Does Exercise Help Diabetic Foot Pain?

Are you experiencing foot pain and want to learn how to decrease it? If so, this is for you. Diabetic foot pain isn’t pleasant, but it can be managed effectively by exercise. Here you will find the answer to the question, does exercise help diabetic foot pain?

What Is Diabetic Neuropathy?

Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage that can occurs when a person has diabetes. High blood glucose levels can injure nerves and eventually lead to neuropathy. This nerve damage can occur at any point in the body, but it’s more likely to affect the feet. The increased glucose levels can eventually lead to nerve damage, which leads to numbness, weakness, increased sensitivity, and sharp pain.

While there is no cure, there are various lifestyle ways to manage it, including diet and exercise. Understanding what you’re dealing with is half the battle when looking for a remedy for diabetic foot pain. Learning about neuropathy can help you tremendously in this regard.

Does Walking Help?

Short answer: absolutely. Anything that can help manage your blood sugar, like low-impact exercises, including walking, can help you manage your neuropathy. While you can’t reverse neuropathy, you can manage it with proper exercise. Walking will not only manage weight, but it will also improve muscle strength, help you get better sleep, and improve blood sugar levels. You can even walk briskly—but stay away from running or jumping, which can worsen the condition.

If you’re worried about plateauing in your training, walk for longer distances. Alternately, you can increase the frequency with the approval of your doctor. Women’s and men’s therapeutic shoes help tremendously because they protect your soles and increase circulation when you exercise. Pick up a pair. You’ll be glad you did.

Consult Your Doctor

You must consult with your health care team about your physical activity. Even low-impact exercises like walking can have long-lasting effects on your health. Suppose you’re going to increase the frequency of your exercise or do more of it. In that case, your general health practitioner and podiatrist need to be in the loop. Never decide to do something without consulting your physician(s).

Most doctors can even be emailed or called outright. If this isn’t the case, or you find they aren’t responsive, wait to switch up your regimen until you can talk to someone face to face about your ideas.

In short, walking is great for treating diabetic neuropathy. It is the sweet spot between rest and high-impact exercises like aerobics and running. It helps with weight management and leaves you feeling great. If you’re interested in walking more, check out our products at Anodyne. We sell several shoes and accessories to start your exercise journey.