HYDROTHERAPY FOR PMR

Mrs O

Our Rheumatologist (who is our Patron) is trying to get us, that is PMR and GCA patients access to a NHS Hydrotherapy pool which is used for other complaints.

He says it is one of the best things out. Does not cure, but sure does help.

Cheaper than a packet of my fags!!!!!!!!!

:roll:

Before I was diagnosed with PMR and thought I had rotator cuff problems, I used our hot tub for some relief. It didn't cure the aches and pains, but lessened the pain some. As the pain spread to my hips, it became difficult to get in and out of the tub having to lift my legs up and over a 3 foot (~1 meter) wall. ([i:4663887773]I'm reminded of the story of someone on the forum who had trouble getting out of their tub [/i:4663887773]- :oops: :wink: [i:4663887773])[/i:4663887773]

Now that it's 95F (35C) outside I'm not interested in using the hot tub—which is around 98 - 100F (36 - 38C) :roll:

...........not to mention that Brandy!!!!! :lol:

Thanks MrsK - that's definitely made up my mind - just got to see if my cossie still fits round the steroid stomach!!!!! :roll:

Hi Rick and thanks for the info - yes, I can understand getting in the hot tub wasn't a cure but I bet it was comforting. I have longed to get in my bath over the last 4+ years of PMR but no way so I think I'm going to find the hydro pool just bliss - I hasten to add I have got a shower which I CAN get into!! :lol: Don't send those Florida temperatures over here will you 8)

Hi everyone

Just reporting back following my first hydro pool visit and I'm not sure if I'll be giving it another go!The pool was heated to 35C and when I first stepped in I thought I wouldn't be able to take the heat. However, I got used to it, or so I thought........when getting out after 30 minutes I felt ok-ish but when I arrived back home, just getting out of the car was difficult. I felt very stiff (not at all what I expected after being in a hydro pool) and totally exhausted. Stood under a warm shower for ages after which I felt a little less stiff but still exhausted and fell asleep in the chair. The following morning I could hardly walk with horrendous pain in one knee, and the stairs were a nightmare - couldn't see how I could have caused this in the pool and have no recollection of twisting it. Spent most of the day with a heat pad on my knee followed by witch hazel compresses. It's much easier today.

Apparently hydrotherapy can cause lethargy and dehydration - I did drink a bottle of water on the way home from the pool but after the heat of the pool I probably needed to drink a gallon!

It's possible I may have tried to mobilise my legs in the water more than my PMR legs would accept as my knees have never returned to normal even on the very low dose of 1mg.

To sum up, I feel the concept of getting into a hydro pool could be beneficial for PMR sufferers but I remain confused as to what movement one should do in order to receive relief rather than aggravate the PMR :?

I would welcome hearing the thoughts of anyone else who has either tried or intends to try hydrotherapy in the future.

MrsO

Hi MrsO again!

At a guess you spent too long in the pool for the first visit and did far too much! I did loads of aqua aerobics before PMR was diagnosed and one of things we had to warn new people about was to take it easy at first.

I was a member at a Bannatynes gym where the water temp was kept about 29-ish which was good for most of us doing aqua aerobics. Real swimmers found it a bit warm but it was only a small pool - 3 real strokes and you were ready to turn! Occasionally the thermostat went AWOL and it would get over 30C and rising and then we had to be quite careful about how much we did.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before but: any activity in deep water requires 7 times as much effort as on land. That's why it is good exercise, your body is supported in the water so there is less strain on the joints and you get a quite quick workout. Most aqua classes are only 45 mins - even when they are aimed at reasonably fit and healthy people. Ours were an hour which wasn't a problem for most of us but some did find it a bit much.

It is also very important to mobilise very gently for the first 5 mins or so - jogging on the spot, moving your arms under and above the surface and so on. Even walking up and down the pool in the water is much harder than on the side of the pool and I've seen quite a few who have used it for recovery after injury who were surprised how tired they got after even a few mins. Do you do that much exercise for more than an hour out of a pool? If not - no wonder you were kippered! And if you have joint problems that would like ice on them - 35C would be a bit cosy. Most patients for hydrotherapy aren't able to move very actively themselves so the water has to be warm so they don't chill too quickly. We need something between normal pools which aren't very warm and that - some swimming pools have kiddy pools but they are sometimes a bit too warm too.

Better luck next time - I really did find it helped live with PMR without medication. Have a go for 10 mins and build up gradually if that is OK. Or try a normal pool - my off-peak gym membership was a real bargain,

EileenH

Thanks Eileen

I'm sure you're right and 10 minutes would probably have been much more sensible for the first time in the hydro pool. I did go to aquarobics for some years prior to PMR and thought I would be clever and try to do the aquarobic cycling on the woggle....big mistake as I'm sure that's where the blame for my knee pain lies. The pain has come back with a vengeance this afternoon and even the heat pad doesn't seem to have helped today. I stupidly thought that after 4.5 PMR years and being down to 1mg I needed to test the water(!) and try and get the stiffness out of my knees only to find that the stiffness has been replaced with pain . I've also now realised that the heat and consequent dehydration may not have been a good idea for my sole kidney and it's CKD as I have remembered many years ago being told not to use saunas because of the rapid dehydration.

I think I will take up your suggestion of a normal pool - I used to belong to Holmes Place which has now been taken over by Virgin and I believe the private clubs do keep their pools a little warmer than the others.

If the sun was shining I'd put my knees out in it but sadly it has been raining cats and dogs here for the last few days and since yesterday I have felt quite cold so if tomorrow is the same the heating will have to go on........in August!!!!!

Thanks again, Eileen, for all the advice and I'll try and be more sensible next time! :silly:

MrsO

Hello Mrs O

Sorry to hear you dont feel too good after all the progress you have made

So annoying I know all the figures about Aqua and know how good it is as a form of exercise but dont know too much about Hydrotherapy I do know that even the Hot Tubs in Health Clubs are only supposed to be used for a certain length of time and have timers and warnings on

Have a good rest and hopefully this wont be too much of a setback

Best wishes

Mrs G

I do agree about it feeling cold but we still havent had much rain !!

Hi all!

We've just been in GB for 2 weeks, in Whitby and Inverkeithing (other end of the Forth Road Bridge) and had very little rain and nardly needed jackets! Until we got to about Cambridge on the way back - when it started to rain and rained all the way to Dover. Then it rained from Lille to the Rhine before giving way to a beautiful evening in the Nuremburg area while they all complained what an awful day it had been. The next day it chucked buckets from Nuremburg to Ingolstadt and then gave up a bit until we got home. We've had about 4in of rain in the last 3 days - but this morning the sun is peeking out so I'm hopeful! Don't need the heating though But for real rain you should have seen what we got in Brussels on the way to GB - even the Belgians slowed down! The wipers nearly gave up and there was about 4in of standing water on the motorway - and if any of you know the Brussels Ring you'll know the lane changes are critical (across 6 lanes at times!)! I prefer to see where I'm going! :roll:

EileenH

Hi Mrs G and thanks for the good wishes - I guess I was getting a bit impatient after the last 4.5 years and feeling the need to get the muscles stronger as they have definitely been aggravated by the steroids. However, the knee joints haveobviously rebelled having been stiff for so long. Will try again at the local Virgin leisure centre - apparently the temperature there is 28 - but not before these knees improve! :roll:

Isn't it amazing that you're not that far away and you've missed out on all the rain we've had - at least today has been warmer (I took a hot water bottle to bed last night - goodness knows what I'll do in the winter! :lol: )

MrsO