Good intentions but now suffering!!

kentishlady

Hi all. Well today I decided I needed to make an effort and go out somewhere - have been indoors for almost a week and it's been driving me up the wall. Made the decision to go swimming - supposed to be good for back problems (OA). Booked my local taxi man to collect me and then pick me up afterwards. Have also got frozen shoulder (which have had for almost a year and WAS almost better until recent fall which has started it off again) and has also upset the other shoulder too. Physio told me sometime ago that should only ever do backstroke when swimming (had always been doing breaststroke and telling Dr it made my back hurt) but the only reply I got was that swimming was good for me. However, it appears that what I had been doing wasn't right for backs. Suppose it was better to find that out late rather than never!! Didn't do too much and it was a very gentle session, but oh dear, the agony afterwards. I am not sure what hurts most, back or shoulders. Have been trying to recover with warm wheat bags in strategic places. Oh well, it was worth a try I guess, but not sure if I shall be going again in a hurry. Hope you are all having as good a day as possible. Bery.

phoenixoxo

Hello Bery,

Well done for making the effort

A few years ago, when the local pool was accessible to me, I developed a swimming style to suit my frozen shoulders. This consisted of lying on my back, kicking as usual, but using my arms to scull rather than attempting backstroke. I wonder whether this might be better for you too, but I'm not an expert so please check with your physio first!

Hope you feel better soon,
Phoebe

stickywicket

I agree with Phoenixe - you made the effort and that, in itself, is a big thing.

Speaking as someone who can only swim to the bottom :roll: I have indeed read in several places, including here, that breast stroke is not good for arthritic hips and possibly (probably?) not for arthritic backs either.

I'm not quite sure what stroke you did end up doing but I can see that, with a frozen shoulder, backstroke, too, would be problematic. I like Phoenixe's suggestion. Maybe, once you've recovered, you could try again - gently and briefly - like that. First of all though you need to recover. Rest and paindullers I think but also be proud of yourself for trying.

Nikkijamie

Hi sorry I don't have anything to add as am very new to this but i hope you feel better soon x
i do appreciate the info I have learnt from you guys as was planning on swimming this week and only ever do breaststroke so will need to think of another plan x x thank you

crinkly1

As a former swimming teacher and competitive swimmer this is my best form of non-weight-bearing exercise but does need modifying to suit individual needs and limitations.

Breaststoke - Get specific advice from Physio/Consultant after hip or knee replacements but otherwise reduce the power and width of your kick or use a flutter kick (as in front crawl) or butterfly kick and aim to increase range of movement very gradually.
Not good for back and neck if you swim with an out-of-the-water head position; better if you can maintain a flat body position. ie head & face mainly in water.

Backstroke - great as there are so many possible variations in leg kick, from standard back crawl flutter kick to reversed breaststroke style and arm variations from skulling under water close to body to full back crawl action.

Earlier this year I used swimming (twice weekly) to recover from shoulder surgery. Started on back with small arm movement skulling and gradually built up to full back crawl. Progressed to breaststroke then eventually managed front crawl arm movements but that took time and I felt it would never happen. It did but took a full six months.

Sidestroke - try inventing your own most comfortable way of moving through water. There are no prizes for producing technically perfect recognised trokes.

Alternatively keep yourself afloat in one place with small leg and arm movements while you hold a conversation with someone or walk across the pool with long sstrides and arm movements to maintain balance.

I'm just awaiting the go ahead to start again following a slow-mending tibial plateau fracture acquired when the 'quiet' horse I was riding fell with me. I know I'll have to be content with going back to slower and shorter at the beginning. (And no more horses for at least 6 months.)

Be patient, set achievable progressive targets and stick within predetermined limits - even if just 10 minutes the first time.

Priority - enjoy and be pleased with your achievements however small. Pergaps start a thread on this forum celebrating your progress and sharing it to encourage each other!
Have fun!!

Fitzroy

Bery,

Good for you. I know it hurts, I had bilateral frozen shoulder plus my hip OA and a few other problems that haven't been diagnosed with yet. Gettug into the water and moving is the best. Especially if there is a warm bath afterwards. I go all the time and it really helps in the long run.

dreamdaisy

Hello Beryl, firstly well done on making an effort to make things better - as we all know in the wonderful world of arthritis we do that and sometimes things get worse as our reward. It is a matter of finding our own way and crinkly1 has come up with some excellent suggestions.

Don't let this setback defeat you - you did the right thing and I hope you will consider doing it again but with some adjustments to activity and technique. DD

frogmella

Well done, Beryl! I was going to suggest you try being on your back and just sculling too! That is my warm down stroke and it is quite relaxing.

I ruined my knees when I was in my teens doing far too much breaststroke (I looked it up in a sports injury book years later and discovered I had caused medial ligament damage, recently confirmed by nice GP). When I went to the docs at the time to complain that my knees were giving way all the time (I nearly got run over crossing the road when they gave way) he told me to keep swimming. Didn't even ask what stroke I was doing!

All the docs tell me to swim for my back without offering advice on a stroke but I can tell that breaststroke is bad - it causes pain straight away. All but one physio advised against it. I now do crawl all the time with some back thrown in at times.

No swimming for me since Thursday - got a cold that has given me vertigo and makes me feel awful so I am being sensible. I am missing it though

Hope you recover from your exersions soon Beryl.

Helen

stickywicket

How are you today, Beryl? I hope things are a little easier.

bubbadog

Hi Beryl, How are you feeling today? Hope it's eased a little. You did the right thing having a go, all your intentions where good you where trying to better yourself. 100% for trying. Crinkly has a brill Idea, get in touch with a swimming teacher and see if you can still do it but with assisstance to make sure you do it safely for you and your health and body! Hope you have another try once this little blip is over.

kentishlady

Thanks for all your replies and encouragement. Am still suffering - what's new? - but shall take note of all your great suggestions. I found 'proper' backstroke' a bit too painful, so ended up just more or less floating and kicking legs a bit and doing some sculling with hands. I find the problem is, and I guess many of you do too, that if you don't make an effort then people think you should be, but if you do make the effort and then suffer they say " well you really shouldn't be doing that." What's the answer? Does anyone have a magic formula? If so, perhaps you would like to share it? However, guess if that were the case, we wouldn't all be suffering so much. Hey, ho!!

Decided to have a clear-out/sort out in my bedroom this morning (mostly by sitting on bed and sorting bits). Felt quite pleased with my achievements and decided that room was desperately in need of the hoover put round - I keep an old one upstairs as can't keep carrying one up all the time. Had just started it when it gave a 'bang' and stopped dead! So that put an end to the hoovering (which I really struggle with as it makes my back really hurt like crazy). Not surprised it's given up as it's a bit old but was useful to keep upstairs. Oh well, coffee break time was called for along with much needed sit-down for poor back. Hope you are all having as good a day as possible. Beryl.

stickywicket

I think the answer is to ignore ‘people’, Beryl. OK, take note of what the medical people say but, as for everyone else, what do they know? They might have a general idea of how things are for you on the basis of a friend of a friend or Great Aunt Millicent or what an article said in the local rag but they don’t know you.

Certain things are ‘given’. Exercise is vital, as long as it’s the right exercise, at the right time, in the right amount. Ditto rest. Ditto sensible diet. Ditto paindullers. What’s right one day may be wrong the next but we just have to listen to our bodies, push them a bit when we can and give them a break when we can’t. It sounds simple but I’m still working on it

PollySid

I tried swimming a few months ago too Beryl. I was only in the water for about 15 mins doing gentle swimming and it laid me up for 10 days.
I too thought it would be a good form of excersise for my OA (in various joints, but spine mostly). Needless to say I didn't go back.

Any excersise I try to do seems to worsen my pain. It's not muscle pain from extra use I know what that feels like as I used to be an athlete. me, an athlete - I can hardly walk now so much for looking after your body and keeping fit when you are young :roll:

Rest until things settle down, they will do eventually. The only excersise I seem to be able to do is gentle (slow) walking.

frogmella

My surgeon has said I am not to hoover at all. I know it is a pain ( you should see my house!) but can you off load that duty to someone else? I would guess that he woud say the same to you!

As far as other people go - as sticky says, ignore them!

kentishlady

Hi Frogmella, Stickwicket and Pollysid. Thanks for your replies and suggestions. Have had a slightly better day today. Plastered on the 'pain relieving gel', dosed up on the paracetamol + codeine and ventured into my nearest town (Maidstone). Managed to get the few bits I needed and although felt shattered when I got home was not in quite so much agony as usual.

It was lovely to get home and not collapse in tears with the pain of just the short walk from my nearest bus stop. Maybe the swimming has helped a little, maybe my back has decided to settle down a little after the recent fall I had, maybe the codeine is helping, or maybe it's a combination of all three? Or maybe have just had a better day for a change which does happen very occasionally. Shall have to wait and see what happens the next time I go out.

Have been suffering a bit this afternoon but expected that. I am not expecting to do a lot but as long as I can manage to go out occasionally and just do the minimal amount of walking required, then I shall be satisfied.

Hope you are all having/had as good a day as possible. Beryl

frogmorton

Hi Beryl

Good to see you - I am just back from Tunisia....it was lovely and I felt so WELL out there, but that's wearing off now

Now I swim every week if I can twice even three times, but I started doing just TWO lengths and built up overtime. I refused to acknowledge and 'looks' which said - you can't swim far for a 'young un' :roll:

I see people in there who have had 'replacements' who just 'walk' through the water....wonder if that might be a safer starting point???

I can now do a lot more, buts still have days when I can't do much. It's often my neck which 'gives in' first.

Take care

Love

Toni xx

frogmella

Ah yes Toni, I remember the building back up too. Before all this happened I was that mad woman swimming a mile and a half every day. Post op I only did about 4 lengths to start with. For me though it was the looks inside my head I had to battle (from the me inside that thought I should be doing more, better, faster etc!) not the other people in there! I am still annoyed with myself now that I only do a mile, or like this week, none at all!

Beryl - maybe you are having a good spell, I'm sure you are due one? I hope it lasts! And remember - no hoovering !!!

kentishlady

Hi Frogmella. Will take note of what you say. Unfortunately, as I live on my own and don't have a 'fairy godmother' to do it for me, I do have to occasionally put the hoover round, particularly if I have anyone visiting. Am in the process of trying to get an 'allowance' of some sort (I spoke to Social Services last week). Have been told that I don't qualify for DLA as the OA was not diagnosed until after I was 65. Seem I may, if I am lucky, be able to get AA (although had originally been told I didn't qualify as I don't need help with 'personal care'. It does seem to be rather confusing to say the least. If I manage to qualify for it then maybe I can use some of it to get a little help with the housework type things I find most difficult/painful - i.e. hoovering and cleaning the bathroom/shower floor etc. Hope your day is going as well as possible. Beryl

frogmella

Hi Beryl,

I'm sorry, I didn't realise you lived alone. I can see how it is tricky for you to manage. I hope that you can get some help soon. I think we could all do with a fairy godmother to do the housework! Or, if you are familiar with Harry Potter, a Mrs Weasley to put a spell on the hoover so it does it by itself!

Helen xx

kentishlady

Hi Frogmella. I liked your ideas! Maybe I could acquire a robot from somewhere?!! Finally got the forms through for claiming for Attendance Allowance but none of the questions apply to me. I am fortunate enough not to need help with "doing my hair" (though it looks better when I've managed to get to the hairdresser! I "don't need to be encouraged to go to bed or get up" - though must admit getting up on cold, mizzy mornings isn't a particular delight. The questions are obviously aimed at people who are in a much more frail condition than I am. I had told the person I spoke to that my problem was with my mobility caused from OA in my back but she insisted that I would qualify. However, after reading the form and speaking to her yet again, she has now decided that "perhaps it wouldn't be appropriate for me to complete the forms." Maybe some people would go ahead, but I can't do that when I know there are many people whose problems justify them claiming and need the help far more than I do. If the OT can suggest anything that might help me around the house, then fine, and will see what she comes up with.

I've been out for a short time today. Went to meet my Son (he lives about 5 miles away) for a very quick coffee (he was off to a friend's wedding at lunchtime), so our meeting was a brief one. Hadn't seen him for 3 weeks as he's been away on holiday so it was nice to catch up on all his news. I dosed myself up with the tablets, smothered on the pain-relieving gel(?) and went out. I only have a short walk to my nearest bus stop (well, it's short for everyone else). It's not so bad getting to the bus stop, but it's the walk back I struggle with. However, I didn't do too badly today. Enjoyed my trip out and feel better for going, although I have been suffering a little this afternoon.

Hope you have been having as good a day as possible.

Beryl.