Neuropathy is commonly used as the shortened version of peripheral neuropathy. It often results in numbness, abnormal sensations, and a characteristic form of pain called neuropathic pain or neuralgia. This pain is usually perceived as a steady burning and/or "pins and needles" and/or "electric shock" sensations. Ordinary pain only stimulates pain nerves while a neuropathy often results in the firing of both pain and non-pain (touch, warm, cool) sensory nerves in the same area, producing signals that the spinal cord and brain do not normally expect to receive.
Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may include
- numbness or insensitivity to pain or temperature
- a tingling, burning, or prickling sensation
- sharp pains or cramps
- extreme sensitivity to touch, even a light touch
- loss of balance and coordination
These symptoms are often worse at night.
Neuropathy is a mystery to both layman and medical professionals alike. There are roughly a thousand neuropathies but not one single cure. Does neuropathy fall within the same parameters of a virus? They are both present as an output to our health and immune systems, but not readily treated by pharmaceuticals.
David Martin, M.D. who specializes in pain medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota does an excellent job of explaining peripheral neuropathy (PN), however, even as astute as he is, he cannot explain all of the causes nor any of the cures. Why? Because at this point they do not exist. But like many other diseases, if we can’t isolate the cause or the cure, what can we do to minimize the symptoms to gain quality of life? Dr. Martin explains that the longer the nerve, the more vulnerable it is to injury. PN usually affects the nerves at their furthest reaches of the body and the nerves going to the toe can be more than three feet long. Here is where the Pilates method becomes a valuable asset. Our exercises are devoted to lengthening, deepening, and widening in contrast to traditional resistance training methods that seek shortening, bulking and hypertrophy. As you master the moves, Pilates becomes more like a fluid dance than a collection of exercises. This rhythm encourages grace, flexibility, and range of motion that can have meditative effects as well as long term physical enhancements.
Dr. Martin further explains, “In very simple terms it’s as if nerves for the ‘toe’ are wired to the ‘toe’ area of the brain. No matter where the nerve is damaged along its length, when it fires, you feel pain in your toe. Because the longest nerves in your body are often effected first the symptoms may begin in the toes and move up to the feet and then to the legs.”
What if that nerve or nerves are relieved along their peripheral travels? What if we make the tissues healthy around the nerve? Will the nerve(s) respond with less trauma and reduced inflammation? The Pilates method works with muscle resistance in the way muscles are designed to function and nerves are created to innervate such muscles. Using an analogy, cars are not trucks and trucks are not trains. Simplicity, efficiency, and power are all integral parts of cars, trucks and trains, but they all have their own specific product designs. All can be overworked, under-worked, and just plain ignored. And above all, they must be maintained for maximum efficiency. The Pilates method works the whole body as a unit from the inside out utilizing the brain in conjunction with the body. If the body and mind perceive exercise as routine, no new pathways will be opened up, status quo will prevail. In Pilates, you can’t tune out and go on autopilot. Your body and mind are continuously challenged on multiple levels. If the body and mind are challenged, new pathways can be discovered out of necessity to perform. And if new pathways are discovered, pain can be reduced and function increased.
At Mind to Motion, we are embarking on a centralized campaign towards the effective relief of the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and a more pain-free quality of life for those who suffer from PN. We incorporate the exercises of the method Pilates, lower extremity manipulation and massage, and trigger point release. Proper dorsi-flexion and plantar flexion are encouraged through our gait and balance training. Our goal, which is meeting with early success, is to have our people take what they achieve through their sessions in our studio and extend them into their activities of daily life.
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| Peripheral neuropathy affects the nerves in your arms, hands, legs, and feet. |
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