Exercise

Rosyposy

I’ve just started doing some exercises given to me by a physio at my GP surgery.A few involve using a resistance band.One exercise with the band caused me pain .I only literally did 3 stretches ,woke up in pain at 4 am this morning.Had to take painkillers .My arthritis is in both shoulders,I’m not feeling so sore and achey in my shoulders after the stretching exercises .But still have discomfort in my arms, Will this ease in time too ,

jamieA

Hi @Rosyposy

I've been given physio exercises to do on and off over the last 2 years by NHS physios using exercise bands. Did you know that the colour of the band relates to the strength of it? The physios gave me blue, yellow and red ones but I think there are actually more colours. Maybe you could try the lowest strength first - that's what the physio told me. I think that's yellow in my case. This is the only NHS link I could find.

https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/uploads/25303.pdf

jonr

Hi RosyPosy - I think what you are experiencing is normal. Arthritis seems to be a vicious circle - physio is designed to strengthen the muscles and tissues surrounding the joints and maintain suppleness but doing it hurts!

Having gone started my own prescribed physio at home about a year ago I certainly found it hurt at first, some more than others. I found it helped to have a routine, e.g wait until at least an hour after I'd got up and had my meds before attempting them and leave the stretches to last followed by a shower - the hot water helped to soothe. If there are any that cause particular discomfort then scaling back on those is obviously the sensible thing to do and over time build them up. As you start to build strength they ought to get easier. Well, that's the theory but just doing them is a great first step so well done you and good luck!

Jon

Baloo

Well, if its a mild pain, then a mild painkiller aught to relieve it.

JenHB

I know when I had some sessions with the NHS physio for the first 4 weeks I did the exercises without a resistance band, then the next 4 one of the 'light' resistance bands was added (for the same exercises) and then at the next appointment was given a stronger resistance band. Can you do the exercise without the resistance band without having pain?

(p.s. This has reminded me to actually do the exercises I've been given!)

Liberally13

Your comments resignate with me too. I am 75 and have posted on this site before. I have osteoarthritis in my knees hands and hips,spine but the neck and shoulders are the worst. The pain is horrible and stops me going out for more than about 30mins as the pain is worse when walking bending etc. so I only go out if necessary. I have been given strengthening exercises by my physio. He told me that it has been proved that these are the best type of exercise for the neck and the women in the study improved although they were under 60 so not sure if they will help me. I have gel from the gp and take paracetamol. Unfortunatlely I am limited to the medication I can take. I have been doing these exercises around 3 weeks I know that is does take time and that you will get pain but quite frankly they make the pain worse. I am not due to speak to physio fro around 5 weeks. It is all very well for people to say just do them and rest if necessary. I have to rest a lot just so I can deal with housework cooking etc in fact I always cook the dinner in pain. I is not so bad at night once I am laying down although I don't sleep that well. I wake up in the morning stiff and with some pain but a hot shower helps. I had thought about seeing GP but I don't think she could offer me anything else . My husband helps where he can but he is also in pain. I just want to make the best of the years I have left so want to go out and about which is impossible at the moment I have had neck arthiitis for many years but never like this. I have been in pain since December We both had Covid in November and I cant help but think this has something to do with it. The gel and paracetamol don't help but that is all I can take. Can I ask am I expecting too much too soon with the physio and anyone have any other advice. Thanks for reading.

Fran54

Hi @Liberally13

Sorry to hear that you are in so much pain. I started doing physio exercises about 16 months ago and at first it was a bit stop and start as I sometimes overdid the exercises and landed up in pain. It took a few months before I started to feel any benefit from them but I did learn eventually to pace myself in how much I did each day. I do find that when I don't do them for any reason I do tend to stiffen up more. All I can say is just try and do a little bit of gentle exercise each day. Do you like listening to music? Occasionally I put my favourite upbeat music on and find it helps me move about a bit. There maybe some gentle exercises on this website that can help, some allow you to do them sitting down if it helps. Keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on.

Take care.🙂

Liberally13

Thank you Fran54 for your kind words. Yes I am continuing the exercises i have been told only to do them 3 times a week. So I try and do other exercises on the other days. Yes I love music most genres but my husband does not so I find myself up stairs either playing to old cds or listening to music via smart speaker often when cleaning bathroom etc. What is most upsetting for me is hardly going out because I know how bad the pain will get also it not good for me not getting the exercise and also for mental health which is not good at the moment as I suffer from anxiety. I was told many years ago by a consultant who looked at an xray of my spine which was taken in the early days of neck pain and was told my spine was in an awful state so should be in a lot of pain which I wasn't. I Certainly am now and fear there that nothing can be done because my spine is curved. I dread being housebound. So at the moment I do go out but only when I need to.

Fran54

Hi @Liberally13

l must admit I don't go out as much especially when the weather is cold/wet. Hopefully when it warms up a bit I may venture out more, but I do have a decent size garden and often just go out and potter around for a while. I also like birdwatching and enjoy watching them feeding on my bird feeders. Do you have a garden or any green space near you? It is a fact that being outside in nature does help physically as well as mentally. Also hopefully the warmer weather will help lessen the stiffness and pain.

Keep in touch and take comfort that we are all on here for the same reason and we all get good and bad days.

Take care🙂

Liberally13

Fran54 Thank you, sorry for delay in replying. Yes I do have a garden and like to watch the birds. This time last year we were walking round the local park feeding squirrels etc. At the moment I cant see that ever happening again. I feel so down with the daily pain I go to bed in pain and it does ease off after about 30-60mins I assume because I am laying down. In the morning no pain just a little stiff but once I have had a shower got breakfast etc because I am moving around it starts up getting worse and worse by later afternoon/evening sitting helps a little but no much. I now struggle through each day to get jobs done between resting hot water bottles and heated pads. and as mentioned I don't go out for more than 30mins or so and only if I need to go out. This weekend we are going to family to celebrate Easter and my Granddaughters 15th Birthday. Whilst I want to go I am so frightened the pain will start just getting ready to go out and the drive in the car around 20mins are enough to start it off. It has been like this every day since December. Hope I don't end up coming home early but if the pain gets back I will have to. I am afraid my pain threshhold is very low. I think it maybe to do with the mild Fibromyalgia diagnosed along side the osteoarthritis 6 years ago. The other thing is I am sure my neck and shoulders have got worse after Covid in November. I am very down I want to go out but I can't tolerate the pain. I don't know what to do. The gel and painkillers don't really touch it and most other painkillers I cannot take. I struggle to do my exercises but I do them although they make the pain worse although it is only coming up to 4 weeks since starting them. I have thought about phoning the gp again but don't think they will be able to help. I think I need new xrays in case something else is going on but last time I asked my gp seemed to think it was not worth it.. I think once you have arthritis anxiety or you are older every thing is blamed on one of these. Sorry for the rant but I am both anxious and angry that I cannot find any relief from this pain.

Fran54

Hi @Liberally13

earlier this year I was feeling quite low because my osteoarthritis symptoms were getting worse ( I was walking less and had lost confidence when out walking on my own ). The first thing I did was write a letter to my doctor stating all the problems that were troubling me and requested a face to face appointment ( really hard to get ) . I eventually managed to see him and also asked for a knee x-ray ( last one done about 18 months ago ) . I had the knee x-ray done and was also referred to MSK and had a pelvic x-ray done a few weeks later. I now have a telephone appt. with my doctor to discuss the results of the x-rays in 2 weeks time. It has taken about 2 months to get all this done but I was determined to see what /if anything else could be done to help.

You could try doing what I did and writing everything down and letting your doctor know how it is affecting your daily life. We should not have to put up with the physical pain and how it affects you mentally as well. So take heart , we are all here to help each other.

Also don't apologise for ranting and letting off steam .

Take care🙂

Liberally13

Fran54 Sorry only just picked up your reply for which I thank you. My neck pain is still bad and although I knew I already had i arthritis in the knees and hands neck, my lower back hips and legs have been very painful could hardy walk for a few days it woke me up as well. I had an appointment today booked a month ago to see my GP is is very nice but she more or less said I will always have neck pain because of the curvature of the spine but I should try to exercise and lose some weight. She has given me more ibuprofen gel to use although I don't hold out much hope great for my arthritis hands when one finger plays up. I tried to explain that it is making life miserable for me and cannot go out much only if really necessary as pain will start as soon as I move around or do anything like housework. I feel like my life is over I just cannot tolerate the pain. It is all very well telling people to exercise when it causes so much pain I rest a lot just so I can do jobs round the house cooking etc although mostly still in pain. If I go to a family birthday for grandchildren I spend the whole day before resting just so I can be a little better for 2/3 hours visiting. My 2 other children live over 200 miles away and I can no longer travel down spending several hours in a car. I don't drive so it falls on my husband who is also in pain with arthritis. Thank heavens I have one daughter and family only a 15 minute drive away. I have to try and accept my limitations but I go between feeling sad and despairing to being very angry. Do let me know how you got on with the results of your Xrays.

Fran54

Hi @Liberally13

sorry to hear that you are still in a lot of pain and yes it does make you feel low. Apart from painkillers have you tried any heat treatments like a wheat bag that you can heat up in the microwave. I find that in the colder and wetter weather it does help ease the pain a bit and helps lessen the stiffness. There are other treatments which other people on here have mentioned in relevant posts.

I spoke to my Doctor last week and he confirmed that I have osteoarthritis in my right hip now as well as my right knee ( I had a feeling that this was the case ). He has referred me back to MSK Circle Integrated Care. I want to find out in more detail the results of the x-rays and will then see what/if there is any further treatment. I am trying to keep as positive as possible and have been doing the physio exercises that were given to me.

I am glad that you have some family living close by and that being with them helps you to feel more positive. We have to focus on the good times and keep them in mind on the days that are not so good. Also this community on here is a godsend to me as we know that we are not alone with these debilitating symptoms.

Take care.🙂

Izzy72

I'm relatively new here so not as experienced as many but I recognise the - exercise and it hurts, don't exercise and it hurts thing - I've found that setting aside time to exercise is counterproductive, somehow it makes it into a chore, but even more it becomes associated with periods of time when pain is greater. So it's hard to 'decide' to do that.

I understand that sometimes people are given specific exercises to do by doctors or physios so I'm not saying don't do them - it's just that I've found frequent movement throughout the day prevents pain building up - so anything from walking or gardening to small things like knitting or drawing, things that are fun to do - yes it still hurt but that can be mollified by achieving something at the same time and gives a boost.

jonr

I can't and won't disagree with your post Izzy72, it's a bit of a dilemma for sure and I do find like you that keeping on the move helps to reduce stiffness and maintain suppleness.

I don't like the physio either but have built it into a daily routine which after many months is now habitual. On tough days I'll reward myself with a treat or swap the physio for something else like a walk into town (which for me involves a couple of stiff hills), or a stint up the gym. Bottom line is not to beat oneself up about it

Liberally13

Hi @Fran54

Thanks for your reply. Yes I have a heating pad which I use a lot. am still looking for a small wheat bag for my neck pain I need something which I can get in the right place on my neck. I had a bad night last night My neck pain is the one that stops me going out much and restricts the jobs I do in the house and at night the pain virtually goes away in about 30mins once I lay down but now the leg and back pain is keeping me awake at night I don't sleep well anyway but last night I woke at 1.30am then again at 3.30am tried everything to get comfortable must have have dropped off but awake again at 5.am Gave up at 6.40am and got up and went down stairs. Still hurting today but not as much. Glad you have your results I think it is good to ask for further information on the x rays. I would ask for a copy of their findings so you can find out what other treatment might be available. I am trying to do my exercises and will speak to the physio when he calls next week. Good luck hope all goes well.

stickywicket

I think how we do physio can be a personal thing. I do quads on the bed with the radio on. It's tuned to Radio 4 to wake me up in the morning. (Music just soothes me back to sleep😊) I find some interesting programmes that way.

One physio, giving me (I think) hip exercises, suggested building up the repetitions slowly but also doing them every other dsy. I liked that. I enjoyed my days off and returned more focused.

Daily activities, providing regular movement are very useful but the exercises do get to the other bits that we either don't use or have learnt how to circumnavigate to our later expense.

@Liberally13 , if you google 'neck wheat bag' lots of stuff comes up, many for shoulders and neck which look soothing.

Izzy72

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/707575#Comment_707575

That's a good idea to slot your physio into your daily routine and I like the sound of treats too! I haven't been offered any physio or exercise regimes so I've devised my own routines and use online challenges to keep myself motivated. I used to do an annual challenge to walk up the equivalent height of Everest wherever you are then when things went arthritis pear shaped I avoided hills because they are pretty uncomfortable to go up or come down. Then the same challenge appeared on Strava and it got me going uphill again. You have a year to complete so people like me can nibble our way to the top and be inspired by the folk who have done it within a few months! It's free and not a competition and I love taking part. The main thing I struggle with is accepting the days when fatigue or pain prevent me from doing what I'd planned but I guess I'll learn.

Bigfella76

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/59861/exercise

After any exercise you will have pain.

Baloo

Possibly the true answer is the pain might ease or it might not. I strained my shoulders reaching up the hot tank to fix an overflow valve. My right shoulder has recovered. My left shoulder hasn't. According to previous hospital scans its my right shoulder has the worst problem and they wanted to inject it with steroid, and yet here it is, recovered without any intervention except improved posture and careful workstation assessment.

No idea what will bring back my left shoulder, any movement, including physio, and its dead painful enough to make me wish I hadn't tried to move it. I will try another ibuprofen.

Jojo