugar levels close to normal.
How Physical Therapy Helps
Another way to treat and improve the function and daily activities affected by peripheral neuropathy is through physical therapy. Physical therapists and nurses play a vital role in creating a personalized treatment plan for your specific goals and concerns. Utilizing manual therapy or a corrective movement approach may reduce neuropathic pain and can help control blood sugar levels when done regularly.
A comprehensive physical therapy routine includes four essential kinds of activity: strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. Studies show that incorporating all four helps prevent patients with peripheral neuropathy from experiencing further complications and improves their measure of pain and neuropathic symptoms.
Strength, Flexibility, Balance & Endurance
Strength exercises help your muscles grow stronger and prevent accidents and injuries. With consistent training, your muscles regain lost strength and return to functional activities, warm-ups are important here to avoid shocking your muscles and joints.
Flexibility exercises, also known as stretching, help prevent injury when doing physical activities. Warm up your body with gentle stretching for five to ten minutes before getting started.
Balance matters because peripheral neuropathy brings joint pain, weakness, and unsteadiness that make falling far more likely. Balance is affected by both illness and age, older muscles are smaller and weaker and respond less efficiently in the moments you need to brace yourself. Balance exercises help you overcome stiffness and unsteadiness.
Aerobics brings flexibility and balance work together, increasing your heart rate, working your muscles, and raising your breathing rate for tougher endurance. It's best performed for 30 minutes, twice a week, doing so helps you enjoy your time while preventing and easing the nerve damage caused by peripheral neuropathy.
Working With a Physical Therapist
If you're struggling with peripheral neuropathy, physical therapy can help improve your physical function and lower your blood sugar levels. Trained physical therapists can assist you in getting back to the highest level of activity, safely and effectively.