Effect of resistance exercise on peripheral neuropathy in Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES To explore the improvement of neurological symptoms in patients with Type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy via resistance exercise. METHODS A total of 100 patients with Type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy were selected as the research objects, and they were randomly divided into an observation group who performed resistance exercise (n=50) and a control group who did not performed resistance exercise (n=50). Resistance exercise was performed on the bioDensity™ resistance exercise instrument. The study graded the severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy by the Toronto clinical scoring system (TCSS), and the improvement of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) was evaluated by the decline of the TCSS score. The observation group was treated with resistance exercise for 6 months. The changes of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C), total cholesterol (TC), glycerin trilaurate (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and TCSS score were compared between baseline and 3, 6 months of exercise. At the same time, the differences in sensory test scores, nerve reflex scores, and neurological symptom scores were compared between the baseline, 3 and 6 months, in the observation group. Except for resistance exercise, the other treatments in the control group were the same as those in the observation group. RESULTS Compared with the control group, there was statistically difference in the TCSS scores in the observation group at 3 months (P 0.05). In the TCSS scores, the neurosymptom score, sensory test score were all reduced compared with the baseline, with significant differences (both P 0.05). In the control group, the TG and TC at 3 and 6 months were decreased compared with the baseline, and there was significant difference (both P 0.05). CONCLUSIONS After the intervention of resistance exercise, the blood glucose and DPN can be improved in a certain extent, and which can be popularized in Type 2 diabetes patients.