Is any kind of physio useful with polymyalgia. Or a circulation booster?

[Shandon1]

[johnsmith]

I have had a look at the definition of polymyalgia on the web. So I am giving my answer on what I know about movement and muscles.

Using muscles well is a skill which is dependent on a number of different feedbacks located in muscles and muscle tendon attachments. The feedbacks influence muscle behaviour though spinal reflexes. Much spinal reflex is outside the control of the conscious mind.

You have an interest in how to move effectively and efficiently without pain and discomfort. When you are fit and healthy movement happens without much thought, When a health disability starts to manifest itself and movement is no longer an easy automatic process you have to learn how you actually do move. This takes a lot of time. The time spent may not be always productive because some aspects of movement are not intuitive.

To make your time productive in trying to improve your movement skills you are going to need to speak to muscle specialists who specialise in movement skills. This would include Sports Physiotherapists, Alexander Teachers, T'ai Chi teachers and Yoga teachers.

Physiotherapists in the NHS are not to be relied upon as much NHS physiotherapists movement knowledge is not trustworthy. There is a policy of one size fits all regardless of what the movement skills of the patient in front of them is.

Sports Physiotherapists, Alexander Teachers, T'ai Chi teachers and Yoga teachers all look at different aspects of movement. So it is worth looking at all of them as you develop your own movement therapy to fit your situation. Do not rely on the diagnosis you have as the diagnosis describes a list of symptoms rather than a list of causes.

It is worth looking at what massage is available to help release over tight muscles. Over tight muscles will hinder movement in muscles in distant parts of the body due to feedback loops and spinal reflexes.

Mindfulness and meditation is worth looking at for developing better body awareness and for developing skills in handling the emotional aspects of pain and discomfort.

My background is 35 years experience of Alexander Technique. 35 years experience of T'ai Chi including teaching it. About 20 years experience McTimony Chiropractic as a patient. 3 years of yoga experience. I have done massage. 35 years of Mindfulness and meditation.

Hope this helps

[Shandon1 in reply to johnsmith]

Thanks for all the great information

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As ever Johnsmith" I take my hat off to you" for advice your second to none, but how can you write so much ? after a paragraph my hands are useless (carpal tunnel) but good advice and on the 31st mar i'm seeing physio and will ask him' or her, about what you said , but it is NHS and appointments are rationed but best wishes

[johnsmith]

Just a bit of advice on writing. Many people write using the small muscles in their hands and fingers. These small muscles are weak and easily over loaded. Their is also feedback back into the muscles of the forearm which malfunction for the task in hand.

You need to learn to write using the strong muscles in the upper arm which are supported by the muscles in the back. It will be difficult to do at first because you will have to unlearn the way you did it before as well as using a new way of doing things.

You will also need to be able to look in the mirror. The mirror will show you what you are doing with the head. The head is heavy and if it is not balanced on top of the spine it will cause tension in the muscles of the back and upper arms which will spread into your hands.

The fingers of the hands need to be used as guides not as pen movers.

carpaltunnelinstitute.org/w...

is worth sitting through. Might be a bit of snake oil. However it does suggest there are exercise you can do to stretch muscles in the hand. I had to sit though the entire presentation to get a free pdf of suggested exercises to explore. Stretching exercises on tight muscle will help the proprioceptor to work better again.

When typing do not turn the hands parallel to the keyboard using you arm muscles. Work on gravity turning the hands.

Hope this helps

[Shandon1]

Thanks for all the advice. My right hand is sort of seized up at the moment with a little

pain. But it's my first day on 20mg pred and will try and be patient and hopeful!

[Hidden]

I think any kind of movement, human touch will be helpful.