Stiffness

[irish4411]

I have had OT for about 10 years but was officialy diagnosed 3 years ago at UCLA. Currently my doctor has me on klonapin 3mg along with (topamax 200mg and depakote 500mg for migraine prevention) all before bedtime. I find after a few hours of sleep, I literally can't turn over . My muscles are so painful. I have no trouble waking up for work, but it is painful getting out of bed. Once I'm up and going it's ok kI. Is anyone else experiencing anything like that? I also have difficulty getting up from a sitting position without pain. I do walk alot in my job. I'm on my feet all day, so I'm not sedentary. So I find it very baffeling.

[golfnut]

Do you do any stretching movements morning and bedtime? Our legmuscles work "a lot" and I think we stretch too little...
Perhaps this can help,

best
the golfnut

[Di Di]

Hi ...over a year ago Golfnut replied to Irish 4411...and talked about stretching .
I think it time it was talked about again ?:)
I get my stretching done in a hot hydrotheropy pool ...go most early mornings thru the week [sleep-in on the weekend ] ......fantastic ,I wade ,jog , and use all sorts of foam dumb bells and noodles that I have played around with and worked out stretches and excersizes to suit my needs .
A local swimming pool would be just as good Im sure but the warmth is really good ...doing this has certainly helped my balance and well being .

Please could someone else out there give the pool work a go !....and report back on how you get on ?
I believe it works wonders .....................thanks DiDi NZ

[Di Di]

Hi ...a month has past ...anyone taking up the request and getting into the pool ?
I see there are plenty viewing this post .....would love to hear ?

I am off over to the UK in a couple of days , have made inquiries to where the nearest public swimming pool is to where we are staying , as I would like to keep up this routine ...no big deal , just an hour each morning when possible and convenient to others .

in my youth I use to swim for pure pleasure and hold my tummy in ! and look the part ....now when I look round the pool there are many oldies doing it for their health and well being..... all shapes and sizes ... there`s a feeling of comradeship .......hey , if you wait till your the right shape , you'll never in ...
lecture over ..........thanks DiDi NZ.

[golfnut]

Hi Didi,
I'll take on the challenge!

I'm not at all into pools really, but did take a dip in a warm bubble-pool and after that took a bit of a swim when in the Alps and after a walk. It was lovely! I know there is a "medical pool" somewhere here that offer some kind of excersise in warmer water that it usually is in pools - so I'll look that up.
If I write in my diary that we must try things in order to see what we can to, I cannot just sit here and not try the pool!!

Re stiffness I experienced a very strange sensation last week. We had been walking steeply downhill for a bit which challenged my OT legs. Then all stopped the breathe a bit and I stood leaning on my poles in the steep hillside. When we were about to continue I felt as if all joints were glued together, all was stiff and hurt and I had a couple of seconds believing I'd simply fall flat on my face! But after a few wobbly steps all was working again... Luckily - had I fallen I might have rolled down and into the next valley!!


Have a lovely trip to London!!
/the nut

[owen-lynettepickles]

Hello Golfnut

Good on you trekking in the Alps. During June my husband I holidayed in USA and did plenty of walking (not climbing mountains!!) without too many hassles for me - as long as I didn't get caught up amongst too many other pedestrians. I found that stiffness set in at the end of the walk when we were back in the hotel room, especially when trying to get up from a sitting position. I also find that if I've been on my legs alot during the day standing/leaning I really pay for it the next morning on waking and getting out of bed. My legs just don't want to go so I have to hold onto the bed and slowly get the legs moving before I can take off and walk the stiffness out. I'm also having alot of pain with the stiffness at the moment which I'm putting down to the cold damp weather we are currently having.

Does anyone else have the same problem?

Regards from the windy and cold Chatham Islands (roll on summer!)
Lynette

[golfnut]

Lynette,
nice to hear from you!

Did you (do you) stretch after your walks? I realise that it is a must! When I didn't stretch properly after the walks, it hurt... As it does for all! But perhaps this is even more important for us OT'ers as our muscles work so much more?
Have you tried hot water pool training??

I think I'll also try yoga.. I know there are sitting yoga that Gloria recommends (can be found online) and my nearby training centre have yoga classes... I'll look into that.

All the best,
the nutty one

[owen-lynettepickles]

Hello Golfnut

Yes stretching is important - my GP (Doctor) told me that several years ago. I'm not into pool training - hot or cold - as I am terrified of water ... unbelievable that we ended up living on an Island 800km from the Mainland, eh!! Even gag if I get water up my nose in the shower!! Here on the Island we don't have that type of facility - only a swimming pool at the school (uncovered) for those brave enough to get in it in the summer. My only real exercise options are walking, and with a new Basset Hound pup, walks are even more important as she needs her exercise too. Just wish she wouldn't go so fast!! We do have a treadmill at home, but I don't like walking on it as I feel I have no control of the movement under me.

Think we just need to be living in a warmer and drier environment as when we were in the USA I was so much better. We are looking at options, although it has to be a place where my husband can keep working - he's too young to retire.

Cheers from a still windy Chatham Islands -
at least the sun is shining this morning
Lynette

[Di Di]

while I post this ,I notice Lynette is on line !!
managed to swim a few times while away in the UK...and found it made a huge differance to my balance and well being on those days ......

another thing I have noticed ,I wore good personally fitted medical compression stockings when flying ...stiffness and swelling was not at all that bad , I also wore them for 3 days while I was on my feet manning my art show before I left and found they were a great support .
I now will wear them when I have to be up and about for a long period of time in the future .......

My problem now is a dizzy wobbly head all the waking day , reminds me of the high altitude head I use to get skiing out of Denver USA in the good old pre OT days ...
others on the forum talk of free fall ?...is that what they mean?.... thanks DiDi NZ

[golfnut]

[quote="Di Di"]...
My problem now is a dizzy wobbly head all the waking day , reminds me of the high altitude head I use to get skiing out of Denver USA in the good old pre OT days ...
others on the forum talk of free fall ?...is that what they mean?.... thanks DiDi NZ[/quote]

Dear DiDi - when I suffered from a "wobbly head", or for me a sense of floating a few feet over the ground, it was due to stress and work-overload. I was just pushing too much. This was before my OT days and since then I've been forced to "reduce speed" and avoid stress at all cost.

I have no idea if this is the same issue, but wobly head might be stress related.

Take care!
the nut

[Darlene]

Hi DiDi

I haven't posted here before although I've been lurking about reading posts for about a month. The "wobbly head" was the first symptom I had, long before my legs started shaking. At first it was only once in awhile, then kept getting worse. It got so bad I couldn't drive on the freeway, finally I was sent to a neurologist and after an MRI he decided it was partly a balance issue due to aging (I'm 62) caused by constricted blood vessels in my brain. That was a little over a year ago. He wanted to give me blood thinners, but I had surgery coming up, so decided to wait. Over this past year it got worse and worse, till I could feel it even laying down. I got my OT diagnosis a month ago and started on Clonazepam. It is working pretting well for me and has pretty much gotten rid of the wobbly head. What a relief. I found the constant dizziness more distressing than the shaking.

Darlene

[stella R]

Hi Darlene,
Welcome to our group.
I think you will find it comforting to know you are among many
who are trying to find ways to get through our regular routine.
I have found Gabapentin the best drug for me.
It also helps to have good friends who try to understand us.
I 'm happy to hear you are doing better.
Good to hear from you
Stella

[Di Di]

Hi .....Stella,Golfnut, and `WELCOME` Darlene so good you have connected ...
Have a request ...would you consider starting a new thread /site on head wobbles, dizziness etc ?

I drifted into asking the question about the head , when this site is headed stiffness ?
not that thats a bad thing , it proves we are all in conversation , pity we arnt round a kitchen table with a pot of coffee [in my case tea] ....

would do it myself , but feel there is enough DiDi headings on the forum at present
It is interesting [and a little regretful ] Betty did not get accepted into the planned study because of virtgo ....
dizziness, wobbles ,virtgo .,...is that all not tied into OT ? ...I for one would like to learn more !
thanks .............DiDi NZ

[Serena]

Responding to Owen Lynette's posting. I too have painful stiffness in my ankles and back especially if I have had a busy day prior and have trouble getting my legs moving in the morning. I take clonazepam for orthostatic tremor and propanolol for essential tremor but some days have to add in a pain relief medication (panadol osteo) when pain levels are high. I have had orthostatic tremor for about 10 years and I guess the tremors have accelerated as stiffness and pain were not formerly part of my problem. I am 62 years old and have just begun using a tall walking stick when out in public or walking my dog to help keep my back straight and warn others that I have impaired mobility. I began using the stick after having to fold up sitting on the post office steps when I could no longer stand. I saw the concern on a woman's face as she thought I had collapsed. Now the stick extends my standing time a little and people are more inclined to realise that I need to sit down. I feel really old using it though.