EXERCISE AND FLAREUPS

Bob I too had same thing, after Xrays nerve conduction tests it was confirmed that I had Carpel tunnel and Arthritis in both hands affecting wrists. The Steroids just mask the pain my Esr rates were same hence not a flare up. Use Ibuprofen gel and paracetamol instead of upping Preds. You will have good and bad days but am going to have little ops on hands which does improve them. We are all too keen to up our dose for pain which can appear when reducing. I too have been quietly of that. Trying to survive on 1mg alternate days at moment after having had Pmr for over 2yrs. Good luck .

Don't give up exercise Bob important to keep moving.I played Crown green bowls for 4Hours yesterday a bit stiff today but just keep gentle exercise going when u can and chill when tired . Ha so Rheumy tells me .

Bob, exercise is good, too much is bad!  Table tennis is fast AND tough. Can't you find a less strenuous exercise?  Cycling, walking, swimming?  Upping Pred is not the answer.

BTW, as Eileen keeps impressing on us - PMR cannot be cured.  It can go into remission, but there is always a chance it can re-appear.  So be careful.

All the best fr Constance

Bob and Beatrice when you say pain can you be more specific? Apart from exercise are you having lower back pain and stiffness? Difficulty standing up from bed in the morning?

Hello Bob, exercise is very important to us. Walking and other weight bearing exercise is good for our bones that may be less denser due to the preds, whilst all muscle exercise is good for our muscles.

however, both the pmr and preds have wreaked our muscle tissues and in some cases some of our muscle cells have been permanently damaged due to the uncontrolled inflamation many of us suffered from pre pmr diagnosis. 

Therefore these muscles will hurt more with intense exercise and so will take much longer to heal themselves and rejuvenate.

table tennis (to me) sounds great exercise. Just don't over do it. Everything in moderation. When I started to play tennis again I took things really easy. I often used to let the ball bounce twice and I never sprinted around after balls. I have played tennis enough when fit to know what balls I may get if I just ran faster, well, those balls I don't even attempt to go for. I also no longer wallop shots with all my might. I simply take my tennis nice and easy.

so if you play table tennis on one day, maybe give it 2 days for your muscles to heal themselves.

i suspect you do not actually suffer a flare following a game of table tennis. You pain is probably due to all I've said above. If you are still on the high doses or newly diagnosed take things just that little easier. It was a year before I played tennis again.

oh and if I can be really snotty, we will never be cured from pmr. Even now preds are only controlling the inflamation that in turn causes the pain. Hopefully the condition will eventually burn itself out, but again it will still be there in our bodies, sleeping. All the best, tina