Take the Next Step: Motivating People to Take A Stand Against Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

If you have diabetes and aren’t familiar with Dr. Steven Edelman, I am sorry. I hope this post will help remedy that. Dr. Edelman is a lifelong type 1 himself and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine. He has years of experience in both research and patient treatment under his belt. He was a pioneer in using and promoting CGM systems (continuous glucose monitors).

Perhaps the most impactful thing he’s done, IMHO, is founding TCOYD, the fantastic national diabetes educational seminar series that is fun, informative, and totally affordable. That group also runs an informational TV series, and is launching a diabetes makeover program that will be featured by Dr. Oz!

But I digress a bit… Today, Steve visits us at the ‘Mine to “get on his soapbox” about battling diabetic neuropathy. Please read:

A Guest Post by Dr. Steven Edelman, MD

For the second year in a row, TCOYD is excited to announce our partnership with Pfizer Inc. and acclaimed fitness trainer Kim Lyons to create a one-of-a-kind program to help people living with Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (pDPN) take control of their condition and motivate them to become active.

I see many people who suffer from pDPN on a daily basis, whether I am seeing patients at the hospital or clinic or helping the participants in our Extreme Diabetes Makeover program.

Although not everyone with diabetes suffers from pDPN, the condition does affect millions of people living with the disease. Many of the patients I see with pDPN experience persistent burning, throbbing and/or painful tingling in the feet or hands that causes extreme discomfort as well as nerve damage. It is unfortunate that this condition also has the potential to have a debilitating impact on quality of life, affecting patients’ everyday activities including interference with sleep and the ability to stay active. Depression due to chronic pain is also not uncommon when dealing with pDPN. As most Doctors will tell you, staying active is crucial in controlling your diabetes. Whether you prefer walking, playing tennis or biking, physical activity has been known to improve glucose control, maintain a healthy weight and reduce stress. More importantly, controlling the glucose  levels over time has the ability to slow nerve damage, which is key in managing pDPN.

For people suffering from pDPN, any daily activities or tasks (no matter how big or small) can cause intense pain. To combat this, the Take the Next Step Program focuses on giving these people the tools to identify their issues with pDPN, speak to their doctor about treatment options and eventually incorporate physical activity back into their daily routines and ultimately reduce the amount of pain they experience each day. More importantly, the program features a tailored activity schedule and exercise program based on the needs of the individual. Developed by Kim Lyons, these programs help people realize the importance of exercise, understand how to raise their activity levels accordingly and manage their daily activities.

As a diabetes specialist, I encourage everyone who suffers from the symptoms of pDPN to talk to their health care providers about treatment options and ways to incorporate subtle, but effective lifestyle changes to improve their condition.

In the fall, we will be holding three TCOYD conferences and health fairs in Providence, Rhode Island, Des Moines, Iowa and San Diego, California respectively. All of these conferences will feature Kim Lyons and allows conference participants to meet Kim and hear more about how they can address pDPN and incorporate exercise into their daily lives.

For more information on the Take the Next Step program and pDPN, visit DiabetesPainHelp.com. Remember, you have the main responsibility for taking control of your diabetes. You are your own best advocate. Be smart and be persistent!

Pin It