Weight Training Improves Diabetic Nerve Function

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GREETINGS --

The following article reports on a study to find alternatives to

neuropathy pain pills for people who cannot tolerate them.

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Weight training improves diabetic nerve function

By Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Resistance training improves nerve

function in elderly diabetic patients with a common condition called

peripheral neuropathy, according to findings presented today at the

annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association. It also has a

favorable impact on risk factors for heart disease.

Peripheral neuropathy typically affects the feet and hands and can

cause a variety of problems including numbness, tingling sensations,

pain, and weakness.

" We noticed that many of our elderly diabetic patients were not

tolerating traditional medicines used for neuropathy pain or they

just weren't working, " lead researcher Dr. Regina T. Kurian, from the

University of Louisville in Kentucky, told Reuters Health.

" Our results show that resistance training is safe for elderly

patients with neuropathy and it can improve their symptoms and

increase muscle strength and maybe help prevent some falls, " she

said.

In the study, 11 elderly diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy

engaged in roughly 30 minutes of supervised resistance training of

the lower extremities three times per week for 12 weeks. " This was a

pilot study to see if this was doable and to see if we could get some

good data --and we did, " Kurian said.

Resistance training was associated with improved muscle strength in

the calf and hamstring, a reduction in waist circumference, a drop in

blood pressure, and an increase in " good " HDL cholesterol.

Resistance training also led to improvements in scores on two

standard neuropathy tests.

Based on these results, the investigators suggest considering

resistance training in the management of diabetics with peripheral

neuropathy.