Hello @trudi22, I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with balance along with the pain in your hands and feet. I think my problems walking are related to my lower back and not really due to neuropathy although the neuropathy adds to it. I think had the beginnings of neuropathy with numbness in the toes in my early 40s. I was extremely overweight at the time and didn't really start taking my health seriously until my early sixties when I started working on my weight but struggled with it until the past few years. My wife once told me when I was in my mid 50s that I walked like an old man. I was diagnosed with idiopathic small fiber PN in 2016 when I was 73 which started my search for more answers and finding Connect.

Originally I was prescribed gabapentin for my neuropathy by my primary care doctor. I took it for about a week and it did nothing to help with the numbness so I stopped taking it. I met with my doctor and after a short discussion with her doctor team at Mayo, was told that gabapentin wouldn't help numbness. My primary setup an appointment with a neurologist who diagnosed me after a nerve conduction test and physical exam. He also told me that it would progress and there weren't any topicals/creams/meds that would help with the numbness. I started looking into supplements since the medical community had no solutions.

I started another discussion on what has helped me some here:
-- Have you tried the new Protocol 525 product for neuropathy relief?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/have-you-tried-the-new-protocol-525-product-for-neuropathy-relief/
Most all of the supplements have quite a bit of research on their benefits for nerve health and are also listed on the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy's site here under supplements for neuropathy -- https://www.foundationforpn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Complementary-and-Alternative-Treatments-Revised-2020-final.-1.pdf

You might also find these articles helpful:
-- Maintaining Balance: https://www.foundationforpn.org/maintaining-balance/
-- 6 Best Balance Exercises for Seniors to Improve Stability: https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/balance-exercises-seniors/

What helps me with walking more than anything is a good pair of comfortable shoes. I don't really like walking outside unless the weather is nice (fat chance in a Minnesota winter) but trekking poles make it safer and help with my balance. Hoping you can find something that eases the pain in your hands and feet.

Don't give up your search! My best advice is just taking each day one at a time and staying as active as you can while you search for something to provide some relief and help with your balance.