Is jogging good for small fiber neuropathy

Hi @nkhan1958, that's a great question. I have small fiber peripheral neuropathy but I don't have the burning pain at the bottom of my feet. I only have numbness. I have no medical background or training but I think as long as it doesn't make the pain worse the exercise is doing your body good. Here's some information I found that may shed some light.

Emerging Relationships between Exercise, Sensory Nerves, and Neuropathic Pain
-- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4993768/

I was diagnosed 4 mo ago with small fiber neuropathy but have had burning feet for over a year. I am an 81 yr old x-competitive runner but am now doing 4-5 miles daily on an inclined treadmill. My UMich neurologist said to keep doing it as long as possible. He also said to continue resistance training as it is crucial to maintaining muscle mass. I believe my morning workout is crucial for my physical and mental health. I eat healthy but resisting sugar is a big challenge for me.

@johnbishop That's an interesting study on the benefits of exercise. thanks for posting it.

@jenniferhunter, @johnbishop You two are just top shelf. John, there were over 100 studies annotated in that bibliography. And Jennifer, I want to ask you about the effects of exercise for Myofascial Pain Syndrome. My symptoms started 3 years ago and pretty much curtailed my daily 3 miles or even 3 block walks. If I had to walk more than a few blocks I paid the price the next day. I hated giving up my walking meditations but the myofascial layers were too heavily restricted. I tried compression knee braces when I had to walk in airports to catch a plane. I have now been receiving weekly MFR for 2 years. Then, for 7 weeks over the holidays, I walked the subways and skyways of Mayo Clinic daily as my partner went through radiation treatment. Believe it or not, it appears that the MFR has reduced the restrictions enough for me to begin walking again. Not every day was a winner but there was often less of a price to pay the next day. I think this news passes the mindful speech test, it is kind, it is necessary and it is true. Let's all be encouraged! Thank you both. Chris

@artscaping Chris, good for you! Yes, you are on the right track and the myofascial release work is a great benefit to you. Keep up the good work! I think the more you do of this, the better you will feel. Thanks for your kind words.

Fascial restrictions can affect anything in the body and I think it's always worth asking the question of my physical therapist anytime something changes. MFR can prevent health problems that would be caused by compression of something. If you compress a nerve enough there is pain, but eventually as the nerve is affected, the muscle that it served withers away. If you compress a blood vessel enough, it either starves part of the body for the blood and oxygen supply, or it pools fluid somewhere with the potential for blot clots. Blot clots can be serious business if they come loose and move through the circulatory system. The human body was meant to move. MFR can get the body back to normal functioning and reduce pain, and also allow the fluids to circulate through the tissues, not only bringing oxygen, but also removing waste products of metabolism. The blood cells are contained within vessels, and the lymph fluid actually is in contact with the cells of the organs and bring the dissolved oxygen directly to the tissues as it can pass through the capillary walls. The body has a system to return the lymph fluid back into the blood stream.

I do a lot of MFR work myself at home to build on what my physical therapist does in my weekly session. She has explained to me how to do this and you learn the feel of it, so you can actually feel the tight pathways, and also feel when the fascia begins to slide and open up. I would encourage you to do a lot of at home work stretching too. I did some this morning... too much sitting at the computer and my low back hurt because my psoas muscles where tight. They connect from the ilium of the pelvis ("hip bone") to the lumbar spine. I laid on my stomach with 2 small balls, one just inside each ilium and waited, then moved the balls and waited until I had worked through all of it. I also twisted my lumbar spine to the right because my left side is tighter while I was on the balls. I also laid on my right side at the edge of the bed and let my left (top) leg hang off the edge to further stretch that area. I probably spent an hour doing that and it relieved my low back pain. I also have a rubber thing called a Sacro Wedgie that I lay on while on my back. it cradles the sacrum to support it in proper alignment and it just uses my body weight to do it. Then I also can reset my pelvis with a move my therapist taught me. It's common to have alignment issues because the pelvis is jointed and has the ability to shift. I pay attention to the length of my stride when I walk, if it is too short, my leg will not extend far enough behind me, and then it is time to stretch and get it working again. You've probably noticed people with very short strides who walk a very short step.

@artscaping, @jenniferhunter -- I think I need to look into myofascial release therapy to see how it can help what ails me. Thank you both for your sharing. I can always count on you to help with my life's goal of learning one new thing each day. ☺

@johnbishop Thanks, John! I learn a lot from you too. I would encourage you to try myofascial release. It helps everything function better. There are some self help books and DVDs on the MFR website and you can use small balls from a sports store about 3 inches in diameter to lay on to self treat places that are hot, hard, or tender. I also found a curved massage stick at a 5 Below store (sports section) that has a 2 headed rubber knob on the end that rotates and lock into position. It's shaped like a question mark and helps you reach around or use it when you can't get your hand in the right position. You can find a therapist on the MFR site too, but you can also call Therapy on the Rocks in Sedona, AZ and ask if there is someone near you who has trained there or in the seminars they teach around the country. A therapist can assess an show you things to do specific to help you. If you try this and it helps, I hope you'll share your progress. https://myofascialrelease.com

@cinbo - I think that many of us are challenged to resist sugar. It's hard.

That is quite amazing you can run 4-5 miles daily on an inclined treadmill while having burning feet sensations from your small fiber neuropathy. How are you able to do that without pain? Are you lifting free weights, or doing weight machines?

My neurologist said the burning itself is not doing any damage to my toes/feet, so I just push through the pain. Sometimes, I get off the treadmill briefly to switch to another pair of running shoes for a bit of relief. It also helps when endorphins kick in at about mile 2. Sometimes, I soak my feet in a tub of cool water after or rub Biofreeze to cool them down. Yes, I'm scared because I believe I am slowly losing muscle mass in my quadriceps but I'm determined to deter that with squats and resistance training. My Mom lived a healthy, independent life until she passed at 101 yrs old. That is very motivating! I have also always been faithful to stretching every day and have a routine that works for me. My workout takes 2+ hours and I rarely miss a day. I buy only top running shoes with a wide toe box, good socks (Fitsock from Amazon) and take extra good care of my feet.