Cold weather, anxious stiffens me up, shoulders, neck back,feeling of being hugged SO TIGHT, chest tightness

[Toritony]

Tightness, pressure, STIFF... Upper body mainly, menstrual makes this all so worse

[Jaycee18]

Have you tried any gentle stretching exercises? Something to get you to open up across the chest and shoulders. Physio and Pilates have made a real difference for me.

My physio said that cold, pain, anxiety all make our bodies curl inwards and hold tension, not helped if we also spend a lot of the day sitting. So anything we can do to encourage our muscles to relax back and realign our bodies is helpful.

[Toritony in reply to Jaycee18]

Ive had this for 8 years, apparently its polymalgia, yes i have fitness balls, been to physios.. On my 11 th class pilates, i was told by my physio i have severe tight facet joints that was 2 years ago, in the summer my symptoms ease dramatically...

[Wrecklesham in reply to Jaycee18]

Hello Jaycee. I have Polymyalgia as well as fibromyalgia both very pain ful. I find the fibromyalgia is constant but the Polymyalgia plays up more in the winter and the food does tend to make you tense whereas in the summer you are more relaxed and this seems to ease it. I find that walking my little dog makes both conditions easier so i try to walk her for an hour morning and afternoon, I need a walking stick and it does take a little time to ease but the longer I can walk the easier it gets. I think I would spend most of the day in my special bed if I didn't have her. Take care it is a horrid condition and I hope you find a way to cope with it.

[rosewine]

I don't know whether it would help you but I purchased a heated wrap to put on when I a sitting and it has certainly helped me with the pain a d stiffness around my back and ribcage. I know it js easier said than done but when we are t anxious it tenses all our muscles up and causes more pain. Try and do something that takes your mind off things and do gentle breathing and gentle stretching exercises.

Hooe you feel better soon. X

[Toritony in reply to rosewine]

I have micro wheat packs and electric heated shoulder back etc blanket, its the cold that stiffens my joints up😔i dont go at nite when its cold nw or else im in agony for the rest of evening, the next morn i would be very stiff.. Polymalgia i was told i had many years ago... Suppose i have 🙈🙈just thought that it wld silently dissappear.

[rosewine in reply to Toritony]

Have you ever had treatment for the Polymalagia as from what the two people I have known who had it it is very painful? They both had a course of steroids over quite a long period and it really helped with the pain and inflammation.

I am the same at night the cold seems to creep into my bones and as the day goes on I get really stiff. I ever seem to be able to warm my legs after a certain time and they only seem to warm up in bed.x

[Toritony in reply to rosewine]

Hi.. I am taking pain meds every day and muscle relaxants.. More are needed when the cold days are here, its mild here today in Northern Ireland.. Co. Dwn but it is gonna be freezing tomorrow il feel it in my bones later on.. I have never been offered steriods, i had once received injections which i went privately but they only lasted 5 wks so i dont think they were the proper injections...So u mean the steriod injections?

Do u get them if u dont mind me asking, i wld like to constantly stop taking meds every few hrs and to be able to get out of bed in the morning within 10 mins of me wakening.... Went to my mother in laws house 2wks ago, it was bitterly cold outside she didnt have her heat on.. I was stiff throughout had to have a warm bath in the afternoon and get my hubby to go over my shoulders etc with massage gun.. It really does put me off going anywhere were its cold... How long have u had it for?

[rosewine in reply to Toritony]

I ha e a couple of people I know who love in Northern Ireland and they say the weather does have a big impact on their health.No I don't take steroids myself but the two people I came across with Polymalgia were given a low dose of steroids over a period of 12-18 months which really helped with the pain and stiffness. I wish I was still in touch with them but unfortunately they both moved out of the area and I've lost touch or I could have asked the, for more information. A friend has had alot of steroids injections but found they only helped for a limited period. I did have one and has alot of relief from his pain for a good six months but I was not offered any more.

I used to have electroacupuncture given by a pain clinic which did help take the top edge off my spinal pain for a couple of months each time. Unfortunately, when the specialist retired he wasn't replaced and the outreach clinic I attended was stopped. I tried managing the pain with different meds, exercise etc but over the last year it has got worse. I have beenreferred to one locally but it supposedly is going to be a zoom call with different practitioners of about a one and half to two hour duration which to be quite honest I'm not looking forward to. I was hoping to be referred for hydrotherapy which certainly did help as doing exercises in warm, deep water was good. I've had to wait 6 months for an appointment and it isn't until March.x