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Maintaining muscle tone

Posted , 10 users are following.

celia14153
celia14153

i'm sure this has come up before but I wondered if it would be useful to put the info together. After sorting dosage and getting (blessed) relief one of the next questions is how to keep muscles strong. Before diagnosis I tried physio, massage and chiropractice but nothing helped. However, would any of these help now with the different motive? Keeping in tone rather than returning to my usual exercises? Walking is good but not sure it's enough. Maybe some of you have found other complimentary methods, or have perhaps tried exercises that helped or harmed. I would love any feedback you could give to build up a picture. I know the invaluable Eileen has mentioned the Bowen method and lyengar  yoga which I'll check out. This forum has been so helpful in adjusting to what PMG is all about with so many useful tips! 

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  • EileenH
    EileenH celia14153

    Posted

    Bowen and massage won't do anything about muscle tone and strength. They are treatments. I just walk and find other gym-related activities are a no-no. Aquafit was invaluable before pred and moving here - not an option now and I wouldn't spend the money on a gym with no pool. 

    There is no reason to avoid light weights - but I emphasise LIGHT and very small nos of reps to start, not more than 5 perhaps and building it up VERY slowly. Nothing really harms as such - it is doing too much at the start that is the problem and that can do harm by making muscles so sore they take weeks to heal. That is the problem with using a gym - you want to feel you are getting your money's worth!

    • celia14153
      celia14153 EileenH

      Posted

      Thanks Eileen. Such a balancing act all this. Have you tried acupuncture? My GP said he had patients who used it
    • EileenH
      EileenH celia14153

      Posted

      No - but Nefret on this forum did use it for a while and I think she found it helped some. Whether it was the PMR itself or the "add-ons" I don't know.

      I have had wet needling (using hollow hypodermic needles and a solution of something, it varies) for myofascial pain syndrome. I live in German-speaking Italy and it is a commonly used technique in the Germanic health systems. There is also a technique called intramuscular stimulation which some describe as similar to acupuncture (although it doesn't really follow the meridians) and is also known as dry needling using a solid needle like acupuncture) which targets myofascial trigger points. It is available in the UK if you look hard enough. I have a friend who thinks it is great.

      A good place to look for complementary approaches in the UK is sports physiotherapists or sports massage therapists - often to be found at cricket grounds or near race courses! Far more choice in the USA usually.

    • celia14153
      celia14153 EileenH

      Posted

      I have a good physio and will talk it over with her. No wonder all these conditions are hard to diagnose - they mimic each other!
    • EileenH
      EileenH celia14153

      Posted

      Not only do they mimic one another - I am increasingly convinced that myofascial pain syndrome and PMR are part of the same thing. Both are caused by the same inflammatory substances, except in MPS they are in the fascia and localised trigger points which are formed by hardened inflamed muscle fibres and can be felt as knots in the muscles, while in PMR they are systemic (all through the body).
    • celia14153
      celia14153 EileenH

      Posted

      Makes sense, especially as I think there's a slow building up of the body trying to cope before the pain spreads and becomes difficult to manage. Pred certainly gives you back a large part of your life but being open to other contributory causes, and then trying to deal with those, could also be helpful.

    • EileenH
      EileenH celia14153

      Posted

      One of the top PMR researchers in the UK does take that on board. If you are aware of those aspects you can target treatment to them and save on the oral pred. 
  • karenjaninaz
    karenjaninaz celia14153

    Posted

    I found chair chi gong on YouTube and other gentle programs to keep things moving. Find what you like and can do.

    Sometimes inertia discourages but if I gently do anything I feel so much better afterwards. At home I have a treadmill and a stationary bike. I gently do those.

    • ricky23486
      ricky23486 celia14153

      Posted

      Another thing that was recommended to me for muscle strengthening by a very good physiotherapist for muscle strengthening (instead of outdoor walking  which I am finding tiring ) without over taxing my body (especially when the outdoor temperatures soar) was water walking. Now I had never heard of this so I checked out a local hydrotherapy pool which is tiny and heated and they told me that people  come for an independent 30minute session in the water... you bring shoes that you wear in the pool  .  The water is up to chest height .  All you do is walk up and down and you can also walk backwards. Swinging g your arms and probably getting  bored out of your mind...!   I haven't actually gone there yet.  Hopefully on Thursday I will take the plunge.  The first time I go I might ask for a hydrotherapist to instruct me .   Of course there would be an extra charge for that but you only need it once.

       

    • EileenH
      EileenH ricky23486

      Posted

      Every action you do in water uses about 7x the effort doing it on land. If you have access to a suitable pool it is easy to do and aquafit is also suitable providing you discuss it with your instructor beforehand and take it VERY easy at first. Even hydrotherapy can be overdone in PMR!!!!!
    • ricky23486
      ricky23486 EileenH

      Posted

      7 times the effort!  Mmmnnn...  oh well.  I will give it a try.  Thank you :-)
  • Michdonn
    Michdonn celia14153

    Posted

    Hi celia14153, I have been a cyclist for years, but my balance is off a bit so I am walking, first thing in the morning walk with weights, swing them a little a first, then increase the arm movement as time goes on. When days go by feeling comfortable, the increase distance, then increase the weights. My wife got me a Fitbit so I can track my walking. I did not think it was a good idea at first I was wrong, very good idea. Good luck!
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