Neuropathy in feet

[Ron Kirby]

When my pedal foot went out I did not worry about it to much but did think about it some. I have wrote songs since 9 years old and loved writing just as much as playing steel. So I gave my black Emmons SKH to my brother Danny, that I had bought new from Herb Remington in early 80's and moved to TN. to focus 100% on song writing. Allways wishing I could play steel on my demos. One studio furnished me a steel (but no luck). My foot finally returned to normal in 2004 and I was so happy I bought an entire steel rig, and a recording studio quickly around 16K. I was determined to record a 10 song steel guitar self-penned instrumental album quickly, just incase my foot goes out again. It was not that easy. I could not remember how to play much. To many years and no practice. The album was not good at all. I sent a copy to Reece Anderson he was nice enough to write me a nice letter of encouragement. I read it often and practiced more. Foot is back 100%.

Then came another challenge. A few years ago I broke my bar hand bones and wrist. After the cast was removed I got back on the steel. I practiced with a very lite bar and wrist splint for a few months (painful). Then used a VERY heavy home made bar I have had for years (very painful). Then I used four wide bands to hold three steel bars for weight on top of my wrist splint and practiced the "Orange Blossom Special" over and over again as fast as I could two hours a day, then more. I am back 101% with my bar hand and Very Thankful. I hope you guys heal too.

[Danny James]

They found extensive nerve damage (neuropathy) in both legs, right after I had the third hip replacement and immediately upon awakening from the anesthetic, I was not able to pump my left foot.
Since then it has gotten progressively worse until both feet & legs feel pretty numb from the knees down.
I know a lot of it is caused from a degenerative spine with 5 buldging discs, two of which are herniated. (arthritis all over especially in my spine)
I had to give up playing my old Multi-Kord, because I just cannot get my feet to work good enough anymore to accurately work the pedals.
Like my friend Jack Stoner, I take Gabapentin, which helps my resless leg syndrome and helps me sleep at night. Fortunately as long as I stay off my feet I don't have much pain most of the time. If I'm on my feet for even 5 minutes the numbness gets so bad my legs can go out from under me because I lose so much feeling that I can't control one of them.
So I just play for my own enjoyment on a Fender Dual Pro non pedal double neck 8 string at home these days.
I still sit in with a band once in a while and sing & play bass guitar, which isn't often these days.
But,-- I ain't giving up though.

[Danny James]

My last post somehow caused the whole thread to disappear, so I'm bumping it.

b0b,-- please delete this bump if you see it. I had to go to google to even bring this back up. I have no idea what caused it.-- Sorry for the inconvenience.
Danny

[Thomas Butler]

I have also been diagnosed with nueropathy and I was taking Neurotonin/Gabapentin for a couple of years. Then I decided that the drugs were affecting my ability to learn and they needed to go. I started looking at my environment and I was spending to much time in a bad chair in front of a computer screen (I work from home). I replaced the chair with a real, ergonomically sound office chair, started walking the dog and standing more, and quit taking the drugs. I dropped the prescriptions for gabapentin over 3 years ago. Every once in awhile I have a flare up - especially if I'm working on a real problem, but I can usually feel it coming and can take an alleve or another-over-the-counter pain medication before it becomes a problem.

Check your environment, you might be surprised what you can fix without meds.

[Jack Stoner]

The original cause of the neuropathy and how much damage it caused can determine the treatment plan.

What works or has has worked for one may not apply to everyone.

In my case I wish walking (which is a problem for any distance) would cure my neuropathy but it hasn't. Same way, 6 years ago when I finished Chemo my Oncologist told me it would go away in 6 months to a year - 6 years later I still have it.