Any clues on how to improve arm strength.
I feel I’m doing relatively good under the circumstances, but my arms are very weak .
Shoulders like everyone upon waking , but constantly struggling with my biceps. Anything I can do to strengthen without creating a flare?
Get a couple of 500ml water bottles that fit nicely in your hand. Put a small amount of water in them and then use them as hand weights - just 5 bicep curls. If that is OK, add a couple more curls each day. Then add a little bit more water - and repeat the exercise. Keep adding a bit of water.
You can't do repetitive exercises with anything heavy - but this way you can work up to a normal starting weight more easily. Nothing in PMR is fast - the slow way does work though!
Thank you
I was given 1.5 kg weights, but find them uncomfortable to lift. I wonder if they do more harm than good, but people tell me to persist. I’ve never had much strength in my arms,but realise that I have to build up more strength due to PMR and osteoporosis.
I'm not surprised - that is about 10 times the weight I'm suggesting as a start! In fact - you could possibly start with full bottles of water - but even that might be a bit much for some people. You can always go up but recovering when you started with too much isn't so easy.
Hello, Pred is a bit of a bugger for making one’s muscles weak and feeble. I was sooo fit before Pred and thought it would just keep going but a bit slower. Was I in for a shock!? Exercise just didn’t do anything; my muscles shrank anyway. A gym session was out of the question. It’s taken until about 3mg to start to feel that my muscles won’t do payback in spades and stay weak a feeble anyway. I am now working up to being able to go to the gym. I know everyone is different but I would say that Pred does change ‘the laws of physics’ and you have to learn how to work with it and the old way doesn’t work. Well, it didn’t for me.
I'm the same SnazzyD, I'm not on prednisone but the disease has decimated my muscles all over my body. I've had PMR/Fibro/sjogrens for over 2 years now and my body has aged 10yrs. I've gotten past it now, just wished it didn't hurt so bad. I still do my walking and that's about it, keep on keeping on the best you can and hopefully one day we'll be able to do more. Hugs to all!
Swimming and water strengthening exercises , builds strength while giving you support and no weight bearing issues.
circling movements in water of your arms and putting them down by your sides with feet on floor , shoulders out of the water , then move your arms with a slight curve at the elbow through the water to the surface In front of you and back again .
Start with threes, work up to three moves and circling under water for 20 / 30 seconds then a lap or two , a rest and repeat three times, at your own speed .
Work up the amount of repeats over the weeks , adding one a week , no more than ten .
You can do a similar circling and lifting exercise on the legs too but this takes longer and you must support your back on the edge of the pool for the lifts.
When you swim only do breast stroke , the crawl is not appropriate for PMR or other chronic pain issues.
You can exercise back muscles with a slow back stroke that involves lying with your arms at your sides doing a breast stroke like pumping movement , more like the tentacles of an octopus , this also helps your arm muscles but keeps shoulders, neck and head still.
If you can find a pool with a jacuzzi or warm showers to spend a long time under after swimming to relax the muscles after the exercise that is best , and get your hair dry properly before going into the cold.
Thank you. My arms unfortunately don't rotate enough to do any type of stroke! So swimming is a no no. I guess we all suffer similar symptoms. Today my arms are like 2 lead balloons ( stole that from a Pink Floyd song)
And my fingers are tingly at the tips. My legs thankfully are still good.
Yes I get it , ' Comfortably Numb' . Mine are often like that too , especially my forearms and upper thighs.
That is why I go in the pool. Can't trust my feet and balance on a walk .
Just moving about in the water , walking and wafting your arms in the shallow end without swimming itself when your arms and legs feel numb strengthens those muscles too , start slow and maybe take a friend if you feel uncomfortable.
The best thing about that movement in water is it helps you get past that nerve related pain and muscle weakness by improving the circulation too.
Have you tried massage or warm salt baths to help improve the tingling and numbness , it isn't a cure but it does improve the symptoms xx
I,m currently on holiday in Barbados. Thought some winter sun would help, and stop this creeping malaise. ( yes Floyd again lol) Had a hot stone massage 2 days ago. Seemed to help then, but maybe now I,m suffering a wee bit as a consequence.
Still on 15 mg of predict , maybe 5 more will assist, although I want to start reducing a sap, rather than go up .
The heat can be beneficial but you do need to be careful with massage , unless the masseuse understands your medical condition properly some techniques can feel good at first but cause pain later.
Standard massage techniques are not always beneficial on rheumatic and chronic pain issues.
Do they have a pool and jacuzzi , try them they might help .
If you have access to some boost your mineral content with a supplement and get more mineral water and orange juice.
You may be more dehydrated and have lost too salts as well as toxins with the sun and treatments.
Standard paracetamol or ibuprofen may do the job first before upping the Pred , just in case the increased pain isn't PMR related .
Ok , thanks
Either you are not enough pred or there is something else going on - if it is PMR that should improve a lot, may not be perfect but definitely not that bad.
There is no point reducing a dose that isn't doing the job. All that will happen is that you get even worse.
Exercise but not too much...every little bit counts...I’m back working with light weights, sometimes I’m sorry for it sometimes not....here’s a supplement that I use..I read up on it a lot...google creatine
and creatine for seniors...it’s not dangerous at all, mixes well, cheap...but read up and choose for your self....and eat good protein....losing muscle is easy on prednisone!!
I've been doing Tai chi, but sitting down for the movements that require strong balancing as my legs couldn't cope with that. Its good for strengthening my arms though and they are gradually improving.
Aching arms
Aching legs
Aching muscles
Aching legs again 
jaw aching 
