| Elliptical machines and compression-induced peripheral neuropathy
I have diabetic neuropathy in my hands and feet. I purchased an elliptical machine in Nov. 2013 to exercise for my blood sugar. Unfortunately, I used the machine incorrectly. Instead of keeping my feet flat on the pedals, I aggressively pushed off, repeatedly toe jamming doing 5 to 7 miles a day. The fact that my big toes veer off to the sides from severe bunions exacerbated the problem by putting undue pressure on the sides of my big toes and balls of my feet. By Feb. 2014, the outer halves of my big toes were numb. I did not realize it was a warning sign and could morph into pain and compression/trauma-induced neuropathy. When I asked my neurologist in May 2014 whether my elliptical machine was the cause of my newfound toe numbness and the odd pattern of toe numbness, she was unconcerned & noncommittal. I was her "best diabetes patient" & she sent me on my way. In September 2014, my big toes & balls of my feet suddenly became hypersensitive to pressure and the simple act of walking. I had, and continue to have, burning, electric shocks and stabbing sensations in the big toes and balls of my feet. Belatedly, I Googled "toe numbness and elliptical" & learned the condition is not uncommon. My diabetic neuropathy is nothing compared to this. I no longer use my elliptical, have difficulty walking, & am struggling to stay fit and not regain the weight I lost. (I have trouble sitting due to chronic tailbone/derriere pain, so rowing machines etc. are out). The irony that I inadvertently caused this other type of neuropathy while trying to control my blood sugar and be healthy does not escape me. I feel like I'm the only person in the world this has ever happened to. Doctors and neuropathy patients need to be aware of the dangers of using an elliptical machine incorrectly. Numbness is a warning sign that something is wrong. If I can prevent just one person from inadvertently causing compression/trauma-induced neuropathy by spreading the word about elliptical machine hazards, perhaps some good can come from my own personal tragedy.
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