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PMR and exercise: What helps you?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Apr 26 1:16am | Replies (182)Comment receiving replies
Thanks for starting this group!
Before diagnosis and prednisone, with full onset PMR for months, I managed an hour walk everyday. It was slow because my legs were so stiff and walking did not eliminate stiffness (PMR restricts blood flow). After the walk, I was pretty exhausted. On days I couldn't walk, because of rain, I peddled while watching tv. PMR symptoms eased up after months but had incredible neck pain. Exercises from Physical Therapist, which had worked for me before, didn't help much. With a diagnosis of GCA, I was prescribed a high dosage of prednisone and neck pain miraculously disappeared. Prednisone thins the bones - so it's important to keep doing weight bearing exercises. Now diagnosed with osteoporosis, I've found the Pilates and other exercises I was doing that involve spinal flexion (the C curve, abdominal curls, the hundreds, cat, etc.) and side stretching (the swan) can stress the spine and cause silent compression fractures. There's so much to keep in mind, but we just have to find the right balance of intensity and the kinds of exercises that don't cause flare ups or worsen our conditions. Overhead exercises for shoulders may be a trigger, but maybe lateral exercises are okay. Work the abdominals without doing curls, which are pretty useless anyway. Be conscious of lifting techniques that don't put the spine at risk and get in the habit of using them. Resist the urge to do too much or power through when we know we've done enough, but better to keep moving than stop. Rest when tired. Our bodies have brought us this far. It's time to cut them a break.
Replies to "Thanks for starting this group! Before diagnosis and prednisone, with full onset PMR for months, I..."
@johnbishop My husband has both PMR and GCA (PMR since 05/2023 and GCA since 02/2024.) We just found out through a chest xray that he has a compression fracture at T11 that was not visible on an xray of his back taken 05/2023, around the same time he was diagnosed with PMR. We now await results of CAT scans of his neck, abdomen and chest.
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My PMR was diagnosed in January and since then I've tapered down from initial 40 mg Prednisone to just one mg. recently, but find myself waking with a vague all over stiff and painful feeling. I'll try going back to two mg. today. Since I first was diagnosed I walked every day, first just a bit then regularly 2-3 miles every day. Also YOGA every other day. Made a mistake and did 6 1/2 miles one day about two weeks ago and paid for it with a pulled muscle inside my left thigh. I had walked too fast and too far and left knee hurt like heck, couldn't walk on it all all at first. Now it's nearly healed and things are getting back to normal. I can walk almost normally now again. The important thing here is the YOGA !!! I've practiced and taught yoga for several years now and I'm convinced of it's benefits. Pay no attention to the pictures of 20 something sleek gals doing impossible things with their perfect bodies. Try yoga as a beginner ... maybe just mastering calming breathing in the beginning ... maybe in a chair if sitting on the floor is a problem. Learn both to stretch and to relax. Find a good local teacher, if that is impossible, go on YouTube, search "yoga with Adriene" and follow her lead ... she is fantastic !!! Then try her practice for a specific thing, such as yoga for legs or yoga for back. But please try yoga ... it's been so good for me both mentally and physically. After practicing about ten years, averaging four one hour practices a week, I now can do a headstand, and can do all the balance poses rather well. BTW, I'm 76 years old, pretty average, retired from retail business, and a Vietnam vet. Thanks for listening.