- Oh, foot pain from peripheral neuropathy can be one
of the most annoying things someone can experience.
- And we will show you five treatments, supported
by research, to help remedy you of this problem.
- That's right.
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- All right.
We need to give some good kudos to Bob.
He has found some good research on peripheral neuropathy
and how to treat it.
And pronunciation is a tough one for me,
but you know what I'm talking about.
- Additionally, these exercises can also help improve
your balance and your mobility.
There are 3 areas associated with peripheral neuropathy
that we will be addressing in this video.
- That's right.
Nice pronunciation, Mike.
- Thank you.
- Number 1, circulation deficits, that goes along with it.
Number 2, balance deficits from
the proprioception problems,
as well as the pain, numbness, and tinglings
which we all know about.
All right, for the first one, it's a simple range of motion.
We call 'em ankle pumps.
For the ankles, just like we're doing here,
pull up as far as you can, down, and do 10 to 20 of those.
You can do 'em with your shoes on, shoes off,
in a seated position, and bed line like this,
or long seated.
Just make sure you get those in.
Now, we're gonna go to number 2.
We call 'em windshield wipers.
- So, we're gonna go in and out
like windshield wipers on your car.
So, Brad is really rotating from the hips.
If you wanna isolate more of the ankles
you can keep the hips still and just mobilize
the ankle joint, like that.
- Right?
So there's a difference between, this or this.
Probably, isolation is better because that's working
the ankle and foot more.
- You can do 10 to 30 repetitions of this as well.
- There you go.
All right.
The first two were specific to ankle range,
motion, and circulation.
This is more for balance and strengthening.
The first one, you're gonna go up on your toes.
Have something to hold onto so you're stable
and we don't have any falls.
And then see if you can pull your toes up, like this.
And it's a rocking motion.
Heels up, toes up.
And if this is too easy and you don't feel
like you wanna challenge your balance more, from 2 hands
you can do it on a chair or a cupboard or a stick.
Go to one hand.
And if you really feel like you need more challenging,
just go to fingertips.
And again, use good judgment.
If you're gonna go no hands, make sure that you're solid.
Sometimes having a chair behind you so you can sit down
if you do lose your balance, is the way to go.
- And exercise number 4, we're gonna go right into it.
Cause we're gonna be in the same position.
Its just some standing marches.
So, you can alternate lifting your left and right foot up.
Lift 'em as high as you can tolerate and you feel safe.
If you can only do mini marches to begin with, that's fine.
Try to lift them up higher.
Obviously, if you're at a countertop you might hit
your knees if you don't stand, far enough, back.
- There is an option to take your shoes off and go barefoot.
And that can help with your proprioception,
and actually get a feel for what you're walking on
or marching on.
And do we give repetitions?
- You can do 10 to 20 repetitions per leg with this one.
- That's right.
Alright.
In the next whole category, is really important,
it's called endurance work.
Very simple. It's not very complicated.
We're gonna show you options,
but the idea is to get oxygenated blood down
into your legs, into the feet, to bathe those nerves
with this blood, giving him all the nutrients
that they need to be as healthy as possible.
- So, do these exercises for 5 to 15 minutes total.
Start slow, and build up time, gradually.
- Let's go through this list.
All right.
The first one is keep it simple.
If you feel comfortable walking, it's an excellent exercise.
Do it on a flat surface and don't go too far.
Make sure you use good judgment.
All right.
We're gonna show you 3 options that you can do
in your house to get this endurance work,
in a seated or possibly standing position.
Here, we've got the fid glider.
It works well because it's very light.
You can take it and store it in your closet.
Put it down on the floor, and simply get those legs moving.
This is great for if you have arthritis in your knees.
If you feel unsteady with walking you're gonna get
the blood flow and the movement
that you need for, again 5 to 15 minutes.
- The second seated option to do at home, is some type
of seated peddler machine.
You can buy whatever brand you like.
We don't endorse any specific models,
but simply put it down,
you can adjust the resistance as you want.
Start out easy, make it harder as it becomes easier for you.
And simply do this for 5 to 10 minutes.
Cuz blood flow going in your ankles, your knees, your hips,
a little bit of everything.
- Alright?
And the third option is a stationary bike.
Now, there's a lot of different bikes you can get.
Some have handles.
This one does not.
And again, it's the same thing.
Adjust the resistance.
You should not be so tired that you're out of breath.
That's not the idea.
The idea is just to improve that blood flow, be comfortable
with it.
You could use a treadmill, you can use an elliptical.
Those are much bigger, more expensive.
We're trying to keep it, you know, cost.
Oh, I just sprained my thumb.
Cost effective of, it happens, right?
- Yes.
- So anyways, the whole idea is get some circulation
with that endurance work.
Mike, are you, I think we're just about.
- I think.
- Covered everything.
- We are done.
So, make sure to stay healthy.
- Be safe.
- And be helpful.
- Keep smiling.
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