A fortnight ago, I wrote about how to make the most of mornings and I mentioned that one of my routines while waiting for the kettle to boil for my first cup of tea of the day is to do some balances and stretches.

This gave rise to a fascinating email from John, a very dynamic gentleman of almost 80.

In it, he told me how he is trying to age as positively as possible despite having a condition called peripheral neuropathy or PN.

It was an inspirational message. More than that, it was a generous one in that he wanted me to use this page to give advice to people who might share his condition or might even be unaware that they have it.

I must confess that a fortnight ago, PN was something I’d heard of but knew little about.

However, thanks to John’s encouragement I’m now much more clued up on it and, as he suggested, I’m going to pass on his advice and what I’ve gleaned from my own research.

But before I launch into that, can I just say that I hope more readers will make suggestions to me of topics that they’re dealing with in their own lives.

This is a column widely read by individuals who are keen to get as much out of life as possible as they age – and we can all help each other, so let’s do that.  

So, what is peripheral neuropathy? The NHS says it’s a condition that develops when nerves in the body's extremities, such as the hands, feet and arms, are damaged.

Apparently, once past the age of 55 one in ten of us will succumb to PN and many experts claim that by the age of 65, it affects more than 30% of men and women in this country – and that the likelihood of getting it continues to increase as we age.

It’s also important to note that individuals with certain underlying illnesses, such as diabetes, appear to be more prone to it.

The main initial symptom is tingling or numbness in the feet and hands which may spread into the legs and arms.

But there are also stabbing or throbbing pains associated with PN, and other symptoms may include a sense that you are wearing gloves or socks when you’re not. Additionally, some people develop balance and co-ordination issues and a tendency to fall.

However, I must stress that there are many variations in types of PN as well as symptoms, so if you are concerned, please do read up on the condition online.

I would recommend the extremely good information on the NHS website, and all the explanations on the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine sites. You should also see a doctor if you think you may have PN.  

To return to John, he’s done a lot of digging into his own condition and his experiences may help some of you. This is what he told me.

“I suffer from peripheral neuropathy. For some people this can be very debilitating leading to considerable loss of mobility and pain.

“Fortunately, in my case, it is much less serious, although it was becoming more difficult for me to walk significant distances.

“My GP referred me to a consultant who told me that there was no clear underlying cause and therefore no treatment available (other than for some symptoms such as pain relief should that become necessary).

“What he meant, of course, was that there was no surgical or drug treatment. My feeling was that this was too simplistic an approach and I looked to see what I could do for myself.

“I eventually realised that the way I was walking had altered and become very inefficient. It occurred to me that the lack of nerve endings in my feet and ankles meant that the messages about what they were doing that went to my brain were incomplete, and therefore the ‘command messages’ from my brain back to my limbs were also incomplete or inappropriate.

“As a result, I was not flexing my ankles and knees to use their full power, and stress was being transferred to other muscles higher up to compensate, causing increased fatigue there.

“At the same time my ankle and knee muscles were deteriorating from lack of use. I therefore had to consciously teach myself how to walk properly again to get the most efficient use of my lower limbs. I now comfortable average over four miles a day.” 

I am incredibly indebted to John for this first-hand account as I’m sure it will help many readers. He ended his message by saying that as we age, we should recognise that there is always something we can go to improve our health problems, and that we all feel better when we tackle them.  

John is really talking my language – and I hope you feel as heartened by his contribution today as I do.

© Norwich Evening News