Moving With Neuropathy: How I Stay Focused on the Sidelines

If you are newly diagnosed or a veteran with type 2 diabetes, you are or may likely suffer from diabetic neuropathy. Neuropathy can affect any nerve in your body, but it is most common in your feet, legs, and hands. It can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and weakness.¹

This is the major struggle I have being a person with type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, I made it my mission to keep a close eye and stay focused on when and how I suffer from neuropathy.

Managing glucose to fight nerve pain

My main option for stopping my neuropathy from worsening it is to seriously maintain my glucose. As a sports photographer, I am on my feet a lot. Some days I put stress on them and my lower legs for 4 to 8 hours straight.

Suffering from neuropathy can be frustrating and painful. Nevertheless, the pain can put a strain on my day, sideline work, or activities I have planned.

Types of diabetic neuropathy

There are several different types of diabetic neuropathy, but the 2 I suffer from are:^1,2

• Peripheral neuropathy: This is the most common type of diabetic neuropathy. It affects the nerves in your feet, legs, and hands. This is what I suffer from on a regular basis. Meanwhile, I get an occasional episode in my hands. The neuropathy in my hands affects me holding my camera and covering games.
• Focal neuropathy: This affects individual nerves, such as the nerve that controls your eye or the nerve that controls your hand. This type of neuropathy affects my left hand. I have noticed that I lost some strength in my left hand. Some days it's hard for me to hold and grip my camera.

With both of these types of neuropathy, I make sure I schedule regular massages with my current sports clinic or gym. The massages help drastically.

How neuropathy symptoms feel for me

Some of the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy I have experienced include:

• Pain: Usually sharp, stabbing pain or a dull, aching pain.
• Numbness and tingling: The feeling of pins and needles or a feeling of numbness.
• Burning: This can be a feeling of burning pain. That burning pain is like you have been on your feet in the summer heat for 4 hours straight walking around Disney.
• Weakness: The loss of strength and weakness in my hands or feet.
• Changes in temperature sensation: The cold or a feeling of numbness to heat.

Diabetic neuropathy is frustrating and dangerous for me. Being on my feet covering the sidelines and experiencing an episode is something I think about all the time. I think about losing feeling in my feet while running and walking up and down the sideline and falling and injuring myself.

Prevention of diabetic neuropathy

So far as I have researched, there is no way to fully cure diabetic neuropathy. However, these are the steps I take to reduce my risk of an episode:¹

• Managing my diabetes regularly.
• Maintaining a healthy weight.
• Eating a healthy diet.
• Exercising regularly.

Conclusion

Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. It is important to see your doctor regularly to check your blood sugar levels and to get screened for neuropathy. While there is no cure for neuropathy, but there are treatments and lifestyle changes that can help manage the symptoms.