E-bike ride eases neuropathy pain and raises awareness

Gregory Maassen left Berkeley, California, on July 10 with an e-bike and trailer, beginning a 5,800-mile ride that turns his own pain relief into a campaign for peripheral neuropathy awareness. The route to Sunnyvale put an unusual treatment on public display because exercise is not a standard prescription for severe neuropathic pain.

Maassen was nearly bedridden by a burning sensation that was later diagnosed as a rare form of neuropathy. Riding an e-bike changed that for him, and the relief was strong enough that he built his outreach around it. He is also an advisory board member on the Johns Hopkins Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center, which ties the trip to an established nerve-disorder research effort.

Peripheral neuropathy affects millions of Americans, but treatment usually depends on the underlying cause. The NHS says care may focus on treating that cause or easing symptoms, and that controlling diabetes may help improve neuropathy or stop it getting worse. For patients who live with chronic nerve pain, that means the path to relief often runs through standard therapies first, with no guarantee that they will work.

Johns Hopkins Medicine has framed Maassen’s ride as an awareness effort connected to the center, while The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy says its mission is to improve the lives of people affected by the condition through awareness, education, advocacy and research. Maassen’s journey folds those goals into a single public event, using miles on the road to draw attention to a disorder that can be difficult to diagnose and even harder to treat.

For Maassen, the trip links a personal medical turnaround with a wider message about chronic pain. What started as a burning sensation severe enough to leave him nearly bedridden is now propelling a cross-country effort built around Berkeley, Sunnyvale and the long gap between rare neuropathy symptoms and effective care.