Muscle and joint stiffness, aches, pain or weakness

[Farm24]

On 11/24/2018 at 10:14 AM, Walking said:

I am posting this b/c I am at a loss as to how to deal with this, not sure if it's the WD or something else.

 

Since recovering from a 5th metatarsal bone  break 3.5 years ago, I've been gradually getting back to my prior gym workout intensity to regain my flexibility, stamina, strength, and slim physique - not to mention the myriad mental/emotional benefits. Have had to also deal w/muscle pain & tightness, which I have been successfully treating w/trigger point therapy techniques.

 

I've been doing great, although it's taking much longer than I figured, all of the above mentioned areas are gradually improving, I feel and look better all the time.

 

The past couple of weeks, however, the muscle aches and tightness are roaring back w/a vengeance, to the point where I'm unable to do simple things like reaching up into a kitchen cabinet, lifting up my leg to remove my sock, walking lunges in the gym, etc, etc. Combined with intermittent joint pain in previously healed areas. No amount of self-treatment is making a dent in this, which is totally puzzling given how things have been up to now.

 

I am thinking of checking out a trigger point physical therapist that my therapist recommended, and who has a bunch of glowing help reviews, but part of me  is wondering if it would be a waste of time/money/effort/hope, if it's due to the WD.

 

Sorry for the long post - I'm wondering whether anyone here can relate, and if so, what has been the outcome?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

Did you end up trying it?

[Rezten]

Hi, I am going on my 7th year of WD and I am not recovered. Things are much better than when WD started, but I still get waves and even when not in a wave I still never feel myself.  

 

My question is joint and muscle aches and pains.  These ate getting more difficult to deal with.  Not sure what to do, I try to avoid doctors, but I may go fo a Lyme test just to make sure.  Is it common to still have these aches etc this far along?

[Ariel]

Hi @Rezten

 

16 hours ago, Rezten said:

Hi, I am going on my 7th year of WD and I am not recovered. Things are much better than when WD started, but I still get waves and even when not in a wave I still never feel myself.  

 

My question is joint and muscle aches and pains.  These ate getting more difficult to deal with.  Not sure what to do, I try to avoid doctors, but I may go fo a Lyme test just to make sure.  Is it common to still have these aches etc this far along?

 

I hear you. Muscle and joint aches and pains are a tough symptom to live with. 

Like you I'm in my 7th year of WD and still regularly deal with this. 

My experience echoes yours, things are getting better overall, and I still get waves. 

It's important to remember and celebrate that healing is happening! 

 

I understand wanting to avoid doctors. At the same time, it can bring peace of mind to eliminate possible pathological causes for weird symptoms. 

In my case I've had my share of doctor's appointments and testing to rule out diseases, infections, etc., incl. Lyme. Ultimately it was a relief to know, Oh this is just WD, and now that I don't have to worry about any significant new health risks, I can just accept WD and get on with it. 

 

I'll also say that something that has really helped me manage muscle and joint aches and pains is exercise. At first exercise was very challenging because of the discomfort and intensity of sensation. I had to go gradually, also because I'd become deconditioned after an extended period of inactivity during acute WD, as well as the symptom of exercise intolerance. In the beginning I could only manage very short walks (approx. 2000 steps total) and about 10-15 minutes of gentle Pilates or yoga at a time, followed by many days of rest. Over time I built up to being able to walk a little every day and doing gentle Pilates/yoga 2-3 times a week. As time went on, my walks got longer, exercise sessions got longer. The first year I focused on frequency and regularity. My goal was to be able to move a little every day, without having to take whole days off. I got stronger over the course of a year, and this year (second year of my self-programmed physical fitness rehab) I've been working on gradually increasing intensity and doing weight training. I find that lifting weights is the most effective "treatment" for my muscle and joint aches and pains. For a while I was lifting about 2-3 days a week, and experiencing significant relief, all without drugs. I recently overdid it and crashed, so now I've been taking a break from weight-lifting to give nervous system a rest. I miss the pain relief, however the symptom is not as bad as it used to be. 

 

Sorry you're dealing with this @Rezten

 

[Rezten]

12 minutes ago, Ariel said:

Hi @Rezten

 

 

I hear you. Muscle and joint aches and pains are a tough symptom to live with. 

Like you I'm in my 7th year of WD and still regularly deal with this. 

My experience echoes yours, things are getting better overall, and I still get waves. 

It's important to remember and celebrate that healing is happening! 

 

I understand wanting to avoid doctors. At the same time, it can bring peace of mind to eliminate possible pathological causes for weird symptoms. 

In my case I've had my share of doctor's appointments and testing to rule out diseases, infections, etc., incl. Lyme. Ultimately it was a relief to know, Oh this is just WD, and now that I don't have to worry about any significant new health risks, I can just accept WD and get on with it. 

 

I'll also say that something that has really helped me manage muscle and joint aches and pains is exercise. At first exercise was very challenging because of the discomfort and intensity of sensation. I had to go gradually, also because I'd become deconditioned after an extended period of inactivity during acute WD, as well as the symptom of exercise intolerance. In the beginning I could only manage very short walks (approx. 2000 steps total) and about 10-15 minutes of gentle Pilates or yoga at a time, followed by many days of rest. Over time I built up to being able to walk a little every day and doing gentle Pilates/yoga 2-3 times a week. As time went on, my walks got longer, exercise sessions got longer. The first year I focused on frequency and regularity. My goal was to be able to move a little every day, without having to take whole days off. I got stronger over the course of a year, and this year (second year of my self-programmed physical fitness rehab) I've been working on gradually increasing intensity and doing weight training. I find that lifting weights is the most effective "treatment" for my muscle and joint aches and pains. For a while I was lifting about 2-3 days a week, and experiencing significant relief, all without drugs. I recently overdid it and crashed, so now I've been taking a break from weight-lifting to give nervous system a rest. I miss the pain relief, however the symptom is not as bad as it used to be. 

 

Sorry you're dealing with this @Rezten

 

Hi Ariel,

 

Thank you for replying, I appreciate your response.  I am going to start doing  more stretching exercises. Unfortunately I have osteoarthritis in my feet and it is very painful, so I can't do much walking but I can do an exercise bike, I just need to push myself to do it.  As I'm sure you know, when in pain, it is difficult to get going.

 

I had a tick borne illness test done today just to rule it out, or possibly in Lol. I'll know in a few days.

 

My right hip started hurting out of the blue a few days ago, the muscle area is very tender but I can't tell if it is joint pain or muscle pain.  Have you ever had something like that?

 

I'm sorry you are still suffering after all this time too, sometimes it is so surreal to think about all the time and how this has changed my life.  But I'm glad to know I'm not the only this long out still having muscle/joint pain.

 

@Ariel

[Ariel]

1 hour ago, Rezten said:

I am going to start doing  more stretching exercises. Unfortunately I have osteoarthritis in my feet and it is very painful, so I can't do much walking but I can do an exercise bike

 

Hello again @Rezten

 

For what it's worth, I don't do much cardio in WD. I walk as much as possible (and that amount varies depending on how I'm feeling), and I get some moderate cardio benefits as a "side effect" of more vigorous strength training. However, my WD body is just not into cardio. 

 

I'm not in your body and cannot give advice on what's right for you. Only you know what works for you, and, as with other aspects of WD, that may be a process of discovery based on trial and error. What has worked best for me has been weight lifting and other forms of resistance training, though especially weight lifting. It does something remarkable for the nervous system, very soothing almost immediately. And it's something one can do seated or even reclining, there are countless dumbbell exercises that can be done at home and don't require being on one's feet. Again, I'm not in a position to recommend anything, just sharing that it's worked wonders for me. 

 

1 hour ago, Rezten said:

My right hip started hurting out of the blue a few days ago, the muscle area is very tender but I can't tell if it is joint pain or muscle pain.  Have you ever had something like that?

 

It's hard to think of a body part that has not been in pain at one point or another during WD, haha! I've had tooth pain (without any dental issues), I've had days where my earlobes hurt, days where the tip of a finger was suddenly the locus of extreme discomfort and undesirable sensations. This is such a weird experience! 

 

Have you ever experienced a window, however brief, where you were temporarily relieved of pain? 

I've had a few of these along the way and they blessed me with faith that the unpredictable, pervasive, random pain was indeed WD related, and that it was temporary and would pass in time. 

 

I don't know but am guessing that with something like osteoarthritic pain, we may be more sensitive to it in WD, as we are sensitized to everything (both internal and external stimuli), and so it may not feel quite as bad once we heal; however, with a condition that is not directly WD-related, it figures that it will still be there after recovery. 

 

Have you ever consulted a qualified physical therapist or osteopath about how to best approach exercise with arthritis? I'm not an expert but am familiar with some studies that show gentle exercise and movement to be beneficial for arthritic pain. At least in part due to anti-inflammatory effect on the body (do you follow an anti-inflammatory diet?). Have you considered something like aqua exercise in a heated pool? I know people with severe arthritis for whom water exercise has been a real game-changer in the best sense. 

 

Just to follow up on the nutritional aspect -- this is an area that can make a real difference in our symptoms. Have you played around with diet?

Eliminated alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, sugar, dairy, gluten, soy, peanuts, artificial sweeteners? Experimented with whole foods and anti-inflammatory eating? I've cut out all of the aforementioned foods as well as grains and starchy carbs. I follow a low-carb, high protein ketogenic diet with plenty of healthy fats and it's made a positive impact on all my WD symptoms, incl. pain, to do so. 

 

I don't know how old you are or what your financial situation is. Are you gainfully employed? Retired? On disability? Do you have health insurance and are you entitled to compensation of any kind for sick leave or income loss due to illness? 

Of course most of the time WD is not a viable or available diagnosis to this purpose, but since you are dealing with muscle and joint aches and pains I'll share a tip. You might fulfill the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia, a diagnosis which is recognized by many health care providers and insurance companies. I know someone who had horrific WD for years, debilitating and life-altering. They went the pragmatic route and successfully pursued a diagnosis of fibromyalgia (they met all the diagnostic criteria; they didn't mention anything about psych drugs or WD). This diagnosis allowed them to apply for and receive benefits such as paid sick leave followed by disability, which, frankly, saved their life. Having an official diagnosis makes a huge difference in regards to what resources one can access. It's different from country to country, sure, but there's probably some version of this everywhere. Anyway, just a tip in case you need to proactively find some more support on the ground. 

 

Good luck with the tick-borne illness test! Fingers crossed it's negative. 

Go gently, and remember, healing is happening! Healing is happening all the time, even when we don't consciously perceive it <3

[Ariel]

@missy27

 

On 5/18/2024 at 6:00 PM, Ariel said:

I'll also say that something that has really helped me manage muscle and joint aches and pains is exercise. At first exercise was very challenging because of the discomfort and intensity of sensation. I had to go gradually, also because I'd become deconditioned after an extended period of inactivity during acute WD, as well as the symptom of exercise intolerance. In the beginning I could only manage very short walks (approx. 2000 steps total) and about 10-15 minutes of gentle Pilates or yoga at a time, followed by many days of rest. Over time I built up to being able to walk a little every day and doing gentle Pilates/yoga 2-3 times a week. As time went on, my walks got longer, exercise sessions got longer. The first year I focused on frequency and regularity. My goal was to be able to move a little every day, without having to take whole days off. I got stronger over the course of a year, and this year (second year of my self-programmed physical fitness rehab) I've been working on gradually increasing intensity and doing weight training. I find that lifting weights is the most effective "treatment" for my muscle and joint aches and pains. For a while I was lifting about 2-3 days a week, and experiencing significant relief, all without drugs. I recently overdid it and crashed, so now I've been taking a break from weight-lifting to give nervous system a rest. I miss the pain relief, however the symptom is not as bad as it used to be. 

 

 

On 5/18/2024 at 7:59 PM, Ariel said:

For what it's worth, I don't do much cardio in WD. I walk as much as possible (and that amount varies depending on how I'm feeling), and I get some moderate cardio benefits as a "side effect" of more vigorous strength training. However, my WD body is just not into cardio. 

 

I'm not in your body and cannot give advice on what's right for you. Only you know what works for you, and, as with other aspects of WD, that may be a process of discovery based on trial and error. What has worked best for me has been weight lifting and other forms of resistance training, though especially weight lifting. It does something remarkable for the nervous system, very soothing almost immediately. And it's something one can do seated or even reclining, there are countless dumbbell exercises that can be done at home and don't require being on one's feet. Again, I'm not in a position to recommend anything, just sharing that it's worked wonders for me. 

 

 

[Lojo585]

Hi all... omg, I am really suffering today. Everything hurts 

 

Has anyone noticed joint pain in response to a sudden increase their activity level? I recently started getting up and going outside for a fairly low-intensity, 30-40 minute walk about an hour after sunrise (representing about a 3000-step increase over my typical daily step count). I have done this 6 out of 8 days so far, but I think I'm gonna die from how much my body hurts. It's not muscle soreness like when you exercise too hard. I've had this on and off since I started tapering... Worst in my hands and feet, but also feel it sometimes in my elbows and knees, sometimes up to my neck/shoulders and hips.

 

The other thing I'm wondering is if photosensitivity/sunlight exposure could be triggering the pain? It's not a lot of sun (early morning, sometimes cloudy, wearing normal clothes, no tanning or burning but...?) There have been other times when the pain flared up all of a sudden and it may have corresponded to the length of time I spent outside the day before.

 

So discouraged, because I'm trying to do these morning walks for my wellbeing and especially to reset my circadian rhythm (doctor's orders). UGH.