Dopamine

Hey, all! I wanted to share my experience this weekend and see if anyone else has any stories like this because I think I may be onto something to get some relief.

I have drop foot in my left leg, and without my brace I can barely walk. I often use a walker because I fall a lot despite lots of physio and exercise. I co-own a small business and my partner is the brawn, doing all the physical stuff, while I’m the brains, formulating the stuff. At markets we always bring my walker.

This summer, we decided to vend at an open air heavy metal festival in what’s virtually a desert landscape. It was risky, but our best friends were also vending, we love the fest and have gone as non-vendors before, and I love metal. It was risky because temps were going to reach 30+celsius, and we didn’t know if my body could take it.

The heat seriously sucked. On the second day, I had to nap because my body had one of those “you need to nap… NOW!” moments, and my body and brain wouldn’t cooperate with my trying to talk to people and answer their questions about product. Luckily, everyone was hot, so they understood.

But then the darnedest thing happened once the air started cooling down. I know, it’s pretty normal for people to regain function after it cools down, but this time I regained more function than I ever have in years. I felt brave enough to go stand on the edge of the crowd, bracing myself on a chair at first, but then realizing I didn’t need it. I started bobbing my head a bit, moving a bit, my leg was going, I felt pretty normal. The second day, after I woke from my nap, the air once again cooled down. My function once again returned in ways it hasn’t in years and I was playing lawn games like jumbo jenga and cornhole with my pals. Without losing my balance! I even sunk a beanbag in the hole. What was happening?!

Third day was the hottest yet, but I had a cooling towel and sucked on ice, and it was bearable. The night was incredible. As I walked, I noticed my gait stabilized. I could FEEL the arch of my left foot on the gravel (I wept), and my hands and energy were good enough that I helped by partner take our setup down when it was time to do so (at 3am, when it was still cool).

What on earth was happening? My partner suggested it was a combo of the cold night air and the dopamine from being in a setting I love, with people I love, listening to music I love. When thing are cool, my function is better than when it’s warm, but I was experiencing like almost full function things.

It’s got to be the dopamine, right? Can dopamine (in the right temperature conditions) actually help improve function somehow? Perhaps by reducing inflammation? Does everyone know this already and I’m just disco but it almost a decade in? Does anyone have any experiences like this?