Degenerative Back pain with a bulging disc and Fibromyalgia

[sunkacola]

Hi, Dbg, thanks for this idea and encouragment. I tried Qi Gong in the rheum. clinic, but because it was all waving arms around for longer than 2 minutes, I sucked at it, it just hurt, for a long time after too. On the other hand Qi Gong balls help my hands and underarms a bit. But altho it's logical, I never thought there might be different forms of Qi Gong. Any suggestions of exercises which don't overstress my seemlingly weak arms? (Which aren't weak, cos I can stem almost the same really heavy weights for the same 2 minutes as I used to be able to, just the length of the movements which have become the problem.)

Hi JayCS, what dp you mean "just the length of the movements which have become a problem"? Sorry, I am not understanding. Do you mean that when you extend your arms it causes a problem? Or doing movements for a long time is a problem?

 

[JayCS]

Sry, thx for asking, I was wondering how to put that ;-}: Like a lot of things it's the time, and often about 3 mins. is the limit, under that it often doesn't matter how hard, heavy etc. something is it, over that it doesn't matter how easy, light etc. something is.
And the others in the rheum. clinic were all fibro-people doing the Qi Gong exercises without having to pause at all, made my eyes boggle and trying to extend it, unsuccessfully... *sigh* Just been trying the Vitality-Qi Gong "Soften your body". Hand up again... He keeps under 2 mins three times and when he asks do they feel heavy I answer yes, after the next one after only 30 secs. break: do they feel light: NO, soft: NO. Heavy. Are they red, good circulation? Yes. Do I feel better: NO. Heavy. Ache. Moving them in a circle over the head at the end is OK, because the movement is faster and shorter (i.e. quicker LOL). He said I can lie down, that might help if I am allowed to rest my elbows on the floor.
I can hardly type this any more, because of the ache and weakness, gotta take a break... It's even increasing the ache in my body, and in my head, often happens if PT is too much for me. 5 mins later my neck's hurting again, thought I'd got that down with hot water bottle last night. If I'd've done 30 push-ups I could type more. 10 mins later: OK. ache went down, neck stopped hurting. Now I just did 34 push-ups in 30 secs. Afer that I have a healthy- not icky-ache-feeling and can type much better, took good deep breaths, they've gone down now naturally. after 5 mins the ache has gone down quicker than after the qi gong. When I do 3 mins or more of holding or pressing arms up I get really short of breath for quite a few minutes, feels old and sick and weak. I feel all the better for doing the "hard" push-ups, better than an hour ago, but not for doing the "gentle" qi gong.... strangely

 

[sunkacola]

Well, Jay it wounds as if you are a member of the club that is trying every day to find that so-called "sweet spot", but may never really find it because it keeps moving! And that pretty much sucks.
All that you can do --- and you already know this --- is keep doing what you can do on the days you can do it. That's what I do. I exercise in some form every day I am able, and to whatever degree I am able.

For me-----if that means 25 push-ups and a half hour workout with weights, great. If it means three push-ups and no weights, great. If it means I go for a 5 mile hike or more, great. If it means only walking the dogs a half mile, great. I commend myself for whatever I can do, don't spend a lot of time wondering why I can or can't do something on a certain day, spend zero time feeling bad if I can't do today what I did yesterday and just keep on going.
I can tell myself that I have exercised to the degree that my body wants or can tolerate today. I am listening to my body and if it tells me it's had enough, I stop. It's all OK, and this is how I have to live. After years of it now it is normal to me and I am used to it. I just do what I can and don't think about my limitations.

It sounds to me as if you are experimenting and listening to your body and that is the main thing.

 

[JayCS]

Thanks, sunkacola, really comforting words, even just knowing that I'm not the only one with these extremes (with Affinity too). That helps my self-acceptance too.
What's lurking in me there is having been at work, going back in baby steps in a month, and knowing there are 100s of people gonna be looking and thinking & asking: "What is *that? - that can't be real!" About a colleague who has been diagnosed FMS+CFS, I've been told that colleagues have said she just needs to lose weight and get a more positive attitude. (She's trying to manage working half.) Now I seem to be jumping to the rescue, vindicating her reputation, without weight and with a very positive attitude, having been a bundle of energy and still with energy. But of course I get implied stick too, the psychologizing everyday theory being: he was probably always doing too much, e.g. a 'friendly' colleague suggested to me I always seemed to have something manic, and that I still like keeping a bit of contact with work although I am 'sick' seems to her an example for that... You can never win. But I still try too, a bit. Every time I am asked. Maybe I have a biological energy problem (ATP, some kind of as yet unknown mitochondrial disease), maybe I had high energy which was only good up to a point. But others have that too and don't get FMS and my colleague and many others with FMS don't have it. And also I love almost all I do, work and otherwise, even now, with this new challenge. I'm passionate, earnest, keen, that's me and that's my life. And I'm not letting anyone coring that out of me. That's what's kept me alive in hardest of times, with inner and outer pain, helped me conquer all anxieties, and what's keeping me very happy, even in this new life.
And now I'm gonna snuggle into bed again a bit. This night was really good for a change. But I need a bit more passionate resting time.. ;-)

 

[Dbg]

Hi JayCS. I’m just seeing your posts. Sunkola asked what I was was going to and offered good advice.

I think what you experience might be common. Before I started the QiGong I was doing standing push ups at a counter and free weights up to 20 lbs. to avoid strain on soft tissue. (I’m currently dealing with some strain and trigger points in my upper arms that snuck up on me so I’m no longer doing the push ups or weights.) One day I noticed my arms tired very quickly when I was doing a task where my arms were over my head. Since doing the QiGong several times a week for several months my arms are much better. I started with short sets of 10-20 minutes and now I can do 45 minute sets on some days. The instructor in the ones I do offers alternate positions to make it easier if need be, and also offers sets of varying lengths with different exercises, and that helps to avoid fatigue.

I do what I feel up to doing and some days I push myself a little bit more. I notice that some days it’s an effort right away and it’s hard for me to get through a 20 minute set so I modify arm position to make it easier, and on other days I can do the longer ones. Maybe just do what you feel up to doing and know that that is better than nothing. In time you may find yourself gaining more stamina and strength. I think even a little bit of movement is better than nothing, and your mind will benefit as well as your body.

I hope this helps. Hang in there and take care!

 

[JayCS]

Hmm, thanks for the suggestion, Dbg. A little bit of movement is not the question of course, I move, exercise, do sports a lot of every day, table tennis, 7 min. scientific workout, cycling and weights. But what you are suggesting is trying just a little bit of Qi Gong, praps 3x1 minute in one go? As I wrote it's not even what you call a short set of 10 mins is far too long for me. But praps you're right, never thought about it that way, I just thought: OK, I'll stick to things I can do and keep that going. But in the case of yoga, I can do a bit more stretching than I used to be able to, even if I am nowhere near the 3 min stretches of yin yoga. So I'll give it a try starting right now... And I really wanna do some dancing again, too, not like I used to, just 5 mins here at home, let's see... That means waving & flailing my arms around without needing to hold them too much... Edit: Praps wrong day for that - 5 mins of dancing around a bit has made me nauseous. But it was fun!

 

[sunkacola]

What's lurking in me there is having been at work, going back in baby steps in a month, and knowing there are 100s of people gonna be looking and thinking & asking: "What is *that? - that can't be real!" About a colleague who has been diagnosed FMS+CFS, I've been told that colleagues have said she just needs to lose weight and get a more positive attitude. (She's trying to manage working half.) Now I seem to be jumping to the rescue, vindicating her reputation,

Jay.....here's the first thing to remember: You don't need to justify yourself to anyone, ever.

Most of the time people think they are trying to be helpful when they ask and ask and make suggestions tell stories and so on. But while some genuinely want to help, my experience has shown me that most people are only curious and want to get you talking about it to satisfy their own curiosity.

Second thing to remember is this: I am not on this earth to satisfy your curiosity!

Now, of course, I am polite about this. But the reason I know most people don't really want to help but are only trying to satisfy themselves is that when I kindly and calmly and Very Politely say, "I know you are trying to help, and I appreciate that. But really the most helpful thing would be just not to make me talk about this. I have tried many things, and continue to, but for now I'd just rather not talk about it. The most helpful thing you can do is just treat me normally", ........most people get huffy and offended.

Now, if they Really wanted to help, they'd just back off the questions and comments and let me be and treat me normally. The ones who genuinely care or want to help do exactly that, but they are greatly in the minority.

My way is if someone actually challenges me on anything to do with my FM, I just blow them off. I Do Not defend myself! I just say something like, "Well, thanks for your opinion. Now I am walking away." and I walk away. I simply will not engage in that kind of BS with people. It saps my limited energy and is stressful and I won't allow it into my mind and body. There's no need to. It's not my problem and I don't allow it to become so.

If you want to jump to someone else's defense, of course do so. But be aware of what it is costing you to do it. And it might be better to empower your friend by coaching that person in how to deflect and dismiss inappropriate comments for herself.

 

[JayCS]

Your Qi Gong encouragement made me try it lying down. In a table tennis break. But just holding my arms straight up was so helpful that I did the same with my legs: LEGS UP. (Yes, my mate is ... fairly ... tolerant... ;-), considering lots of people walking by with or without kids). First without, then with holding alternately, then just one leg at a time. Thru this I managed to play 5 games, back yoga in between, then did the breathing exercise and managed a 6th one, and still OK, I could go up our 23 steps fairly normally afterwards. An hour later I felt fatigue & ?myofascial pain coming up and cold showered immediately, so that was OK too. This is a new era for me. It's an easy but potent new tool. And I'm managing to keep pain and ache down to almost zero, even without the whole body cryo (which unfortunately isn't quite so effective now it's cold outside, altho I stepped up the temperature to -140°C/-220°F today). What is remaining is an overall lack of the strength I had when it was warm, plus light nausea a lot of the day thru the increased amount of yoga exercising. I need ideas on what that could be and how I can prevent it, might start a new thread on that.

 

[JayCS]

Thanks, I'll remember that. I'm also practicing at the moment, by testing going to work for 30 mins. per day, today and probably tomorrow. Today I had loads of friendly faces, one person who got on my nerves with the length and breadth of his talking, afterwards it "all" felt very feverish/ill, but I could get that down again by the 11' breathing exercise, and played 7! games of table tennis (for the first time in a year I think), using "legs up", yoga and breathing. So it pays for me to *immediately look for ways to get the pains & Ache down, by keeping moving instead of the long lying down breaks I thought were necessary, and perhaps were up to now. But I'm again perhaps paying for it with the nausea...

 

[longtimer]

Hi - I've had bad back issues for over 40 years after a horse riding accident in my teens (I'm now 60) - and my doctor diagnosed me with fibro a few years ago too. There have been times I felt so wrapped up in pain, it was hard to motivate myself to do anything. Especially after trying so many therapies and medications over the years. Personally, I have been hurt a few times from over zealous physiotherapists so I am wary of their regimes now, though I do believe with a good one you can really improve. I finally had spinal surgery about a year ago and my daughter recommended yoga to regain my strength and flexibility. I had tried yoga at a studio years before without much success (and qui gong, etc), but this time with this app I could adapt the program to my needs and go at my own pace. I am finding it very good for releasing painful and tight muscles and limbs. I have pushed myself in some poses too far and have had to take a few days to recoup, but it is really helping me deal with the pain and stress. My daughter researched many apps and found Downdog the best for instructions. I do the gentlest and lowest beginner level and have it set to work especially on my upper body. My friend with MS recommends the MS Gym online too - it can be done lying down or in a chair.
Don't give up - there are people out there who want to help you get better, and there is a special combination of meds and exercise that will make your days better. You may never be pain free again, but pain doesn't have to define who you are.

 

[sunkacola]

You may never be pain free again, but pain doesn't have to define who you are.

^ THIS.