Hi, Mary Catherine, I'm Kat, one of the list mods and a CP living and
working in NC. Welcome to the list!
I suggest you get a workup by a neurologist simply to rule out MS,
MD, and yes, even CP. We have people on this list who were diagnosed
with CP later in life and it doesn't seem to be that unusual.
I am wondering if the reason you don't seem to be able to find a
specific treatment with a PT is because you don't have a specific
diagnosis? I know that stiffness is stiffness, but it seems to me
that if you were diagnosed, say, with rhuematoid athritis, your
treatment regiem would be different than if you were diagnosed with
MS. Just a thought.
Personally speaking I find that stress increases my fatigue and
consequently stiffness, and I have found that meditation helps
considerably as does stretching and weight-lifting. I can say that
the more you move the less stiff you'd be. So the main thing is, to
keep moving! I know that Mag, a member of this list, will recommend
Feldenkrais and that'd seen to be something to look into.
Kat
On 1 Sep 2006, at 20:19, Mary Katherine Powers wrote:
Hello,
I hope you don't mind my being on this list. I'm new. I do not have
CP, but I have issues with chronic muscle stiffness that cause pain
and make movement difficult. I'm doing physical therapy for it. I
was hoping to get some suggestions on dealing with muscle stiffness
that might help.
what I can do is limited, so the stretches have to be really gentle.
I've tried doing stretches too hard and had a lot of trouble moving
after that. I've been told to take it easy and build up slowly.
I have chronic pain in my legs, back, neck, shoulders, arms, and
occasionally fingers. I'm overweight and I've been told that
although that does not help, it's not the cause of the problem. I
was told I was out of shape because people much more overweight than
I am have more mobility. I agree with this, but my muscles have
always been stiff. It's just the way I am.
I can walk but it is difficult. I'm hoping the PT will make it easier.
Also, I was a preemie (11 weeks early) and I have the typical
balance, coordination, etc. problems. my vision is not great and I
have no depth perception. that really is not the problem though,
it's the muscle stiffness that gets to me.
any suggestions on dealing with muscle stiffness would be
appreciated. when I tried googling it, all kinds of information on
all kinds of different conditions, like Parkinson's, came up, none of
which I have.
another strange thing, and I was wondering if anyone could comment,
is that I've had no luck going to "regular" PTs who were recommended
by my doctors. they are at places like "sports and spinal" and some
other group, and they tend to be very cursory, don't understand what
I'm talking about, and then circle a couple stretches on a piece of
paper and tell me to do them, and usually I can't do the stretches
they want. It's weird. I went to someone today at a place called
Pain and Rehabilitation Medicine and I spent $250.00 for an
appoinment that lasted about an hour. It was like night and day - he
was excellent. he does not take insurance and still he has a waiting
list about 2 months long.
Any experiences like that, where the "regular" PT places recommended
by doctors just don't work? I find that odd, like they should know a
bit more about what they are doing.
thanks,
Mary Katherine
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
and IM. All on demand. Always Free.
-----------------------
To change your mail settings or leave the C-PALSY list, go here:
http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?SUBED1=c-palsy
-----------------------
To change your mail settings or leave the C-PALSY list, go here:
http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?SUBED1=c-palsy
|
