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PMR and exercise: What helps you?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Apr 26 1:16am | Replies (182)Comment receiving replies
My first bout of PMR occurred fourteen years ago at age 62. At the time, I had decided to intensify my exercise program from a simple walk in the evening to a more vigorous regimen of power walking and stair climbing at the local high school track and football stadium. Not very long after I began this program I was struck by incapacitating pain in my neck, shoulders, hips and legs, which I believed was brought on by the increased exercise. After various doctor visits and months of prednisone treatment, the PMR resolved and I was able to resume a milder exercise program. I remained in remission until 2021, when, after my first Covid vaccination, I experienced a second debilitating flare of PMR and was treated again with prednisone. After months of treatment, I finally achieved remission again and was able to discontinue the prednisone. The rheumatologist's parting advice to me was to avoid intense exercise, especially stair climbing. I am now 76 and have remained in remission from my latest flare for one year. My exercise regime consists of thirty minutes of daily walking at a moderate pace.
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I contracted PMR after my second COVID vaccination in March 2021 (? coincidence?) I have been taking 1 mg. prednisone for several months now and tried stopping twice, but did experience the pain moving from my shoulders to my back and neck, so I am once again taking 1 mg. I've also wondered if the reason I still have some deltoid pain at night was because I lifted too many heavy things during the day. (BTW, I only experienced pain while lying down and rarely felt anything when upright!) I walk 4 to 5 miles per day in my plant nursery business and attend a senior swim class twice a week and also use a stationary bike every other day (this is because of my hip pain, which they say is my osteoarthritis). I'm still in denial about that and keep wishing that this pain will dissipate once I'm in remission from the PMR. My thigh pain went away after my first dose of prednisone and has never returned, even when I tapered off. My pain is confined to my deltoides now and it is very mild, when I do feel it at night. Hope this helps you.
I find that exercise exasperates my inflammation.
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Thanks for sharing this. I am just beginning this PMR journey and this is one of my many challenges to work out. I am (was) an avid golfer …walking our very hilly course at a fast pace. Since developing PMR I have been very limited re playing golf and have to ride the cart. I have been wondering about how much walking i should be doing to replace this. I will see how I do with half hour a day.