Neuropathy in lower legs causing difficulty standing

Posted by helpwanted132 @helpwanted132, Mar 12, 2023

I have neuropathy in my lower legs and feet. Aside from the lack of sensation or numbness, my biggest problem is that I lose my balance while trying to stand still. I don't fall but I need to take small steps back or forward to balance myself, which is really abnormal especially if I'm in a public place.

I think the problem is that my calf muscles are so tiny now. My lower legs and feet are colder than the rest of my body. I'm not a doctor but it seems to me that the coldness indicates there is poor circulation to my lower extremities and this caused or contributed to nerve and muscle deterioration in my lower legs and the inability to build muscle now. My thighs, on the other hand, have gotten bigger and more muscular. The balance problem has gotten worse during the pandemic to the point where standing on two feet is now a problem while prior to the pandemic it wasn't even though I still had numbness.

I'm trying to strengthen my calves but I'm making very little progress. I seem to just be strengthening my thighs. If I take a walk my lower leg muscles feel stiff for a few days. Can anyone suggest a way to strengthen or enlarge my calf muscles?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

i know exactly how you feel. My PN is getting worse but when I was at your point I got a cane. It helps with the balance. Don't wait until you fall.

REPLY
@michael149

do exercises-stand and sit 5 times-put yourself aginst a wall and go on your tippy toes 20 times in a row -do these 2 exercises at 9 am and 1 pm and 5 pm everyday for the rest of your life and hope for the best like I do-Mike

Jump to this post

My PT had me do the same thing with one difference. You MUST have two people that can catch you right there with you, but practice doing the same thing with your eyes closed. At first, you will immediately fall over, but keep at it, removing vision challenges your vision twice as hard and really improves it faster.

REPLY

she said nothing of the kind and you would never do it with your eyes closed unless you had to

REPLY
@michael149

do exercises-stand and sit 5 times-put yourself aginst a wall and go on your tippy toes 20 times in a row -do these 2 exercises at 9 am and 1 pm and 5 pm everyday for the rest of your life and hope for the best like I do-Mike

Jump to this post

Mike, your suggestion is excellent. Unfortunately, due to neuropathy, I developed drop foot and can't stand on my toes. I do the stand and sit exercises and as difficult as it is, I do it. I also find starting with a pad on the seat helps in early stages of the exercise.

REPLY
@njed

Mike, your suggestion is excellent. Unfortunately, due to neuropathy, I developed drop foot and can't stand on my toes. I do the stand and sit exercises and as difficult as it is, I do it. I also find starting with a pad on the seat helps in early stages of the exercise.

Jump to this post

What causes drop foot?

REPLY
@davelobb12

What causes drop foot?

Jump to this post

@davelobb12 - Mayo Clinic has some information on foot drop and causes that you may find helpful here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/foot-drop/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20372633.

@pitepalten also posted about foot drop in another discussion and might have some experience or information to share with you. Have you been diagnosed with foot drop?

REPLY

The foot drop went away. So did my neuropathy. I have been lucky.

REPLY
@davelobb12

What causes drop foot?

Jump to this post

Drop foot has a variety of causes and different ways to approach those casues. The common symtom seems to be not lifting toes as you walk even though your brain thinks they are being lifted. Pain with drop foot seems to vary from really bad to little or none. Keeping your balance while standing is part of it. In my case, I attribute my lack of much pain is taking collagen on a daily basis. With drop foot support is needed to keep the toes up. I have braces inside each shoe to keep the toes up. I wear shoes with a soft sole and support in the sole and use a cane inside to help when I stumble and walking sticks on uneven ground outside. An ankle sleeve with an attachment to the middle or front of the shoe probably would work and be much cheaper.
I am trying to get my toe and akle muscles to react better to my brain again. I have tried acupuncture, shock wave (softwave) treatments, redlight/infrared (Rebuilder sleeves and LZR Ultrabright) treatments. Currently going through Sanexas treatments and PT treatments using a Tens/NMES with exercises.
1.5 years of treating dropfoot (I will be 74 later this year) has improved my drop foot to where I can use my right foot to controll both the brake and gas when I drive - used left foot to brake early on. My walking speed (with walking sticks) has speeded up to where I can keep up with people walking at normal walking speeds. It is not getting worse and the improvements are very slow in coming.

REPLY

@davelobb12 - I am not in the medical field so I can't offer any medical opinion. In my case, I developed drop foot due to numbness in both feet. Oddly enough, I do have sciatic issues and I am told by my docs that in some cases, issues with peroneal nerve can cause drop foot. So, with me, could be a combo of both?? Possible but the most likely cause points towards numbness for which I have no cause. I do wear AFO's which means my foot does not "slap" the floor. Mentor @johnbishop posted some very helpful information. Thanks John!

REPLY

Greatly reducing, or even better omitting, sweets and sweetened drinks and all the forms of MSG (Google “Various names for msg”) greatly reduce nerve pain in any area of the body. Cut down on bread and crackers. Buy pasta made from beans. Eat barely ripe bananas. Choose Granny Smith apples rather than the sweet apples. Eat only healthy fats. Will see a big improvement.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.