Inactivity and nerve pain

[feliciafawn]

Does anyone one else find that when they are extra sedentary, it aggravates nerve pain? My right leg and hip area has some numb patches on it from surgery damage. When I've been extra lazy for a few days, I get increased itchy/burning/tingling.

[peaceandlove]

Me also same

[msweeney]

It has been some time since I have posted and I want to send an update but I did see this question and wanted to respond. I have significant neuropathic pain/feedback. There is no question that when I am sedentary my pain increases. I use desensitization techniques to aid in my pain reduction. As an example, the bottom of my feet have significant tingling, pins and needles and worse (sometimes it feels as if there is a nail between my big toe and second toe on my left foot). When it gets bad I start with a dry washcloth and rub the bottoms of my feet. That about sends me through the roof with sensory feedback. I keep doing that until my hyper-reflexivity and sensory feedback diminishes. From there I go to a rolling massager up the chain towards a hairbrush. Not pleasant but after a session of that my hypersensitivity and pain lessens. I do this on my legs when I stretch in the morning.

So if desensitization works for you, understand that an active lifestyle and moving around as much as you are able is constant desensitization. I am always worst after long flight or long car drives/rides. Working long hours at my desk is also the very worst thing for me. So I have certain adaptations I have made. I try to vary my activities. I have a sit stand desk for work. I go to a pool (in Seattle-Bellevue we have a public Therapy pool with 95-degree temperature). I do range of motion exercise there and then swim in the lap pool next door (regular temp min that lap pool). I worked with a swim instructor to adapt a swim stroke. I am comical as I stuff floats into my neoprene swim trunks in order to support a weak core. I use a belt around my knees to keep my legs in line to help compensate for no hip stabilizers on left side. I use a swim snorkel for breathing so I don’t have to rotate for breath as my trunk has difficulty making that turn for long periods. Sometimes I feel like it takes me more time to get ready for swimming than it did for me to get ready to ski pre-surgery!

I love the warm water for the range of motion exercises I have to do and stretching is so much easier in a pool when you take gravity out of the equation. After my laps I get back in the warm water pool and put floats under my legs and back and rest my head on a float and hold on to the side. Those 20 or so minutes are sheer bliss as I feel completely supported and it is the least amount of pain my body feels. I wish I could bottle that feeling for use later when all of that returns and send to it out to anyone who has similar issues.

I take small walks during the day and I vary my workout routine as much as I can in order to keep different muscle groups active. I have been able to do this for 12 years and though occasionally I hit burn-out in one area or another (or even all of it!) and I take breaks. It never fails to draw me back of its own accord because it works. I take baclofen for hypertonicity but I have never used any of the pain meds for neuropathic pain as I cannot stand the side effects.

My advice…do as much physical activity as your body will tolerate. It does wonders both for physical and mental symptoms. I admit that I have bitched and moan starting off with many work-outs or exercise activities. I have never once regretted a work out or exercise once completed!

If you are not a normal exerciser or have taken a long break, just start small and MOST IMPORTANTLY…pick something that you enjoy or somehow make it enjoyable. IF YOU DO NOT ENJOY IT AT SOME LEVEL YOU WILL NOT MAINTAIN IT FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. I have listened to music, audio books, now Netflix at my health club. I make my walks enjoyable by driving places that are beautiful on the weekends. I found an arm bike to allow me to bike around to places that are out of reach for my walks. I have a pedal assist bike for even longer outings so I am not robbed of my connection to the outdoors. If there is a will there is a way to do things that you used to enjoy. Start small and build on it! The journey of 1,000 miles start with one step!

[[e-mail]]

When I sit too long I get more weakness and numbness. I have found the days that I do some walking, I do better. I believe when I do some bouncing on a rebounder (mini trampoline) that it helps as well.

[Nadine]

Do you recommend some painkillers for it? I have the same problem too, and I need some help on it here. I have been using one Online Pharmacy for buying medicine, and I will buy the pills from there too. Have a look, maybe you will find something for you