Nerve Damage Exercises

Although dealing with nerve damage can make exercising more difficult, there are exercises that can improve your health and decrease the pain felt from nerve damage. Because a lot of nerve damage tends to exist in the legs and feet, these are two areas that you will want to pay special attention to when you exercise.

Feet

• If you have nerve damage that affects your feet, it is important to avoid exercises that include repetitive movements that place a lot of pressure on your feet. Too much stress on feet affected by nerve damage could lead to ulcers. To avoid exercises that increase the amount of stress on your feet, try swimming, rowing or bicycling. These exercises will allow you to remain physically active without putting your feet at risk for more nerve damage.

Heart

• Nerve damage that affects the heart and blood vessels can limit the amount of exercise you are able to do, but it does not eliminate the ability to exercise altogether. Exercise that is too strenuous could increase the probability of a heart attack and may cause drastic shifts in your blood pressure. Speak with a doctor before exercising. A doctor who knows the details of your specific situation with nerve damage can tell you which kinds of gentle exercises you can do. These exercises could include light walking, pool aerobics and golfing.

Body Temperature

• Those who have nerve damage must be able to participate in exercises that help them keep their body temperatures in check. If you have autonomic nerve damage, your body's ability to regulate its own temperature is reduced. Because of this, if you are going to do outdoor exercises like jogging or bicycling, you should find times during the day that are not too cold or hot. When exercising, wear polyester socks to keep your feet dry and drink a lot of water to keep from becoming dehydrated. The more hydrated a body is, the more easily it is able to control its temperature.

  The exact exercises that can be done should be discussed with your doctor. For some people, light jogging might be acceptable, while for others it should be explicitly avoided. By understanding which exercises will not increase nerve damage pain, you can create a solid exercise plan to follow.