Reply To: Axonal Guillan Barre (AMAN)

GH
June 30, 2016 at 1:43 am

Ryan, I was not diagnosed with AMAN, but I definitely had axonal damage in my legs. The recovery depends on the nature and extent of the axonal damage. Permanent residuals are typical, but will vary from one individual to another.

In my case I used a wheelchair for a few weeks after the start of recovery, then a walker for about a month. After that, I used a cane for about a year and a half. Today, five and a half years out, I use no assistive devices but have permanent residuals of wobbly knees and pain in the feet.

Recovery of balance is mainly a matter of waiting for the nerves to heal (to the extent they will), but exercises to restore muscle strength are also necessary. A physical therapist introduces many exercises to the patient and most of these can be continued at home. One of the simplest is to use Therabands in various ways, because they are inexpensive and adaptable. For example, to exercise torso muscles, tie the band waist high to an immovable object, hold the band, and rotate to stretch the band. Torso strength is essential to balance.