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Exercise, Massage and Flare

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 2/2/2015 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hi. As I am fairly new I would like to understand what a flare is as I do have pain every day but some days i feel worse than others. Does a flare mean I cannot function at all?

What I have noticed is that I get a burning pain on the left side of my neck, shoulder, arm and back muscle around the same time every day. It is usually around 5 pm that it starts and it's downhill from there. That is when it is hardest not to reach for the hydrocodone. I admit, sometimes I just take it because I cannot stand the burning. Then my back starts to feel "crooked" for lack of a better description, and when I get home from work around 6:30 I usually have to lay on the tennis ball which relieves the pain a bit but makes me sore later on. A big merry go round.

Also I just started going to someone I know who is a trainer. We are doing stretching and some massage. He knows to go easy as I am way to weak to do any strength training. I went today and I feel tonight like a big tight mess and my knees are both tingling. Is there anyone out there who has a bad reaction to massage and stretching although it does feel good while I am doing it. I am afraid I am hurting myself but everyone I have seen says my neck and shoulder muscles are like rocks.

Just trying to figure it all out. Any thoughts welcomed. Thank you.
Posted 2/2/2015 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
Massage is thought to relieve toxins, they usually advise you to drink a lot of water following ..i would like to find someone again who is familiar with working with fibro patients..to me if its done too hard ..it hurts me and i get a headache after...but used to love them...i would think as you go you would gain more tolerance for it..

I think we can be flaring in different ways at times..a really bad one has me resting a lot through the day..i am always worse at night also , my muscles are pushing back from whatever way i used them during the day...for us muscle fatigue brings pain..

I always do better if i do stretching and floor work.

Do you use heat for your neck and shoulders?

Lj
Posted 2/2/2015 1:58 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you. Yes I do use a heat wrap around my neck and it helps immensely.

I agree, I need to give it more time and also I need to rest more. My personality is such that I cannot rest if things are not tidy and I bring on a lot of my stress myself. But it is my nature and very hard to change. I will say that fibro has forced me to let things go as my body just cannot do it as much as I might look at it and want to!

I did hear that about water and I completely forgot so I will be drinking more water for sure. Thanks for reminding me. I appreciate your response.
Posted 2/2/2015 12:46 PM (GMT 0)
Faith -

i had to stop chiropractic care for just that reason. I do stretches at home and see a massage therapist. She makes me drink water before I leave and I keep a bottle with me always. I am trying to drink 60+ oz per day.

The only other thing I can think of to recommend is that Walgreens sells a $20 Dr. Scholls chair massager with heat. I dont use it all the time, but I am finding that varying my tools keeps me from getting immune to any one item.

Good luck!
Posted 2/2/2015 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
I am an exerciser. I do hurt after (I do cardio only, no strength training), but I see it as an investment for the long run.

A gentle massage works well for me--a deeper tissue one is very painful, and throws me into full-fledged flare. I am leary of trainers, personally, because they may or may not be familiar with FMS, they may have misinformation, or even disbelief.
Posted 2/2/2015 4:47 PM (GMT 0)
I've been considering massage. I was wondering what the different types of massage help folks.

I've discovered with self massage if I take the thumbs together and slide down one direction, I feel a lot of relief, almost a tingling. There is probably a term for that, but I don't know it. I don't know the differences between the types of massages. I feel like my thighs are the worst, trigger points up and down the IT band like bruises, the inner thigh as well.

With this new job upcoming, I'm experiencing a lot of anxiety worrying about handling it. I have a total negative success rate with adding anything new. Maybe if I schedule a massage or two, the reward to myself for the income, I might start with a semi-halfway-maybe inner smile to look forward to on Friday.

Jen
Posted 2/2/2015 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
I use Deep Muscle Massage Therapy. The therapist that works with me has had a lot of training and work with medical conditions. She used to do home visits for R.A. patients and is very knowledgeable in general as to what makes the body creak ;).

I saw her before I was diagnosed, but I have been needing that care for a few years now. It's possible I had Fibro for a long time.

She recently tried something new with me. It's called Cranial Sacral therapy. I was leery at first, but she had never steered me wrong. It turns out to have been a great choice. She has completely cleared up my sinuses and I don't have sinus infections anymore. I rarely even have a stuff nose. I used to joke that I was going to invest in Sudafed and now I haven't used a full 8 doses in 6 months.

We want to try more - she believes that it will help the Fibro. The thought behind it is that everything is connected (which we know better than anyone) and that certain nerve points can be touched or used to clear up different problems. Once I'm out of winter pain, we're going to start on back and arms where more of my pain is. I haven't been willing to go there because I needed the work she was doing on my arms, which have been horrible. I'll let you know how it turns out. But if you have a problem with pain from massage, it is one option to go with. There are no movements in it that would cause pain.
Posted 2/2/2015 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hi - well just to follow up. My back is not as painful as last night so maybe the massage did help. I just think you have to be prepared to hurt a bit after a massage and how many of us need extra hurting time? I'm not so sure it's for me but I will continue for a while. I don't do strength yet either Myself09 I am way too weak in my arms for that but I am hoping one day I can.

My trainer is experienced in helping people with MS, neurological injuries, etc. and rehab so I trust him. I can only afford to go 1x a week so he has given me stretches to do at home which are very similar to the ones on the Fibro 101 thread. I do always feel that when I say fibromyalgia people either look confused or are quiet which makes me feel uncomfortable so I try not to discuss it with anyone because I don't like the feeling I get. That is where this forum comes in handy and makes me feel like I have a place to turn to. Other than my husband who actually sees the way I struggle I'm not sure anyone would even know I have it.

And tangodancer I think the new job is going to be a great distraction for you. I find that once I get to work it helps to be around other people. The time goes by and you don't focus on the burning pain or whatever symptom you have that day. Don't give up right away.

I truly believe that if God gave it to me, I can handle it. And with that I go forward. That is why I planned a short trip to Cabo San Lucas with my daughter. I need to try and see if travel is for me. I am scared just as you are for the new job tangodancer but it may be the best thing I do and give me confidence. I'm the boss not this awful fibro that we have! Please let me how the job goes. When do you start?

Post Edited (FaithAlways) : 2/2/2015 11:02:23 AM (GMT-7)

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