Can't tolerate massage

[LeanaBeana]

I got a pedicure the other day and I could barely tolerate having my legs massaged, especially my ankles. This is a new symptom for me - I've had fibro for twenty years. It's a bummer because I love massage and I've always been able to tolerate hard pressure.

What causes this?

 

[sunkacola]

Hi Leana, sorry to hear about this. However, none of us here can tell you what causes this to happen, because we are not doctors and for that matter doctors do not know what causes the things we with FM experience!

I have had the same thing, though. Not all the time, but there are occasional days when having almost anything touch me is painful, and I certainly couldn't stand to have massage. Definitely a bummer.

 

[Creola17]

I have what I call tender days when I prefer not to be touched but that comes and goes.Then on good days massaging lotion feels wonderful.
Best to take one day at a time.

 

[NRB]

I have had fibromyalgia for over 20 years and just the last couple of them have had lower leg muscles and tendons very sore and painful, massage makes no difference, just as painful afterward. Dr put me on Neurontin for overall pain and it did help to my surprise!

 

[purplechicken74]

I've been unable to tolerate leg and lower back massages for many years. I could never understand why people liked pedicures. Now I know it's not just me!

 

[SONIA63]

Hi Im new to this group and dont usually share. I've had FM for over twenty years, I also have Osteoarthritis in many joints and FM makes the pain worse. I'm at the stage now where its uncomfortable to be touched and I wear clothes a size to big and on really tender days even the water hitting my skin when I have a shower hurts. FM Sucks but I get up every morning grateful I am breathing and tell myself this is my normal (every now and then I throw a pity party for 1 but no longer than 1 hour 1x a fortnight). I'm lucky I have a great family around me that understands.

 

[sunkacola]

Hi Sonia,

Good to hear from you.
I also have the same practice when it comes to griping or having a pity party. Limited time, and only now and then. It's a very good practice to have, because that self-discipline is extremely useful when you have fibro and need to manage it. And, of course, complaining never helps anyway.
If you have a good family you are way ahead of the game compared to many of the rest of us. But as we all know that doesn't mean you don't feel miserable physically a lot of the time. Hang in there, and let us know how you are doing.

 

[Jac21]

Am new here so only just seen this. but I have had Fibromyalgia for many years about 35yrs, and for me the symptoms do a tour of my body on a regular basis, I do experience what you describe but not all the time, and did find over the years new symptoms joining in randomly. A nurse I saw recently was mystified at why my hands weren't painful as she thought it would be the case all the time...she was a bit took aback when I explained no not hands today...it's... then listed the other things.

 

[JayCS]

I used to need physical contact at night to sleep better (yeah, blokes are like that, aren't they...), but since fibro that's got very difficult, altho I haven't got touch sensitivity (allodynia) at daytime. Imagine my surprise when in the rheum./fibro clinic one of the few things I tolerated well (twice) was a connective tissue massage. It hurt on my skin while doing it, but afterwards it was great. Osteopathy is so gentle it was no problem. As my acupressurist has fibro herself she started gently. Now after half a year of 2x2h/wk going 'deeper' it still sometimes rebounds, but usually it helps lots, which I prefer in the long run. Pain - & esp. the Ache - is there, but just isn't my main problem.