Fibro I’m so use to it after 20 years but the rotator cuff thing is awful.
Right shoulder repaired twice due to huge tears then I went and fell off my bike last November and tore the left up. Surgery February now the right is a mess as I have had to use it more. So yesterday….it’s a mess hellyn we can’t fix it but will keyhole it and tidy up the cartilage, shave the bones, remove the anchors that have come out that are floating about. Recovery will be a long time for it and it will very restricted.
I asked about hydrotherapy but wait list is years long. I found and aqua aerobics class at my local pool that runs once a week and thought, umm maybe with my ongoing physio I could do this, strengthen my right and heal the
I use to body board but can’t go in the sea anymore due to muscle loss and restricted movement. But the idea of a pool sounds inviting.
So, has anyone done aqua aerobics or hydrotherapy? Did it help? Did it affect the fibro?
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Hellbell59
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Any injury , but especially ones that need surgery like yours , makes the Fibro pain flare like mad , giving you two things to cope with.
You will know , that you need to pace your activity a lot more than you already do at the moment to help control the pain and its effects.
You also need to work within your comfort zone and build up any exercise or physical therapy slowly and carefully, or, you get pain flares and then your therapy doesn't work so well and takes longer .
When you get back to physio after your operation ask to be signed to the Physio with the most experience of helping people with Fibro or Chronic Pain , not just acute injury therapists.
Chronic illness specialist physios often understand more that you might need to build up physio exercises slower , start with shorter sessions , or not do certain exercises that are meant to be basic , " one size fits all" , but actually make you feel worse because you know it flares up your Fibro. They are usually Senior or Rheumatology Physios , you have the right to request one.
Never feel bad about having to say , " No , I can't do that one , it flares up my Fibro ". Always tell them when you have done enough : no pain , no gain , is a myth and good physios do not push you to work outside you comfort zone.
If they try to push it , convince you to do it anyway before you are ready , request a different physio , you need to be able to work as partners .
Always build up repetitions and different exercises slowly from a very low bar ( no more than 3 reps) , and don't feel like you have to do the max even when you improve . It helps you get the most benefit from each exercise or see if one will flare your pain .
Chronic Pain sufferers should always start doing a short trial of any physio or exercise class they do , sit out of exercises that can make their injury or Fibro flare , and definitely start with half a class doing only the low impact moves first.
It stops you doing too much too quickly , feeling bad after doing it and being put off trying it again , when it could have helped at low intensity.
Protect yourself from post exercise pain and Fatigue with those tips , but also , by taking little rests between each exercise and drinking a lot of water before , during and after an exercise you do. Take a healthy snack like a banana or dry fruit and nuts to eat as you rest before leaving to go home. This stops dizziness , blood sugar slumps , and dehydration pain.
Time your appointments to be about an hour after any pain medication , not near the end of a dose.
Make sure you plan your week when having therapy to have a restful evening before and after the therapy , and give yourself an hour on either side of it just to rest and relax.
It really does work to beat the Fatigue and rebound pain.
There's nothing worse than trying to do exercise the day after a social event , or the day after physio if you go and do something too physical after your therapy.
In terms of Hydrotherapy , mine has not started again since COVID and I miss it a lot . I found it very beneficial in lots of ways , not just for pain . I actually met my physio there , the only person I know who understands my other health issues.
Sessions are short but sweet , too make sure you get the most benefit with the least side effects.
I do enjoy Aqua Exercise Classes when I can go but you need to be careful about which classes you choose.
Go for the low impact classes often created for people with Arthritis or Spine conditions.
If this is not mentioned on your Leisure Centre list, ring up and enquire about which class you should go to with your conditions .
Your local area might have an Exercise Referral Scheme which you can sign up with via the GP and it gives you access to cheaper classes often only open to people on the scheme.
If you see the scheme list , it does give you an idea if which Leisure Centre has teachers more qualified to deal with health issues.
Join a local group for Fibro or Chronic Pain , or contact groups for Arthritis or Spinal issues like , A.S., as they will be able tell you which classes and teachers are best for Chronic patients in your area.
Tell your teacher when you go what your conditions and injuries are .
If they are well trained , they will tell you to step out of certain exercises or stop things earlier than the others . Listen to them when they do , even if you feel like you could do more , as they are protecting you from rebound pain or further injury with that advice .
If they don't regularly give protective advice , not just to you but to anyone in the group , change you class this is a clear indication that they are not experienced protecting any individual from injury in classes.
That is important advice for any type of class , not just aqua and physio.
Opt yourself out of exercises you feel you are having trouble with or know you can't do , even if they don't tell you .
Keep a bottle of water near the pool side for aqua classes and hydro, to sip as you go along to prevent dizziness and Fatigue. It seems odd , but water exercise causes dehydration as much as Cardio.
Don't stint on the Cool Down or Warm Up. That little gentle stretching preparation prevents injuries and flares.
Use a warm shower before and after your sessions , at Home or at the Centre, to help relax the joints and muscles. It does help.
Good luck with it all and please post about your experience , Bee
Hello,I suffer with fibro and RA. I had problems with my left shoulder that the GP said was frozen shoulder for two years. It just seemed to be getting worse, so I went privately and long story short after several tidying up ops on my shoulder, I had a Copeland replacement which is the ball bit of the ball and socket joint. Best thing I did. I had physiotherapy for a year and hydrotherapy which all helped. The only thing with the hydrotherapy was it exhausted me, getting undressed and redressed and wiped me out for the rest of the day. I hope the operation on your shoulder is very successful and you feel much better once things have settled down.
I wish they’d replace mine, this will be the 3rd repair. I’ve lost bicep head, infrasinatus and supra, and shoulder unstable. Anchors have dislodged as well. It’s unstable, locks up, subluxation is partial and so painful I have to clunk it back. They say I’m too young for replacement, I’m 63 and have a right arm that is numb and blood flow compromised. I can’t figure out why as I know they can do muscle and ligament transfer as well. I’m not expecting much from next op but more restriction. Wish I could go private.Hoping water therapy helps. Thanks for replying.
You have been given some great advice already and I agree with it. I had a severe frozen shoulder and the physio was agony but because most of it I did lying down I managed to avoid too much of a flare. I always started with controlled breathing too, to the tick of the clock in my bedroom. However when I started hydrotherapy my first session produced a massive flare, like I had an elephant sat on my shoulders! The staff were amazing, changed my treatment plan and physiotherapist who would pull me around the pool with natural drag from the water etc. I also got massage therapy which helped me relax and process this awful illness. 6 months later and after 2 guided steroid/ saline injections too, my shoulder is good.
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