Driving With Neuropathy

[Guest guest]

Driving With Neuropathy By B. Donovan, M.D.

http://www.neuropathy.org/site/News2?

page=NewsArticle & id=7205 & news_iv_ctrl=1221

During the holidays many of us will be driving to visit family and

friends. For those of us with peripheral neuropathy, this is a

concern since peripheral neuropathy can impair our ability to drive

safely. We must honestly confront the question, " Does my neuropathy

interfere with my ability to control the car? " As with any

impairment, it may be necessary to leave the driving to others.

Neuropathy patients frequently have difficulty controlling their

lower extremities, not knowing whether the foot is on the gas or on

the brake, not being able to feel when the foot touches the pedal or

not appreciating how much pressure is being applied. Becoming aware

of the problem can help us to be more deliberate in our handling of

the controls.

Help for Patients—There are adaptive devices certified driving

rehabilitation specialists can recommend. Keeping our muscles in good

tone with an exercise program and wearing sensible shoes can also

help. Modifying the pedals so that there is adequate separation

between the brake and the accelerator may be necessary. However, the

installation of hand controls may be required for those of us who are

unable to safely operate the foot controls within the limitations of

our disability. If we suspect this to be the case, the difficulty

should be discussed with our doctor. If the problem is confirmed by

examination, our physician can refer us to a driver rehabilitation

specialist for evaluation. Listings and information on occupational

therapists certified as driver rehabilitation specialists are

available at (877)529-1830 or http://www.aded.net/.

Modification of the vehicle may be required. It is important to

ensure that any equipment purchased from dealers be certified by

NMEDA. For information about mobility equipment dealers, contact The

National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (800) 833-0427, or

visit www.nmeda.org/consumers.

Resources for Physicians—Physicians needing help with the evaluation

and remediation of driver impairment can refer to Physicians Guide to

Assessing Older Drivers, available at www.ama-

assn.org/ama/pub/category/10791.html.

Source: Information adapted with permission from San

Medicine. Review the original article at

http://www.samedicine.com/0108/RockyRoad.html.

B. Donovan, M.D. is a board-certified psychiatrist retired

from the practice of pain management and is himself a neuropathy

patient. He has a degree in public health and is engaged in the

investigation of driver safety. He is interested in collecting cases

of older driver impairment due to peripheral neuropathy and can be

contacted at neuropathy@.... An annotated bibliography is

available on request.

Review a related article, " When Neuropathy Affects Driving " by

Beth Meyer, O.T.R., C.D.R.S., Driver Rehabilitation of The Hudson

Valley, in the January 2008 issue of Neuropathy News.

[Guest guest]

I was about to report my husband to DMV because he hit the gas instead of the

brake and almost totaled my car. Before reporting him, since it would mean the

loss of his independence, I decided to let him give hand controls a try.

His doctor referred him to an evaluator, who recommended the controls we have.

He had to take lessons on how to use them, but he is a much safer driver now.

He basically uses his upper body strength to brake and accelerate.

I can drive the car in the regular manner with the controls in place. Because

his car was less than 1 year old Toyota paid $1000 of the cost under their

disability program.

Elinor