Cardio with nerve damage

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baleighcakes
baleighcakes Posts: 28 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello! My husband and I are trying to lose weight. He has recently been diagnosed with nerve damage that causes lots of pain in his foot. His neurologist cleared him for exercise, which is all well and good, but what's the best thing he could do? Obviously things like running are no good. Anyone have any experience with this?

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  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    .... Anyone have any experience with this?

    Yes. His neurologist
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,717 Member
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    I have peripheral nerve damage due to contracting Guillain Barre Syndrome in 2011. That's an autoimmune disease where you attack your own nerve cells while fighting off an infection. The nerve damage in my feet cause drop foot and affects my balance. I feel safe on the elliptical, stair ergometer, rowing machine and stationary bike. If I hold onto the bars, I can walk on an incline on the treadmill.

    I used to do a lot of free weights, but can no longer carry plates or dumbells from the rack to the bench safely, so I am limited to machines for strength training.
  • alathIN
    alathIN Posts: 142 Member
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    Swim!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,717 Member
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    Swimming is awfuly disorientingl with peripheral nerve damage. I can't tell where my hands or feet are when I can't see them.
  • baleighcakes
    baleighcakes Posts: 28 Member
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    .... Anyone have any experience with this?

    Yes. His neurologist

    Yeah, his neurologist basically just said "whatever you can handle." So.
  • baleighcakes
    baleighcakes Posts: 28 Member
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    I have peripheral nerve damage due to contracting Guillain Barre Syndrome in 2011. That's an autoimmune disease where you attack your own nerve cells while fighting off an infection. The nerve damage in my feet cause drop foot and affects my balance. I feel safe on the elliptical, stair ergometer, rowing machine and stationary bike. If I hold onto the bars, I can walk on an incline on the treadmill.

    I used to do a lot of free weights, but can no longer carry plates or dumbells from the rack to the bench safely, so I am limited to machines for strength training.

    Thank you, this is very helpful!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Swimming? Biking?

    Is the pain worse when he puts pressure on it or just constant? What about the elliptical?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    .... Anyone have any experience with this?

    Yes. His neurologist

    Yeah, his neurologist basically just said "whatever you can handle." So.

    Then he's good to go and the world is his oyster.

    Meaning, this is such an individual thing that he's just going to have to try different things to find what" he can handle". I would suggest swimming as a logical choice, but as acpgee points out, it may not be appropriate for everyone. Biking, who knows? Walking, running, lifting, arm bike...maybe, maybe not as his symptoms may be totally different from a acpgee's.

    It's virtually impossible for us to give suggestions based on the information given, but the good news is that based on what his specialist said, he's free to try all the things and see what sticks.
  • JONZ64
    JONZ64 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    I have sciatic nerve damage in my right leg/foot. I used the eliptical at first and did a lot of walking (really an underrated exercise) and I also run.

    I didn't jump into running. I went to my local running store (Point2Point running) They scanned my feet and video'd me running on the treadmill to see how my feet were striking the ground, then they showed me which shoes were right for me. Once I got the right shoes (which were a lot less expensive than the ones I had been buying). I started by using the Couch to 5K program and was able to get up to the 5K. I run off and on and I still enjoy the fast walking, sometimes with intervals of running.

    I have also found that certain stretches help with the pain. http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/stretches-and-exercise-sciatic-pain-piriformis-syndrome
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
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    I have pretty severe nerve damage in one of my shoulders from an track and field accident when I was a teen (my clumsiness literally know no bounds).
    From my experience, I can tell you that really it's different for everyone. Does he have no sensation or just decreased sensation? IS he aware of where his foot is if it's not in his line of sight?
    It's one of those things where really you just have to try it and see if it's something you're comfortable doing.
    Seeing as it's his foot, I'd think anything where his feet would be relatively stationary (bike, elliptical) would likely be more comfortable than something like running, or even potentially swimming; though if he's experiencing pain when putting his foot down repeatedly, swimming may be a great opportunity, even if it comes with a few challenges.
    All I think any of us can say is to encourage him and tell him that there are many people out there suffering from the same and similiar issues who are managing to accomplish what he's looking to do - get in better shape.
    Good luck to you both! Look at it as a blessing to try all new sorts of exercises :)
  • baleighcakes
    baleighcakes Posts: 28 Member
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    Thank you so much to everyone who was helpful. Of course it's different for everyone else, but he just got diagnosed and I figured he could try out the stuff that has worked for other patients first. Exercising with constant chronic pain/tingling/numbness/whatever is difficult, and I'm glad to hear from people who also have this sort of experience.

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