@lisalucier @stressedmesseddepressed

Our daughter gave us a DVD called Sit and Fit. I think it would be useful - if I ever open up the box and watch it.

Jim

Thank you very much for the links. I plan to get back into a regular gentle stretching routine and find it very relaxing and I also heard it can help stave off the loss of mobility and "hunched over" posture of many seniors that stretching could have helped with, that the first thing to go is flexibility. Again, I'm not a doctor, though! Thank you for welcoming me. I am so grateful this forum exists as I can become too isolated - probably partly a by-product of major depressive disorder, and now I have others (plus a therapist) here to share ideas. Grateful!

@stressedmesseddepressed

I'm grateful for this group, as well. I'm the kind of person who naturally wants to be an encourager, and I find opportunity to do so here. I'm also grateful that others share their perspectives and experiences, which are instructive and empathetic. I'm as far along as I am thanks to both the people who are in my real life and the people who are in my online life. I've learned a lot here about a wide range of topics. I like to learn new things even if it isn't relevant to my own experience. One other important aspect of connecting with others is that it keeps me from isolating and feeling alone in my circumstances.

I appreciate everyone who gives input. Some is useful, some is interesting, some is encouraging, some is informative and some is humorous. Every post and every post-er has value.

Jim

@jimhd Well, in the midst of what seems to be nothing more than doors being slammed on me. Thanks for a small chuckle. I am not even looking for an open window for now. Sure, take Aleve and Tylenol and go outside and walk to help with the pain. My pain is pyschosomatic...grrrrr. Teach me to see a therapist for mental health.

You gave me a Chuckle! Everyone's answer is to go outside and take a walk. What happens when your knees and legs are bad????

@shoregal45 Glad I could give you a chuckle. My legs are a mess too. I am not able to take that type of walk very often. Today will be ice packs and warm rice bags. My walking is bone against bone with bone spurs aplenty, etc.
I do not know your issues with your knees and legs. This does seem to be what many suggest. It may be like telling an intoxicated person to drink a cup of coffee for some.

Yoga Instructor Peggy Cappy has clients in their 90s who had all kinds of arthritis, mobility issues and this loosened them up. She's on PBS quite a bit. The stress relief / sleep CD, I've never heard to the end, about 20 minutes. I'm always asleep before it ends! I play it on my portable CD player. Feel better soon! (Stretch gently.)
https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Rest-Peggy-Cappy-Arthritis/dp/B00S3JC5GC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1521206393&sr=8-2&keywords=peggy+cappy
https://www.amazon.com/Peggy-Cappys-Stress-Relief-Relaxation/dp/B000VZK69E/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521206736&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=peggy+cappy+sleep+for+the+rest+of+your+life
https://www.amazon.com/Classical-Stretch-Reversing-Beginners-Strengthening/dp/B01HQSYXE2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521207910&sr=8-3&keywords=aging+backwards

We just need to start slowly whether it's walking or yoga. I can only walk for about 15 minutes at a time now, and I started at 5 minutes of walking for every other day. A few times I've had to wait 2 or 3 days between walks due to pain and tiredness at first. It took 6 weeks to work up to 15 minutes 3 days a week. I think moving, even though painful at first, is helpful. You could also try using some CBD oil or other pain reducing rub before and after your walk.

I love yoga. I do Restorative Yoga, in which you use lots of props to help with the poses. Also, most of the poses are done while lying down on a thick (or a double) yoga pad. I use bolsters, blocks, belts, sand bags, blankets, dowel bars and the wall to assist with the poses and allow me to do them with the least amount of pressure and as much stretching as I'm comfortable with. I had to learn to stop being competitive with others in my class, and go at my own speed. I particularly liked the end of class when we spent 20 minutes after finding our most comfortable resting pose, in meditation. I always left feeling refreshed and relaxed. I am not doing Yoga currently, but will begin again in April. I am much more flexible since I have done yoga. We also do poses to increase our balance and specifically work on arthritic hands, feet and toes. I highly recommend giving yoga a try.

I also do ART, Active Release Technique therapy with my chiropractor. I have written about this therapy before as it is what freed me from the pain in my right hip, lumbar, thigh, knee, calf, ankle and toes. I was astonished that it worked so well and so quickly! Within 3 weeks of sessions twice a week, my pain was nearly gone. I had tried everything to be rid of the pain, including acupuncture, physical therapy for several months, walking, massage, and chiropractic manipulation none of which worked. I had an L5-S1 laminectomy in December 2016, which relieved the same acute pain on my left side. However my surgeon said that my L4 problems would require rods and pins. He recommended that I try everything less invasive first. I know that once you have to do fusion, it is required for other disks as well sooner or later.

My family has genetic back issues including Degenerative Disk Disease, so I have watched my older brothers go down this road ahead of me. So, I decided to follow my surgeon's recommendation.

I read about ART on Mayo Connect and when I researched it, I thought it was worth trying. It works on muscles and nerves that get bound together after trauma of some kind. That trauma can include going through lots of pain, or surgery of some kind, a fall, a car accident, or an injury from childhood. I have PTSD from a traumatic childhood, so lots of psychic and physical pain from those experiences. (I'm curious if others of us have PTSD as well? I know a couple of others commenting here have mentioned it.) ART releases the nerves that are bound and freed me from that chronic pain I'd had for years off and on and then constantly for 2 years. You need to find the most qualified and trained chiropractor to do this, so some research in your area is needed. My chiropractor, Dr. Todd Andrews, also does sports medicine and Total Body Fitness. He's currently working on my TMJ and neck issues. It's helping beyond anything I could imagine. I will do/try almost anything to be free to go places and do things that pain had previously prevented.

Gailb
Volunteer Mentor

LOL. Me too!

Gail, you mentioned CBD oil. Is your prescription or OTC? I plan to talk to my ortho about this when I see him. My close friend's has breast cancer which metastasized to the bone and her latest tests show improvement!!!