How do you do pt with EDS when you have fibromyalgia and me/cfs?

Posted by chronic69 @chronic69, May 5 2:13am

I have hypermobile ehler danlos syndrome, and I feel too exhausted to do the exercises my pt gives because me I have both me/cfs plus fibromyalgia. Should I just stop doing them?

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Have you tried using a stimulant? I have many of those conditions as well asMAC and migraines and I couldn’t function without them.

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Don’t know if this helps. I’ve had fibro with post-exertion malaise for more than forty years. Im 77, overweight. I also have bone-on-bone OA in one knee. I finally found one no-stress exercise machine that I can use for thirty minutes, stop, and not experience the usual flu-like symptoms. I now exercise daily on it and am amazed that this one machine is more than tolerable. My PT put me on it twice a week for 10 minutes each time. Then I learned my YMCA has 3 of the machines and our senior center has two. It’s the Sci-Fit Recumbent Stepper - google it to see a video. You just sit on it, push your legs back and forth (less strain than a recumbent bike) and you can use the arm-exercise feature simultaneously, though it’s an option. I exercise both arms and legs. You go at your own pace and it counts your steps. I usually exercise at Level 1 and walk about 3400 steps in 30 minutes. It’s actually relaxing to use because while it’s not strenuous at a really relaxed pace, it’s easy to put just a bit more energy into it to boost your heart rate without becoming out of breath. Wheelchair users can use this machine, too, as the adjustable seat slides off the rails so the wheelchair can be wheeled and locked in place. It’s really helped to exercise my thigh muscles - strengthening them helps support and stabilize my knees. I recommend trying this machine. I think there’s something similar called the Nu-Step, made by a different company. I am so delighted to find one exercise I can do and sustain that doesn’t tire me out or leave me feeling sick like the flu.

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I think talking to your physical therapist about it might be useful. My physical therapist modifies my exercises frequently depending on how I feel.

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