Hydro was not good.....: Well my first... - Fibromyalgia Acti...

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Hydro was not good.....

rainbowdancer profile image
9 Replies

Well my first day at Hydro therapy was not good.

I have been to a warm pool three times this last two weeks and walked two or three lengths.....each visit and gradually got used to it. Today I went to hospital for hydro and they said half an hour ...well I was put in on a hoist and then had to go down a deep step and the guy said,for today I just want you to walk up and down the pool. I walked up and down 4 times and then 2 more when I got cramp in my calf,I tried to rub it but could not reach! It then went up to my thigh and hurt so badly I tried rubbing that but it would not go off....Told the guy and he said " Oh thats because you have not been using your muscles " I thought 'huh OK Sirlock ' Well it moved into my bum cheeks and I was fading fast., he then said just rest it a minute I had by now been standing still for ten mins....Only way out was by hoist and that was manually done from poolside ,and no one about. Ten more mins and he asked my husband who had come back for me to call an assistant to operate the hoist !!

I could not even sit in the seat the pain I was in,on returning to the changing rooms I burst into tears. My leg was in agony ....that was at 12:45 we got out of there at 1;20 and had an hr drive ahead of us with me in agony. It is now 5:15 and my leg is still in a cramp pain...and I have taken all my painkillers....can't even lie down and sitting is agony ...So much for it helping...think they forgot I have fibro and CVFS.

Sorry for all the moans but I am feeling very cross and hurting all over, I hope I am more cheerful tomorrow .

Very Gentle hugs from me to you all x

Rainbow x x x

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rainbowdancer profile image
rainbowdancer
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9 Replies
Ozzygirl64 profile image
Ozzygirl64

I know how you feel with the cramps hun and I thinkk we all know just how painful it can be. It sounds as though those muscles have gone into complete spasm and for that I feel for you. I have this happen just by curling my toes to get my shoes on, first the toes, then the calf and then the big muscles at the front of the thigh. Absolute nightmare. I was on Quinine, neuro doctors advise, then after me having thema month and the cramps subsiding the neuro hospital decided they did want to advocate the use of them and ordered I was taken off them again. So this is apparently because it can cause blindness and as I am already losing my sight it would exacerbate it. So here I am back to battling with the cramps again. Ihope that awful pain goes away for you soon hun xxxxx

Hi Rainbow, I hope that by the time you read this you are feeling a bit better. What a shame that the hydrotherapy was such a disappointment (to say the least) but you can say that you gave it a good try. Cramp is horrible so you really have my sympathy! Jane x

Some links here of past discussions we have had on the subject so you can see other members' experiences of Hydrotherapy, hope you find this helpful -

fibroaction.healthunlocked....

fibroaction.healthunlocked....

fibroaction.healthunlocked....

fibroaction.healthunlocked....

Ginsing profile image
Ginsing

What a awful experience- bad enough having to be winched in but then he sort of cramp you are talking about is screeming agony did this phsio chap have any idea what hell you were in. I suppose the cramp was because your muscles became weightless and then they over compensated and they then went into over drive and clamped right up. This physio should have got you out then and rubbed your legs for you. Sorry I do feel very strongly that you were not looked after properly - poor you-

Then all the way home unable to relax well I hope you have time to relax today I think you better consign that experience to a life enhancing / improving moment and move on :) Have a happy day xgins

rainbowdancer profile image
rainbowdancer

Hi thanks everyone for your comments.

I did look on the links that Liberty sent me, thankyou x I know I do need to talk to the Physio guy about how it was so bad. Not too bad today though,the cramp eased off at about 6 this morning....I hate taking pain killers but had my full quoter yesterday!

I just wish the Dr Physio etc would listen to what they are being told. I said yesterday I cant lift my right leg...and then five mins later the attendent said OK lift your legs up..er I can't move my right one!! well just lift it a bit or you will catch it on the side of the pool. Three times I told them and in the end they lifted it for me! So frustrating!! Now my shoulders and neck and legs are raging today!! :-(

Gentle Hugs

Rainbowdancer x x x x

fibro profile image
fibro

sorry to hear about your awful experience. what were you doing different than you had done in the pool over the past couple of weeks, you sounded like you got on ok at first. if it was something different or is the Physio making you do more, make sure you tell him how you feel.

I have been going over 9 yrs now and for the last three weeks haven't been able to go due to appts or the pool shut for whatever reason. it's at the hosp where I go, normally they phone when the pool was shut so we weren't too happy for a 15 mile (30 round trip) back home. I will be going this thursday though I am in desperate need of it as I am ceasing up! I'll have to check with some of the others as I know some do get terrible cramp too. I will see if they have any suggestions xx

rainbowdancer profile image
rainbowdancer in reply to fibro

Thanks we went to my spa I am a member with and my OH takes me I go on my scooter to the pool side ,and then he helps me down the sloping steps ,and I walk up the pool and down about 3/4 times then get out and go in the jacuzi with a bit of a struggle.

The Physo told me I should do that as I had to wait 2 weeks to go to hydro.

But as you see when i went to hydro they had me walking non stop for 10/15 mins up and down the pool. My reason for seeing the fibro and AA team was because I get muscle cramps a lot sometimes from my neck down my back,into my bum cheeks and down my leg! Other times my right leg calf muscle goes into spazms,when I stretch out in my sleep! it was that one that went in the pool and crept up to my thigh and bum cheeks and today I cant move my arms legs or neck for the pain! I am also waiting for an op for two new knees and poss a hip!

The Physio said they would have to be careful with me in the pool,as I have Acute fibro CVFS and AA OA in my knees hands and back. The man in the pool was not the guy I saw 2 weeks ago he was his work partner,he does the pool and the other guy does the Gym and Physio. I was also diagnosed in bath clinic as having Stiff person Syndrome too !

Sorry it went on a bit but it is as they said very complicated.

gentle hugs

Rainbow x x

fibro profile image
fibro

wish I were near a jacuzzi, I'd love that when I couldn't get to hydro.

sorry, I'm not sure of your abbreviations AA and CVFS are, but just with osteoarthritis alone it sounds to me that they made you do too much in one go, no wonder you were in agony. I know when I first started, it was before they allow you to go into the self help group, that they made sure you knew of various suitable exercises to do to help your condition and this is just my own personal opinion, after going so many years, to do the same thing for all that time was wrong. you need to start gradually. you did the right thing in the other pool, do a little then rest.

just out of curiosity did the PHysio have other patients in the pool at the same time?

where I used to live the physio did and he told me just swim up and down, you know these pools aren't very big and shouldn't really be used for swimming apart from children, who of course take up less room. I had been going umpteen sessions and he said to me, you can't swim can you? I said have you only just noticed?? glad I don't live. there any longer, I stopped going and went to a fun pool that just had adults only night and it was heated, so I found a quiet spot, sometimes in the children's area and did my exercises then, but since moving although our local hospital is 15 miles away their Physio dept has always been good, but like everything, it's who you get when you go. now we just pay to use the facilities. ut it has to be booked as they only allow 9 in the pool in one go. this pool is actually twice the size of the old one I went to.

don't give in though, and when you get home make sure you rest well afterwards and you need to drink plenty of water as the warm water and exercise really dehydrates you and can have the adverse effect and make you feel worse. by the next day you should feel the benefit, but it still early days. have you had 'MRI' on your spine as it sounds like nerves are being trapped.... I'm only asking because I was asked all this a few years back, I have had several ops and have a lot of neuropathic pain but they wanted to make sure it wasn't my sciatic nerve causing it. I knew it wasn't, you know your own body, especially when I have one long scar down my leg that has been opened up 6 times and the nerves are damaged under the skin. there's not much they can do as any other op to try and cure it cure make it worse. so I have it for life. it hasn't gone in the past 9 yrs it's isn't likely to go away now, so I have to just take one day as it's thrown at me, so to speak and keep on taking the pills.... none make it go away but sometimes will take off the edge.

good luck with the hydro, at least you have somewhere to go once your hydro sessions end at the hosp. I have to be honest the best part for me is the social side as when my OH is at work, I can go all day not talking to anyone apart from my friends that live in the computer :)

take care... I'm off to sleep now xxx (((hugs)))

rainbowdancer profile image
rainbowdancer

Hi the abreviations are Cronic Virol fatigue Syndrome, a form of ME found in the blood due to Glandular fever,and Ostio and Rhomatiod Arthritis, ( sorry I put AA by mistake) I also had a bone graft on my left leg and nearly had to have it amputated ,through gangreen. Now I have a scar down the shin of my leg that has been opened twice,the problem is now that to have a knee replacement the bone could become infected and then the surgion said I would have to have it amputated. So leaving it alone for now,but I cant walk because my right leg has compensated for my left for so long,now I cant even lift it! :-(

I am unable to get into bed on my own and if I sit on a chair I can't lift my body to put me back further in the seat. I have no muscle's working,but when I do do any thing and they activate the muscles go rock hard and stay activated sometimes for days. I feel and look like a mitchelin man!! ;-)

I have had this on and off for 16 years, but this is the worse I have been! I fear I won't get back to where I was and it frightens me how quickly I went from being OK, and looking after My Mum and Husband to having Mum go into a home and me being helped 24/7.

Thanks for chatting to me I don't see anyone and am stuck here ,so it is lovely that I found this forham,and can have these chats. I have had a scooter for 2 weeks now and been out to a pamper evening,but it is only usable when not raining lol :-)

Gentle Hugs to you my friend x

Rainbow x

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