6. Difficulty Walking or Coordination Problems: The Underlying Nerve Story
A tricky symptom that can sneak into the life of someone dealing with peripheral neuropathy is difficulty walking or issues with coordination. It may start subtly, perhaps with a stumble here or a misstep there. As the nerve damage progresses, these subtle hints can morph into a persistent difficulty that warrants attention.
The reason behind this is that your sense of position or “proprioception” is affected due to the nerve damage. Proprioception is your body’s ability to perceive its location, actions, and movements without consciously thinking about it.
It’s what enables you to touch your nose with your eyes closed. When peripheral neuropathy impairs these sensory nerves, your proprioception can get skewed, leading to difficulties in maintaining balance and coordination.
It’s not uncommon for individuals with peripheral neuropathy to describe a sensation of walking on marbles or cotton. Some might also notice that they’ve become more clumsy or unsteady, often bumping into furniture or dropping items. It can be particularly challenging in low light conditions when the visual cues that typically compensate for the lack of proprioceptive information are absent. (6)
