Lately I've been getting severe pains in my legs and a few times my knees bent in jolting my leg . Somedays it's hard to walk like...they feel really weak and like they are going to snap.
Yesterday I really did not want to walk at all where I 1)hated this sensation and 2)it wears me out.
I'm 25 and never expected to hear that I have Fibromyalgia and that it can affect mobility...
I've read that some people use walking sticks or other aids to help
I was just wondering when is the right time to use these.. and how to handle people asking why I have one if I did get one as I'm not "disabled" enough , some days I'm absolutely fine and no one knows anything other days like yesterday, I just want to sleep and in severe pain.
I think, if you are asking the question, then now is the time to sort out a walking aid. As there are so many different aids for different ailments, it might be an idea to contact the physiotherapy department (you may need a referral from your GP or rheumy) and ask their advice. Don't worry about what other people think, just know that you are preserving your legs for a longer better life in the future.
Please do not try my method. Which was wait until you fall over. It is a lot less painful to ask for advice now than to think I should have done this month's ago. Ask for a physiotherapy referral. At the same time ask for a home occupational therapy assessment. If you require a walking aid then more than likely you may need adaptations to the house like stair rails.
Thank you both for the recommendations. I'm waiting for a physiotherapy appointment to come through, I have another 4-6 weeks left to wait. I am under a gym scheme but haven't been able to go due to my extreme pain .
Hi I just wondered how you managed to get under a physio and is it any use and how did you get under a gym scheme ? I have no help from my gp wondering if it is only in certain areas.
I too have good days and bad and around work and I work a physical job so it is hard but I just rest and sleep depending on my symptoms only way to manage and try to do meditation and floor based yoga and if you want to take pain relief or try natural supplements I take magnesium glycinate at the moment as having a flare and it is helping. I do feel sometimes a walking aid would be good in a flare but I just rest at the moment to manage my symptoms around work as you say it is up and down sometimes you can walk ok and sometimes you can't so I probably would keep a record for a month and see how much you are struggling but usually winter is always a bad time due to weather fluctuations.
I haven't been to physiotherapy... I'm still waiting for the initial appointment for me to start. The doctor just told me there was a exercise scheme...its self funded but you get discounted rates.
Hi, Fibromyalgia/ chronic pain is classified as a disability. I know I will need sticks eventually but I've just started using heavy knee supports for longer walks. I got them from Tesco's, £18 .
You know yourself when to begin, I started with 1 stick, moved on to crutches a year later, now I use a rollater so not only does it support me I can sit down anytime I need to. My GP said the other day he thinks I should think about a mobility scooter, but I think I would maybe be a prime candidate for road rage. The powers that be still won'tallow me mobility.
Can I suggest you see a McTimony chiropractor. The symptoms you describe could indicate that your leg muscles are too tight. This causes the lower vertebrate to be pulled onto the leg nerve roots. This results in loss of strength in legs.
Medical doctors tend not to know about this sort of problem. I know about it because a McTimony chiropractor treats me for the problem.
I started using one about a year ago, I can still walk reasonable distances, but I often get dizzy and I also stumble, so I got myself a trekking pole so it didn't feel like a walking stick, it also folds up, so if say I arrive at a work meeting & I don't want to explain I can discreetly pop it in my bag.
I was surprised that using it improved my fatigue. I commute into London & people are much more considerate & helpful towards me & I usually get a seat on the train which makes the difference between me getting through a day at work or not. If people ask why I use it I just say I have joint/muscle problems & severe fatigue to save having to explain fibromyalgia.
My husband is a strapping 6'5", he had a spinal fusion 30 years ago and used a stick while he recovered purely to make people be considerate, we lived in London and it was the only way for a big bloke to get a seat on the tube, which he needed.
Hi
I started using walking stick about 18 months ago, then last your we bought a 3 wheeled walker with a seat, this is ideal as it means I can stay out longer and rest whenever I want to. We went to London last year and we hired a wheelchair, this was great, the only problem we found was that people would walk straight into me, hubby manage to avoid this most of the time, I would have thought a wheelchair was big ent to see!! Take care Lynne
Hello, you look healthy and fit what's the walking stick for??? I doubt if anybody will be as blunt as this so be honest and tell the person or persons the reason why you sometimes need, required to use a walking aid. My self I have to use a mobility scooter to get about, people have asked on seeing and talking to me ask, what's your disability?? I reply looking healthy well kept clean shaven I have MS, mobility and balance difficulties plus recently I was diagnosed with gout, once they hear my reason and a brief medical history of my journey to the diagnosis the conversation moved back to everyday stuff. I have been disabled since 2016 diagnosed in September.. So there is no need to apologise for the use of a walking aid be thankful and grateful that you only require it's use occasionally. Once people see you on a daily basis with or without your aid they will understand and pass a comment of support. Bad day again, legs playing up, take it steady or better today does the weather help or hinder the pain.
When you start falling down, you need walking aids. My knee used to click and made me fall downstairs causing more issues. I needed walking aids at that time. If anyone started asking me why I use them , the answer was because they are required or mind your own business. Sometimes I just change the subject and ignore the question
I’ve bought walking sticks that fold keep one I. House and one in work. Sometimes I can’t use them anyway because my hands and arms are too bad then I’m in trouble 🤦♀️ Xx
Hi I have ergonomic walking stick where the grip part is palm shaped, easier on your hand, wrist etc. You can get them online or through physio department.
Hiya me personally I’ve never bought them I was given by my occupational therapist. Along with other aids but I’ve also got Osteoarthritis and Psa with my fibromyalgia. Have you asked your nurse at hospital what they think. That’s what they are they for and can advise you 🙂
Please remember, if you fly anywhere, ask for Assisted Boarding. I needed to fly before I knew how ill I was. Luckily, a lady in a hi-viz jacket saw me about to 'melt', grabbed my arm and took me out of the queue.
As with walking stick, and neck support, I still get embarrassed when people stare but, until we get wearable Blue Badges, these aids help others help us a little.
"Wear" your walking aid with pride. At least you are doing what you can to carry on with life.
Hiya I was really reluctant to use any mobility aids but then I started with a walking stick which helped but I couldn’t go far it and sometimes it hurts my hands. I was referred to a physiotherapist who got me to walk with a rollater which I was very dubious about because I had only really associated them with the elderly and at being only 47 I was very wary of what people would think but the more I got used to it the better it felt I was upright for longer and can sit when needed. I do have a powerchair for going shopping, days out and I have even taken it abroad although I don’t like being in a wheelchair someone said to me what would you rather do stay indoors and never leave your house or have a wheelchair and get outside and start living your life and do things that you want to do! It doesn’t matter what people think if it is going to help you to be able to do things then go for it!
Hey I’ve had a stick for a while now. Definitely helps. When I was out anyway but sadly am housebound have been for a long time. But if your feeling unstable then you definitely need one x
My story is different in that I also had severe osteoarthritis in both hips. I held out as long as I could then moved rapidly from walking stick to walking sticks. Finally I gave in and bought a really good walker. Although I hated the idea it was a god send, I could go places I never dreamed of going because I not only had the support but I had somewhere to sit down whenever I needed it. I could go into supermarkets with my husband and sit down when I needed to. We went to Saville between my ops and I was able to really get about sightseeing with my walker, it would have been impossible without. I don't need that now but still use a stick because the fibro makes steps difficult without support. Mine is bright blue with a fancy pattern!
You are so much younger, I can understand that it must be a major step for you, but get what you feel you need. If people ask just say you need it, end of.
BTW don't know about in England but here in Spain cars stop for me to cross the road when using a stick, my husband says he needs one just for that!
Hi,Fibro is so unpredictable you need to be prepaired for the bad days,folding sticks are good and they can fit in a handbag,help with your confidence knowing u have it if you need it,main thing is not to push yourself and take chances when you are bad,people will understand who know you.If anyone says u look well in a tone well just say do you know how hard it is to look this well?then ask them what is wrong with them apart from the obvious seriously tho you take care :)))
I refuse to use my functional NHS one anywhere other than the hospital and/or hospice! For (very occasional) meals out etc, I have my "glam" dark blue floral one. I have another cream floral one that I can fold up and stash away in my bag when I want to be especially discreet. Whatever works for you whenever it works for you is what works X
I have a walking stick that I rarely use. I got it for £2 from a second-hand shop. My knees tend to bend like I'm about to fall over and at times I have nearly fallen over because they would sometimes go under me but luckily, not both of them at the same time, so I've been able to save myself.
I have arthritic knees but so far not needed to use the walking stick. I do carry it around in my bag as it folds up. I have it just in case. I think of my dear departed mum when I look at it, because she was too embarrassed to use the walking sticks she got from occupational health after they did a fall risk assessment around her house. Then one day she fell outside her front door and couldn't get up. Luckily, (or could have been unlucky, depending on which way you look at it) she lived outside a bus-stop and a couple helped her up and walked her back inside.
This scared her so much she stopped going out at all. So what I'm trying to say is, that maybe it would be kinder to yourself to get a foldable walking stick to keep with you and use it when you need to and not worry about what other people might think, whatever age you are.
Sorry for the long post but take care of yourself, first and foremost.
I have walking poles the ones serious walkers use. I also have some crutches from when I had an op a few years ago, at the moment have a similar problem, they think I might have inflamatory arthritis for which I am having tests so hopefully the mobility is not a long term problem if diagnosed and given treatment. I would use something when you need to. I use the crutches in the house and outside when I need. They or walking poles give me confidence that I can lean on them when needed. But do understand your point of view about feeling disabled at times and not others.
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seriously tho you take care :)))
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