posted
I can't walk without a walker and I figured out why. My whole pelvic area and hips are affected, my muscles are very stiff and tight and they pull my legs together which affects my balance.I go to physical therapy but they don't even know how to fix this problem. Does anybody know what I can do? I've been like this for about 5 years now, had lyme for 7 years.Thanks!! Daisylynn Posts: 58 | From Andover,Ohio,USA | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
Yikes. I would think that it would take a LONG time to "fix" this. How long have you been getting PT?
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Daisylynn,
I was on Flexeril, a muscle relaxer, for over 2 years because of tight muscles in my shoulders, back and neck from Lyme.
Flexeril changed my life. It allowed the physical therapy to work and allowed me to start doing yoga regularly which now helps me keep everything nimble and in place.
I started at 5mg a day (half a 10mg pill) and increased by 5mg until I got to 30mg which is the max dose. I took it at night before bed.
It does cause fatigue. I got used to it, but not until a couple weeks at the max dose. And I never got used to the difficulty in waking up.
Also, full disclosure, I stopped Flexeril because it was adding to my autonomic nervous system disfunction. I started needing 9-10 hours of sleep and would press snooze for 2 hours. But that was after over 2 years of taking it.
The physical therapy I did was myofascial trigger point release. That is hands on work that releases the tight trigger points in the muscles.
When I was able to, I transitioned to stretching and then strengthening. Eventually I started yoga which I now do 3-5 times a week and really, really helps me keep my muscles strong and relaxed and keeps me in alignment.
But yoga was extremely painful at first. It would be severe pain for 2 days after, but I stuck it through. That wasn't for about 6 months after starting the Flexeril though.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
YES, DAISYLYNN, I KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM!! I DID IT! And I'm very proud of all my work over the past 3 years to do so.
I had incredibly tight and painful pelvic muscles. I tried everything for it but nothing worked.
I didn't even know I had Lyme. I was bit 25 years ago but only found out this past spring what was wrong with me.
So I did the following work without even knowing what I was treating.
When I flunked physical therapy yet another time, in exasperation I put myself in a swimming pool and ordered my body to somehow move. I literally pleaded with my body: please find a way to start moving.
I put a torso float around me to hold me up. I wore snorkle and goggles so I could breathe underwater.
And I began to find any movement I could make. My goal was to start to stretch any muscles I could.
It hurt a lot at first. I only did a little bit of stretchwork in the beginning, with resting in between.
For me, I especially did a lot of splits against the side of the pool. I also found stretches off the ladder into the pool.
And gradually, I began to be able to stretch out muscles more and more.
I thought of it like unraveling a tangled ball of yarn: only the most accessible tissue gives way first, and gradually I was able to get deeper muscles to start stretching.
Now I've got pretty stretched-out muscles. The burning pain has gone away pretty much.
I swim once a week for about an hour's time. I know my stretch routine now. I also swim short distances to warm up my body inbetween my stretch work-out.
It's interesting work, 'cause I can feel exactly how tight the muscles are and how much to stretch to get them to relax.
Maybe I could put a little more thought into how I could let others know who are suffering from this problem, since I have come up with a SUCCESSFUL physical therapy for my Lyme pelvic pain problem!
Posts: 13171 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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dmc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5102
posted
daisylynn,
Just the other day someone posted about piriformis syndrome...
It sounded similar to what my PT and chiro, and accupuncturist were describing what was wrong with me... I had to google it and found that YES INDEED it is me.
Pain in hip area, sharp needle pain in left buttdock, pelvis is in wrong position...I am on crutches because when I'm fatigued my legs/knees collapse inwards. (arches collapsed 6 years ago had left reconstructed last year.) have trouble lifting legs, as in up stairs.
and yes I'm a sucker, I just ordered the program. I've spent so much money already (out of pocket) just keeping hopeful that their exercises are the ticket.
Posts: 2675 | From ct, usa | Registered: Jan 2004
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