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PMR and exercise: What helps you?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (185)Comment receiving replies
I have been on Prednisone for about a year. My husband and I are active bicyclist...only on designated trails...and we are in our 80s. While on 10 mg of Prednisone I felt no pain and could cycle as much as 15 miles without major discomfort afterward. This summer (2022) my doctor weaned me from 10 to 7.5 to 5 to 2.5 mg of Prednisone. I finished it the last weekend in August and almost immediately felt major discomfort in my hips, legs and shoulders, Doctor recommended staying off the meds until the last of September and then having another blood test to determine the inflamation numbers. In the meantime I am working with a chiropractor, riding a stationary bike about 10 to 15 minutes a day and practicing an anti inflamatory eating discipline. My pain level is improving, although I fatigue easily and my mobility is better but not as "balanced" as I'd like to be. I'm trying hard to come up with a program that does not require the Prednisone. But if I need to I would go back on a low dose. Anyone else out there using chirpractor or an eating discipline?
Replies to "I have been on Prednisone for about a year. My husband and I are active bicyclist...only..."
Not a chiropractor but definitely an anti-inflammatory diet. I'm off Prednisone and have lots of minor pain and stiffness but trying to use other things to cope - fish oil, aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen (not all at once, of course, just experimenting with what works in certain circumstances). I long to be pain free but the risks of Prednisone are just too scary for me as I am already pre-diabetic (in spite of doing everything not to be) and have "avian bone syndrome" so any loss there is also terrifying... I wonder if I will every return to my "old self" which felt a lot younger than I do now....
I used a (activator) chiropractor and responded well, also used a Fitbit and tried (not always successful) to walk 10,000 steps per day. Before bed 25 lateral leg lifts each side while on the bed. Everyone is an individual, I have been off steroids for a year.
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Hello @nancybee, Welcome to Connect. You mentioned tapering from 10 mg down to 2.5 mg over the summer. I'm wondering if that is the issue and why you are having a lot of pain. I didn't have regular ESR or CRP tests when tapering off of the prednisone. My rheumatologist had me keep a daily pain and dosage log while tapering and I was not supposed to taper if the pain was too much. He left the "too much" pain up to me. For me that was anything above a 2 on my pain scale and that normally went away after I got moving around during the morning and took my next dose.
The anti-inflammatory eating certainly helps and was one of the things that helped me taper off of prednisone faster the second time my PMR became active after a 6 year remission. You might find the following discussions helpful:
-- PMR Dosages and Managing Symptoms:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pmr-dosages/
-- PMR: Are there treatment alternatives to Prednisone?:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/alternatives-to-prednisone/
Never thought about or used a chiropractor before. Hopefully others who may have tried one will share their experience. Here's some other related information that might be helpful:
-- Diet and Supplements for Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR):
https://www.arthritis-health.com/blog/diet-and-supplements-polymyalgia-rheumatica-pmr
Along with your eating for PMR, have you tried any supplements?