Why do stairs feel harder going down?

Have you ever noticed something strange about stairs? Going up might make your legs tired. But going down? That’s when you grab the railing, you slow down, and start looking at your feet. Maybe you take one step at a time. And somewhere around step number three, you’re thinking: “When did coming downstairs become a strategic operation?”

The Harbour Town Lighthouse is perfect to test your relationship with stairs. Going up is pretty straightforward. Your thighs start complaining. Your breathing gets a little louder. Somewhere along the way, you begin wondering whether seeing the view from the top was really necessary. Then you make it, take the picture, catch your breath, and prepare yourself to head back down those stairs.

Suddenly you’re holding the railing, watching every step, and thinking: “I don’t remember these stairs being this steep on the way up.” There’s actually a reason coming downstairs can feel very different from climbing up. And here’s something important right from the start: trouble going downstairs does not automatically mean neuropathy.

Sometimes the problem is the joints. Knee osteoarthritis, for example, can make descending stairs particularly uncomfortable. Your thigh muscles have to control your body as you lower yourself onto the next step while the knee is bearing load. If that knee is arthritic, it may let you know about it.

Sometimes loudly.

So, if your complaint is: “My knee hurts every time I go downstairs,” we need to think about the knee. But other people tell me something completely different: “It doesn’t really hurt. I just don’t trust my feet.” Now we’re asking a different question.

Walking downstairs requires your brain to know where the next step is, where your foot is, when your foot has made contact, and whether your body is balanced enough to transfer weight safely. Your eyes help locate the step. Your inner ears help with balance. Your muscles control your descent. And sensory nerves from your feet and legs constantly report back to your brain.
Basically, your brain is running a tiny engineering department every time you walk downstairs. Peripheral neuropathy can interfere with some of that information. If sensation in the feet becomes reduced, the brain may receive less reliable information about foot position and contact with the step. Some neuropathies can also cause weakness.

That’s when people start looking down more. They grab the railing. They slow down. They may put both feet on each step. And here’s the distinction I want people to remember: Pain going downstairs may make us think about the joints. Feeling unsure where your feet are makes us think about the nervous system too. And sometimes it’s both.

A person can have knee arthritis and peripheral neuropathy. Your knee is complaining about the load while your feet aren’t giving your brain the information they used to. Basically, your knees and your nerves have decided to hold a meeting—and unfortunately, you’re invited. That’s why figuring out why stairs have become difficult matters more than simply saying: “Well, I guess I’m getting older.”

If you’re experiencing increasing pain, numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, or changes in balance, get evaluated rather than guessing at the cause. And use the railing. Especially at the lighthouse. Nobody gets extra points for coming down hands-free.

The view from the top of Harbour Town Lighthouse is beautiful. Getting back down shouldn’t require a strategy meeting between your knees, your feet, and your nervous system. If your feet are numb, tingling, burning—or feel like you’re walking on marshmallows—it may be time to get evaluated for peripheral neuropathy. Start early, before a small problem turns into a bigger one.

Dr. Kenneth Horup, DC is a Chiropractic Physician at Discover Specific Chiropractic, Certified in Neuropathy.