Dealing with Neuropathy from Chemotherapy
Do you have neuropathy from chemotherapy? What impact does exercise have on neuropathy? Enter The Recovery Room to find out!
Cancer patients and survivors with neuropathy… do you really think I would expect you to exercise when you feel like you have pins and needles sticking in your hands and feet? Well, the answer is YES… I do expect you to exercise!
I’m cancer therapy expert, Dr. Leslie Waltke and here is the “background” and the “why” you should exercise.
CIPN is Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, or I like to call CIPN, Crappy, Irritating, Pins and Needles!
Many chemotherapy drugs including the taxanes (Taxol and Taxotere) and platinum drugs for example carboplatin or oxaliplatin drugs can damage the linings of our sensory nerves in your hands and feet, leading to symptoms such as pain, numbness, tingling, and pins.
Now there is nothing that can prevent these chemo-induced neuropathies from happening, but talk to your doctor/medical oncologist because there are some things to try to minimize the amount of neuropathy you may get. Vitamin B-6, vitamin E, even glutamine powder. Unfortunately, there is no true prevention. If it happens to you it is not your fault. On the back end, there is no cure once neuropathy sets in. Again, there are things to try. Talk to your medical oncologist about Gabapentin, Ibuprofen, or other pain medications to help reduce the number of symptoms that you feel.
We know that chemotherapy drugs can damage the linings of our sensory nerves but there is NOT direct damage to joints and muscles. So here is where the exercise comes in.
Even though exercise cannot directly lessen the amount of neuropathy you feel, if you are not moving because you have so much neuropathy, you are going to end up with stiffness & weakness in the muscles and joints in your hands and feet, and that is not okay.
I will often say, If you have to have numbness/tingling, it’s better to have numbness/tingling and be strong than to have numbness/tingling and be weak. Sitting on the couch is not going to make the neuropathy better, it’s just going to lead to more loss of function, more weakness, and more disability.
I would rather even if you have numbness and tingling that you are able to be out walking, laughing, exercising, with your family, on the job.
Now when it comes to exercise, you are going to have to find what works best for you. If walking bothers you, try bicycling, if this bothers you, try walking in a pool or swimming. Sometimes putting on an extra pair of socks or lightly massaging your hands and feet before the activity may help you. Experiment, find what works for you. Exercise will not make the neuropathy better, but it won’t make it worse. You’ve got to find ways to keep moving!
I’m Dr. Leslie Waltke, from The Recovery Room. Exercise on!