Do steroids make your chest 'move' or more flexible? Do they remove soreness?

Hi,

For years I was aware of my chest feeling like a solid cage around me - no movement in it. Also, for years I had terrible soreness in my upper back which I felt was 'inside' and was in fact my lungs being inflamed.

After I have been on the inhaled steroids - flixotide - for some months I began to regain movement in my chest. My ribs began to move and be flexible allowing my chest to rise and fall. I have got to the point now where everywhere except the top of my sternum - where my ribs/collarbone join the top of my sternum - is now flexible and moving but I would love the top of my sternum do likewise as it clearly is restricting my breathing.

Also, my sternum seems to 'open' more now since I have been on the steroids and as a result I can feel, in the sternum, my chest expand when I inhale deeply.

The other thing, as my chest and ribs have begun to move, I have noticed that different parts of my chest/ribs have felt very sore with, gradually, the soreness disappearing in some places but persisting in others. It is almost as if muscles and cartilage that have not moved in years are now moving again and the 'new' soreness is a result of this.

I would love to get the top of my sternum/collarbone area to be flexible also, as it would really help my breathing, as well as getting the parts of my chest/ribs/upper back that are sore to no longer be sore.

I am wondering whether increasing my dose of flixotide would speed this up or whether that drug - prednisolone - might be the thing to 'break this' final hurdle that I can't get over... excuse me for mixing my metaphors.

Anyhow, any suggestions of info would be welcome.

Thanks,

B.

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Bob,

I’ve read a few of your previous posts and you appear to have a good understanding of asthma and alternative complimentary therapies.

While the Flixotide has helped the answer your looking for in regaining that extra mobility in your chest/back isn’t to be found in more drugs. To get the mobility you require you can try physio which many here do. Personally I’ve found a good massage works equally as well, it loosens up the internal supporting structures which become tight over time due to daily life. Osteopaths are also another good option, but the simples and cheapest option is yoga at home. Just get the flexibility in the chest and back. Pilates breathing will work the lower chest and back. Sit upright, breath out and place your hands on your lower rib cage, with fingers interlaced . as you breath in deep and try to fill the lower part of the lungs/rib cage your fingers should part, but also feel your back stretching.

Some good yoga poses for asthma are here., especially the camel pose, but watch if you have a lower back/spinal problem. tinyurl.com/26aaefn

yogajournal.com/poses/finde...

Chris

Usual warnings for the yoga poses, take notice of any injuries, illness or pregnancy and always work to your own strength and range of motion. If you feel pain...STOP.

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Hi Bob

I have to agree to, more meds are not the answer. I have been seeing a physio for problems with my arm/shoulder for many years which only eased the pain a bit, so I recently went to see a Chiropracter instead and only since seeing her I have realsied that not all my problems are a result of my accident and some of the pain is due to the asthma which has tightened up the muscles which connect to the first rib significantly, its early days with the treatment but can already see a huge improvement so try it might be worth looking around to see what works for you.

Snowy

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Thanks both.

I saw an osteopath last year for a course of treatment and he helped a great deal - apparently one of my vertaebrae, which is apparently linked to asthma according to osteopaths, was twisted.

At the same time I began yoga breathing and numerous youga arm/shoulder moving exercises and this helped enormously. The steroids, flixotide, also payed a part as without this my muscles were still the point of immobile almost like some form of rheumatism.

At first, when I began to get movement in my rib area in the gap between the ribs and also on the 'muscle' on 'top' of the ribs, the pain was almost unbearable - again like rheumatism. I had to use loads of hot/cold treatment and experiement with different sports gels to relieve the pain - the deep heats worked but made my asthma much worse but the cold gel greeny blue gel - forget the name - helped a great deal. It took many months of myself painfully manipulating my ribs and chest each night though. It was agony.

Much of the chest is now freely moving, much freer, but the top part near the sternum by the first rib is almost like a collar around my neck and it appears to be the only part of my chest that does not expand - not allowing me a 'deep' breath.

Thanks again,

B.