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Persistent muscle spasms from injury or lyme?

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Posted 6/11/2016 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
I got a new car about a month ago and the seat really hurt my back after driving it home. I tried adjusting the seat and adding cushions but my back pain just got worse the next few times I drove it. I haven't driven the car since but my back and neck still hurt a month later even when I sit in normal seats.

I saw 3 doctors and they could see the muscle spams in my back and neck. I've tried 3 different muscle relaxers and multiple pain killers with zero relief. I've been going to PT for a month and that hasn't helped either. My back feels good when they massage it and better when I'm standing and walking but sitting and lying down in very painful and my whole back and neck is very tight.

My lyme doctor said it could be the lyme but I don't know. I've never had back problems before nor have I had any new lyme symptoms in the past 6 months on treatment. Is it just a persistent muscle spasm or is the lyme making it a lingering problem? I'm really worried and running out of options because I havn't been able to work the last month.
Posted 6/11/2016 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
Most likely....both! They "feed " each other.

I see you are new to to 2016. They are many posts on different areas of body pain. We have had some very deep conversation here on the topic of whats actually happening to muscles/tissue.

That said, lyme can change the biochemistry of tissue, circulation and effect nuero- which sends signals to muscles. As well as messed up adrenals and thyroid- also contribute to pain.

Old injuries resurface, new ones appear, and current ones dont heal right.

In addition to killing the infection(s), you need manual circulation to your muscles to get nutrients moving again. Once its deemed you have no major injuries, I encourage you to get a 6 in diameter foam fitness roller ($25-$40), and a LaCross ball ($4), then go to you-tube and learn myofacial release with these "tools". Be gentle any any real touchy areas at first, it then getts better.
Posted 6/11/2016 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
It can be from Lyme - Lyme causes muscle issues of all types - spasms (that can last what feels like forever!), twitches, and cramping.

You likely should be supplementing with magnesium: www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/types-of-magnesium/

And how much are you detoxing? That can also be a big help. Most people that do the Epsom salt/peroxide soaks say that it helps with that - partly because of the magnesium and partly for the detoxing it helps with.
Posted 6/11/2016 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
I'll check out a foam roller and ill ask my Pt about it as well. I take a magnesium supplement everyday so that shouldn't be an issue.

For detoxing I take an epsom salt bath a few times a week and take activated charcoal. I also walk 2-5 miles a day.

Any suggestions to help ease the spasm? I just got a medical marijuana card but even the strains for muscle spasms seem to offer little relief.
Posted 6/12/2016 2:53 AM (GMT 0)
For topical treating a spasm area, Morton salt has magnessium-epson salt lotion (at walmart) that helps a little. MSM cream helps to when used with arnica montana gell to help absorb deeper.

And learn to massage the areas yourself if you can reach them. Doing nothing results in nothing. A tight muscle gets worse as it just gets tighter cutting off even more circulation, keeping the circle of pain going around.

I have tried something new called dry needling, done by a PT. Its new to the PT world, like acupuncture but with only one needle and deeper for only a few seconds at the knot or spasm location.

Post Edited (astroman) : 6/12/2016 2:21:26 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/12/2016 1:57 PM (GMT 0)
I have the same issue !!! Mine is only on my left side. Started in my neck and has now traveled down my back to my buttocks. Painful is mild way to put it. I have found massage makes mine even worse. As long as I'm moving around it eases up but I have a desk job. I take muscle relaxers like candy and no doctor seems to understand how painful it is. It even causes jaw pain. I am trying to lye on the ground several times a day and just literally fall into the floor. Let me know if you find any relief. I too wonder if the Lyme is just eating my tissue as that is what it feels like. Raw.
Posted 6/12/2016 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
Inflamed nerves and destruction of the myelin sheath causes pain - we automatically tighten our muscles against the pain usually, and this is what can cause some of our pain levels and cramped muscles to be so bad. My Chiro told me to not come back until I could find a way to relax my muscles better! HA! Like that's going to happen on a regular basis while I have these infections!

You can use heat or ice packs, depending on what you find the most relief with (and it can change around), will also be of some help, as well as finding the trigger points and helping them to release. (triggerpointmaps.com/finding-triggers.html

We can't stop all the pain, but for many of us, even reduced amounts of pain are very helpful!!
Posted 6/12/2016 5:03 PM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed 3 years ago with Lyme. Had 2 years antib treatments, IV, with vit c and diflucan. I had many neurological symptoms when started treatment. Some complications from the antibiotics, but, they helped a lot!
Went to neurologist at Columbia university, as living in Houston there is only one dr. In the entire city, treating Chronic Lyme. She confirmed that Gamma Globulin may help ward off relapse. I jumped through many hoops to prove I had a subclass immune deficiency. 9 mo later, subcutaneous GG was started.
I have always had a neck problems, 3 surgeries, but managed pain with ecotrin and Robaxin, muscle relaxer. Lower back issues occasionally.
I developed very painful back spasms after starting th GG. They continued since March. Ive had an MRI, not great but no explanation
Very strong relaxer given by Neurologist, used for MS. Hardly works.
Spoke to Lyme dr, agrees it could be a form of here
I've also learned that when your large back muscles weaken. The small muscles take over, and you get hurt. So, Lyme also weakens muscles.
I am to start PT this week.
I'm a retired nurse, so I like answers. But, I am at a loss. The longer I have this, the weaker I will get.
Please, any opinions? Any knowledge re- gamma globulin and causing more Lyme out of tissue, like the antib did, thus herxing.
Thanks. Ssk
Posted 6/12/2016 5:50 PM (GMT 0)

Nurse needing HELP said...
I was diagnosed 3 years ago with Lyme. Had 2 years antib treatments, IV, with vit c and diflucan. I had many neurological symptoms when started treatment. Some complications from the antibiotics, but, they helped a lot!
Went to neurologist at Columbia university, as living in Houston there is only one dr. In the entire city, treating Chronic Lyme. She confirmed that Gamma Globulin may help ward off relapse. I jumped through many hoops to prove I had a subclass immune deficiency. 9 mo later, subcutaneous GG was started.
I have always had a neck problems, 3 surgeries, but managed pain with ecotrin and Robaxin, muscle relaxer. Lower back issues occasionally.
I developed very painful back spasms after starting th GG. They continued since March. Ive had an MRI, not great but no explanation
Very strong relaxer given by Neurologist, used for MS. Hardly works.
Spoke to Lyme dr, agrees it could be a form of here
I've also learned that when your large back muscles weaken. The small muscles take over, and you get hurt. So, Lyme also weakens muscles.
I am to start PT this week.
I'm a retired nurse, so I like answers. But, I am at a loss. The longer I have this, the weaker I will get.
Please, any opinions? Any knowledge re- gamma globulin and causing more Lyme out of tissue, like the antib did, thus herxing.
Thanks. Ssk

Just going to go through some questions that popped into my head:

Have you been evaluated for other tick-borne infections? Often we don't get good healing from one infection because other tick-borne infections/mold or other issues exist and prevent it.

With the neuro issues you have, I would strongly suspect Bart and Lyme both.

Have you ever been tested for mold issues?

Have you had any other therapies to help rebuild your immune function?

Have you ever tried out an herbal protocol? Many have found that even after using abx, once they go on an herbal protocol, they discover that they will herx again, indicating that the herbs have reached some "hidden" spots that the abx hadn't reached.
Posted 6/12/2016 5:59 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, have bartonella, igenix tested, with 2 mutations. Have very high EBV levels,Hhv6, repeated HSV I outbreaks.
Herbal protocols just starting. So, the GG treatments could have brought out more, ya think? Dr also said, given time, it will also cure it.
Seems, I have 2 logins, forgot the original. How can I delete one? Sorry y'all
Posted 6/12/2016 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know enough about the GG therapy to comment on what it may or may not have done.

You can treat - or begin to treat HHV infections with Lysine: umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/lysine

Forgive the pop ups and redirects on this page, but if you can get to it, it explains dosages for lysine. danielbeckworth.com/lysine-dose-for-herpes-outbreak/

Do you mind telling us which herbal protocol you are starting? We are always curious as to what people are using and how they are doing on it!

If you know your original log in, you can email Admin and ask that he delete that account - or you can just leave it as is. Your choice. :-)

Don't forget detoxing! That's a major issue for many of us with chronic infections, and most of us don't do enough to be honest! Here is a link to some really good detoxing routines that you can use, as well as the ones listed in our "new to Lyme?" thread: www.tiredoflyme.com/detox-methods.html
Posted 6/12/2016 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi nurse..I am a nurse too and like answers. Not so easy with Lyme. I have no coinfections and bad muscle a spasms and back part. I'm going to start the Number protocol as long with my antibiotics.. I am also co treating with a naturopathic doctor who says I have adrenal fatigue and struggling thyroid. My belief at this point is. We are susceptible hosts...nursing speak. So anything that you can do to decrease stress and your immune system will hopefully help.
Posted 6/12/2016 7:30 PM (GMT 0)
All good info posted already. Astroman really knows his kinesiology.

I just wanted to share that once I finally started sleeping a couple hours of deep sleep at night I have wakened on 3 separate occasions to serious muscle spasms in my neck/back. Like the others mentioned, lyme & co can really do a number on circulation, muscle movement and inflammation. Each time this happened I just had to wait it out until things could loosen up.

I think you are smart to have your MD & chiropractor involved and hopefully they can help you prevent any damage while you're waiting for things to loosen up.

Have you tried detox soaks or saunas?

-p
Posted 6/12/2016 10:16 PM (GMT 0)

Nurse needing HELP said...
Yes, have bartonella, igenix tested, with 2 mutations. Have very high EBV levels,Hhv6, repeated HSV I outbreaks.
Herbal protocols just starting. So, the GG treatments could have brought out more, ya think? Dr also said, given time, it will also cure it.
Seems, I have 2 logins, forgot the original. How can I delete one? Sorry y'all


In addition to the lysine Traveler suggested, monolaurin would also be a big help in putting all those viral outbreaks in remission.
Posted 6/13/2016 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
I've tried DMSO with msm with no success. Massage seems to temporary help some. Do you think the dry needling or prolotherapy is worth doing? Or something else? I need to be able to go back to work asap.
Posted 6/13/2016 4:11 AM (GMT 0)
The dry needling is prolotherapy without injecting anything. If they hit the right spot in me, it seems to work. Since this is something I recently started doing, I dont know how long it will last.

If massage doesn't work it because its done to light. Actual trigger point release is maybe you need. That is sustained pressure of 10 to 30 seconds on a spasm or knot, with a thumb, knuckle, smal,"super" ball or tool of similar size. .

Chiropractic works better after your tight muscles are released, even if its only temporary.

It takes time to reverse real tight muscles. I roll my upper back on a la cross ball daily -makes the work day better.
Posted 6/13/2016 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hmm i'll ask about the dry needling. Is it very painful? I know prolotherapy is no joke. And who does this? A PT or doctor?
Posted 6/13/2016 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
Dry needling is NEW to the PT world. Some PTs take training and they actually do this.

Prolo is not insurance covered, dry needling can be. PT is considered conventional medicine. People who do prolo are not. Its all a game!

But you cant just stick needles in deep allover either.

So its best to do all of this, it work, but there is no magic pill especially since you had injuries and then lyme on top. I learned the hard way and on my own, more time than I ever wanted to use up.
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