PMR and exercise: What helps you?

Posted by jcaffrey47 @jcaffrey47, Jul 17, 2021

We are told that we have to stay active but what does that mean? This issue became very real for me when I attempted to swim the crawl stroke in the swimming pool. I was feeling pretty good at the time. The prednisone had kicked in and I swam the equivalent of two laps. The next day my shoulders were on fire and I was suffering a full flare; my first. Maybe everyone reading this will say that I was foolish to do any exercise that involve my shoulders and that I should limit my exercise to other parts of the body like walking or maybe biking. Let’s start a dialogue and find out what exercises work for all of us.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group.

pmrsuzie | @pmrsuzie | Mar 27 10:13pm

nancy53, thanks for the exercise link. I'm in bed for the night, watched it though, will do the exercises tomorrow.

My crp was 87 in the beginning, could hardly move in the morning, even using a cane was difficult.

janetorcas | @janetorcas | Apr 26 1:16am

Wondering if others are also experiencing "crashes" after mild exercise. I find that even easy walking can set me back for days - massive fatigue, 2-3 hour naps most days. I haven't had pain flare-ups in the usual PMR areas, but stiffness along my spine, ribs and low back.
It has been suggested by my Physio that I may also have ME/CFS. Is there a subset of patients that develop both conditions concurrently?