Diabetic neuropathy is a term that describes nerve damage related to the advancing effects of the blood sugar disorder called diabetes. Diabetes-related nerve damage in the feet is fairly common. If you have neuropathy that affects your feet, you need to take certain precautions to protect yourself when you walk or get other types of exercise.
Neuropathy Basics
Diabetic neuropathy occurs when the presence of excessive glucose in your bloodstream triggers a reduction in normal blood flow to your nerves. Some diabetics develop nerve damage relatively early in the course of their condition, while others don't develop it at all. Nerve damage that occurs in your feet is also known as peripheral neuropathy. Potential symptoms of this type of neuropathy include pain, insensitivity to pain or temperature changes, a burning or tingling feeling in your skin, problems with your balance or body coordination and severe sensitivity to skin contact.
Potential Difficulties
If you have peripheral neuropathy, muscle weakness in your ankle can significantly alter the way you walk or make walking more difficult. Additional foot related problems associated with neuropathy include the toe deformity called hammertoes and loss of normal weight bearing ability in the middle of your foot. Pressure associated with walking or other forms of exercise can also lead to the formation of foot sores or blisters. If your feet are numb, these minor injuries can escalate without your knowledge and cause severe foot infections that spread to your bone.
Avoiding Problems
If you have diabetic neuropathy and walking or any other exercise causes swelling, tingling, numbness, persistent pain or redness in your feet, contact your doctor. Also contact your doctor if you have cracked skin on your feet or have foot abnormalities such as bunions, corns or calluses.
Steps you can take to reduce your chances of problems include checking your feet daily for signs of dangerous changes, washing and thoroughly drying your feet every day, cutting your toenails straight across and avoiding extremely hot or cold weather. You can also reduce your neuropathy related discomfort by wearing well-maintained shoes that fit properly, breaking new shoes in slowly, wearing padded socks that don't bind your feet and changing both your shoes and socks every day.
Beneficial Exercise
You can potentially use exercise to reduce the effects of peripheral neuropathy. Strengthening exercises that may improve your condition include chair squats, seated dorsiflexions and calf raises performed at your kitchen counter. Potentially helpful aerobic exercises include stationary biking, swimming and low-impact aerobics. Potentially helpful flexibility exercises include plantar fascia stretches, calf stretches and seated hamstring stretches. Balancing exercises that may improve your condition include side leg raises, hip extensions, hip flexions and one-legged stands performed at your kitchen counter. Consult your doctor and a physical therapist for more information on forms of exercise that can improve neuropathy symptoms in your feet.
