Myofacial syndrome and Prednisone taper

[1Purplecrow]

Hi folks,

I'm still on 6 mg prednisone after 4 years with PMR . I'm tapering very slowly, 5.5-6 using the dead slow method, and usually take 2-3 months to complete a whole taper cycle. (It just works best for me.)

Recently, after a diagnosis of arthritis in my spine, I began getting massages to help release myofacial pain in my back. Things were going well, and I was feeling much better as the constricted muscles were coaxed to relax! last week, after a light gardening session, I woke with a nasty lower back restriction. Two days passed, and I got an appt for a massage. that massage did not help, and I now wonder if myofacial release massage is too rough to use at the early stages of a new drop in prednisone.

Hopefully someone here can shed a little light on this subject, I'm not finding anyone who knows how PMR/prednisone-taper and Myofacial syndrome interact.

[9lives]

Hi Purplecow

Sorry to hear of your pain.

I had trouble with cramps a while back , very excruciating at times, in my lower abdomen area .

Someone very experienced on her suggested it could be myofacial pain, which I think it probably was . It seemed to happen when I try to reduce steroids. Don't know if that was connected or not.

It went on for some time , on and off , and seemed to gradually reduce in pain, each time it occurred. This was around about October time Last year.

Fortunately it has not occurred since December, I think it was just a side effect of reducing.

I have not gone for any massages at all as think my body has enough to deal with, although that said since January things have greatly improved for me, mostly thanks to all the help and support on this site.

It will be interesting to see if others have had similar experience.

Do hope you get some relief soon

Best wishes

Carole x

[1Purplecrow in reply to 9lives]

Thank you for the info. j

[TooSore]

I started to use massage for the myofacial knots last March after I made a mess of my lower back shoveling snow. Since then I've dropped a few times. I think t has more to do with the muscles not liking the activity /exercise when early into the new dose. I find I'm more successful if I do a bit less than "normal" when I expect my body to adjust. Either way, watch how much pressure is being applied. My gal says to never let her get to a 7 (on a pain scale of 1-10) when she's working on a knot and the few times I've been about to say enough she beats me to it saying something along the lines of, your body's telling me...am I right? I don't have (or haven't been told) about arthritis in those knotty areas - just my neck and knees!

Good luck with all of it - never a dull moment

[1Purplecrow in reply to TooSore]

Thanks, some good advice. Jerri

[PMRpro Ambassador]

"after a light gardening session"

Light possibly - but probably not light enough! And it may not be just muscles that objected but they went into spasm to try to protect your back in general.

[1Purplecrow in reply to PMRpro]

I expect you are correct...lesson learned. It was a cement birdbath I was trying to move😝

I think I can fool myself some of the time, And some of the time I just make a fool of myself.

I shall carry on...Jerri

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 1Purplecrow]

You claimed LIGHT gardening. A cement birdbath is not light...

Eejit!!!!

[Hidden in reply to 1Purplecrow]

like the fool bit .. .can relate 😂

[1Purplecrow in reply to Hidden]

Don't you love being a human❤️❤️❤️❤️😁

[1Purplecrow]

🤣😂