General overview- Peripheral neuropathy is a nerve-damaging condition in which the nervous system stops sending signals to the different body parts which usually happens to be hands or feet making simple functions frustrating. It might happen due to the ageing process or even due to the inflicted lifestyle that we all have been living for so long. However, physical exercise has been considered a great tool for putting forward a natural solution to peripheral neuropathy issues. But it could only work if you have a basic understanding of which exercises should you do. In this article, we will find the most accurate one to discuss the most promising physical exercises for treating peripheral neuropathy.
What is peripheral neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is a nerve disorder that occurs when peripheral nerves are damaged or old enough to not transmit signals to different body parts. It can easily be destroyed due to the lack of a healthy lifestyle and a well-balanced me. As a result, due to the damaged nervous system peripheral nerves cannot send proper signals to your hands or feet, making them unable to move properly as you should. The peripheral nerves connect the spinal cord to your brain. In other words, it usually connects the whole nervous system to your brain to perform. It provides signals to different body parts:-
- arms and hands
- legs and feet
- face and mouth
- internal organs
The primary job of these nerves is to carry physical sensation signals from the brain to the body and responsive signals from different body parts, making it an important signaling nerve in the body. In other words, it shows that your body’s internal functions and physical response are being regulated correctly without any layover.
Peripheral neuropathy causes and symptoms
As we age, our nervous system starts to deteriorate, lacking the ability to send proper signals throughout the body. Within this parameter, peripheral neuropathy could be due to the impaired nerve connections that hinder the brain from sending the signal to the body part. However, it can happen due to several reasons some of the are listed below:-
- Injury is a very common reason especially the head injury beside that temple part of your brain.
- Systematic analysis can ruin your nervous system due to overexposure to severe health illnesses.
- Any viral infection can impact your nervous system and put a halt to the peripheral nerves functioning within the body.
- Hormonal imbalance is the result of the natural aging process which is inevitable but you can surely slow it down safely.
- Vitamin deficiencies are usually overlooked by many people due to their nature as people think vitamin deficiencies are the normal part of the agent process.
- An inherited disorder that usually runs in the family and every family member has to suffer from it sooner or later.
Physical exercises for peripheral neuropathy
Physical exercises can be a great asset in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy because they encourage us to make physical movements comfortable and not restricted to nerve disorders. However, there are three main types of physical exercises that you should definitely include in your daily routine:-
- Aerobic exercises are considered a great tool to maximize your breathing technique where oxygen is required in large quantities.
- Balancing workouts will let you concentrate on your mind and move your body parts as per your own will.
- Stretching before a workout plays a major role in keeping your body active and functioning throughout the workout, which makes it easy to repair the damaged peripheral nerves.
- Aerobic exercises target the bigger muscle group of the body where you have to deeply inhale oxygen and promote higher blood flow to different body parts. After doing aerobic exercises, your body will release endorphins, which act as natural painkillers. If you are new to exercise, then you should only start with 10 minutes a day of walking and slowly start elevating the time limit, where 30 minutes is considered an ideal time period to do aerobic exercises. Listed below are some of the great exercises of aerobic ones:-
- Brisk walking
- Swimming
- Bicycle
You can do all the above-mentioned exercises and promote behavior for healthy lifestyle changes which can be better for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy.
- Peripheral neuropathy can make your hands and feet stiff and unable to move which is really frustrating because you want to move your hands on feed but couldn’t do so due to the damaged nerves. Balance training can reduce the stiffness in your hands and legs and make them much more mobile for better responsive behaviour. Below are some of the best balancing exercises that you can simply add to your workout routine.
- Side Leg raises are considered a great exercise to balance your body on your feet. This is below are some steps that you can follow which will assist you to do this exercise correctly:-
A)- You can use a chair or counter to balance on the side of the hand.
B)-You have to stand straight and your feet slightly apart to your shoulder length.
C)- Then you have to slowly lift the leg off the side and hold it for 10 to 20 seconds.
D)- lower your leg on one side and simply repeat this process with the other leg.
E)- As your balance improves try doing this exercise without any support or counter.
- Calf raises are truly underrated exercises that everyone should include in their workout because it helps to stimulate the nerves on our calf muscle to experience immersive strength and pain at the same time.
A)- You can use a chair or courier to balance your body.
B)- Then you have to lift the heels of both your legs together for a minimum period of 30 to 50 seconds.
C)- Slowly lower the heels of both legs on the ground.
D)-You have to repeat this exercise for 10 to 15.
- Stretching exercises will help you to stretch your body properly and move forward with proper flexibility. However, a simple routine of dynamic stretching can easily prevent workout injuries to a great extent. The most common exercises for stretching have been defined below.
- Calf stretch is an excellent way of improving your ankle mobility and putting pressure on calf muscles to increase blood flow and signal in the feet. To do it correctly follow these simple steps given below:-
A)– Firstly you have to place your hand on a stable search face which is immovable.
B)-Then you have to move one foot behind and keep your toes parallel to each leg.
C)-Slowly start pushing forward with your hand and feel the stretch on your feet.
D- You have to hold this position as long as possible but the recommended time period is above 1 minute.
E)- Do the same with the other leg as well as you will notice a certain stretch in your calf muscles.
- Seated hamstring stretch will definitely make you feel stretched in the hamstring area which is where you should be making the most amount of progress. Listed below are some of the basic steps to do this exercise correctly:-
A)- You can start by sitting on the chair
B)– You should extend one leg with your toes pointing upward.
C)- Start by bending the knee of your opposite leg.
D)- You need to position your chest to the straight leg until you start to feel a little stretch in the hamstring.
E)- You have to hold this position for a minimum period of 20-30 seconds.
F)- Repeat it 3 times a day with both legs.
FAQ(Frequently asked questions)
Q1. Which condition can be mistaken as Peripheral neuropathy?
Ans. There are many conditions that can be easily mistaken like radiculopathy, muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Having all such conditions could be death-causing which is very bad. As a result, a proper diagnosis is important.
Q2. Are physical exercises the best available treatment for peripheral Neuropathy?
Ans. The answer completely depends on the cause of peripheral neuropathy which differs at every stage due to its vague symptoms which are almost similar to the aging process. However, there are some treatments that offer injections, physical therapy and acupuncture which is always considered a great way to deal with such problems.
My view on peripheral neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy is unlike any nerve disorder because of the subtle symptoms which are often overlooked by everyone. They always seemed to know it as a part of the natural ageing process. But in reality, things are pretty different because if you are not treating nerve disorders then you might welcome several physical as well as mental illnesses. We all seek a good life but despite knowing everything about a healthy lifestyle we always end up choosing convenience over treatment which can be deadly. Physical exercises have been a state of self-care often taken at an extreme level. But always remember physical and mental wellness are the real sources of living a healthy life.