Aching muscles

[Lori23]

Does anyone know how long it takes for muscles to get back to normal after being bedridden for six months ,and I had to learn to walk again two months ago but muscles still ache .😥

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Your physio is the person to ask.

It will depend to a great extent why you were bedridden for so long - injury or illness may have different effects on muscles. A physio friend had a subarachnoid haemorrhage and was in ICU for a mere 10 days - it took months for her muscles to recover and be able to walk much even once she had relearnt. Muscles deteriorate very quickly on bed rest.

This may be interesting for you

mindbodygreen.com/0-11471/6...

and you do need to work out whether you are doing too much at once to cause these aches. I don't know how much you are walking/exercising - but maybe splitting what you are doing into several shorter periods with good rest periods between them might help. Too much will lead to DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness. If you then try to exercise before that has resolved the tiny tears that cause it will never heal and you will permanently have pain. If you have pain it is a sign there is something needing to heal. Let it have a chance to heal - it isn't a race. That will come later!

[Lori23 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you

[Soraya_PMR]

A broken leg in plaster will require 8 weeks, plus double that after plaster removal to rebuild muscles. And that’s when the rest of the body is still active.

Bed rest will surely take longer. A bout of flu and in bed for 4 days takes weeks to recover from.

Why were you bedbound for 6 months?

[Lori23 in reply to Soraya_PMR]

I went to hospital to have gallstones removed and ended up with pancreatitis on that day, 3rd September last year I had everything in there septis lost 2 stone allergys to antibiotics, they finally operated to take gallbladder out on 12th February they wouldn't let me go home till I walked so got home end of February. I'm walking now but muscles still ache can't go to far.

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Lori23]

Ooh that’s rough. Hope they gave you physio.

[Lori23 in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Yes they helped me walk again

[5lupins in reply to Lori23]

Hi, my OH was like you and was bed ridden. Sepsis, necrotising pancreatitis and lost over three stone. They did not remove gall bladder as he had already had sepsis and has non Hodgkin's lymphoma. So too bigger risk.

The good news is he is doing really well and has gained the lost weight. He could not eat heavy meals so four mall meals and healthy snacks. Not too much fat or red meat.

He very slowly did a little more. No particular excercises just normal movements. The first walk outside was only ten yards.

Now seven months later although he tires easily and rests he can walk about half a mile he feels ok

Everyone is shocked how he has recovered.

So his advice is eat good food, rest and do what you can . You may never be as strong as you were but things will be a lot better.

Take care Jen 🤗

[Lori23 in reply to 5lupins]

Hi jen

I'm recovering quite well I've put on 2 stone now it's just the aches on my muscles, I do a bit of exercise and eat well. Thanks for all your I formation it does help to know someone else has been there 😊😉

[HeronNS]

One thing you can try, which is what I was advised to do when had to keep weight off broken leg for five weeks, was to flex the muscles. Don't move the limb, just tighten and release the muscles. This, I was told, would help to maintain my strength to some extent. I don't see why it wouldn't also help to restore some of that lost strength. Just do it when you think about it, several times a day. Also it took a long time for me to be back to normal after bone was knitted, even though I was able to start putting weight on the leg in five weeks (tibial plateau fracture, no displacement). Not sure how long, but it could have been up to a year before there was no longer any sign in my gait, for example. And I started walking and physio as soon as I was allowed.

[Lori23 in reply to HeronNS]

Thanks I do that it does help, maybe I'm trying to hard to get fit quickly lol 😁

[HeronNS in reply to Lori23]

Nothing wrong with trying to get fit quickly, but you do need to give all those hardworking little cells time to regroup!

[Lori23 in reply to HeronNS]

Thanks 😊

[HeronNS in reply to Lori23]

Oh, and eat lots of protein!

[Lori23 in reply to HeronNS]

👍😁

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lori23]

It will take time - possibly as long as you were ill or even longer. Just be patient.

[Lori23 in reply to PMRpro]

I will try thanks

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lori23]

It is easy for me to say - but it took me 6 months to get back to anything like where I had been before after 3 weeks in hospital with a lot of bed rest! The most recent episode hasn't been as bad but it was 10 days including minor surgery - and I am whacked.

[Lori23 in reply to PMRpro]

Sorry to here that I hope you feel better soon.

[Thelmarina in reply to Lori23]

Heads

[Thelmarina in reply to Lori23]

Our heads are always ahead of our bodies!

[Lori23 in reply to Thelmarina]

So true lol 🙄😉

[Blearyeyed]

My old sports therapist said that an injury or trauma can take two to three times as long as the issue itself to return to full peak health.

Illness and infection or getting over major surgery is much the same , and if you have been mainly immobile it takes time to first recover internally and reboot your nutrients to a level that you can then slowly build up exercise , then muscle, and final full flexibility which removes the aches .

Very much like the flu , the visible symptoms may go but it takes much longer for your body and cells to recover. Tiredness and aches are a sign of that repair going on .

That isn't as depressing as it sounds , it doesn't mean you will feel as bad as you might now for a year , just that it will take time to build yourself up again . Each day will feel better though as you go along.

I have had my gall bladder out with subsequent infection and although not bedridden like yourself for so long , according to the surgical team it is one of the most torturous surgeries to the body and does take time for the pain to go , especially if you have pancreatitis along the way ( which many people do as the body readjusts to the loss of the GB).

Eat small meals more often through the day , drink alot , slowly build up exercise , do not over tone the abdomen area in the first few months as that can increase your stomach pains , take a regular vitamin and mineral supplement , probiotics also help , and that will help get rid of the aches and make exercising easier too.

[Lori23 in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thank you 😊😁

[Legsy0714]

Suggest aqua aerobics

[Legsy0714]

All the best

[Lori23 in reply to Legsy0714]

Thanks 😊😁

[stellafmdm]

It will also depend on your age! The older you are, the longer it is likely to take!

[Lori23 in reply to stellafmdm]

Thanks I can relate to that lol 😊😁

[S4ndy]

Hi, just thought I would add my thoughts and experience. I was an exercise teacher up until PMR three years ago. I do have other problems too. I was determined that I wasn't going to lose my posture or mobility.

I can't ride my cycle like I did before and although I have tried an indoor exercise bike it is still very painful.

So I have concentrated on keeping walking. In order to do this I bought myself Nordic walking poles, a walking stick and a rollator with a seat. These aids have really helped me. I use the rollator when out for a walk or shopping as it enables short rests and also helps me divide my weight between my shoulders and legs so not stressing any one joint. I used to train people to walk with frames and rollators so I am very conscious of keeping upright and not stooping to maintain good posture. This is essential for me as I have degenerative discs in my back and osteo in knees, shoulders and upper back. I don't want to become bent over. So the rollator helps me get a bit further than I otherwise would.

I use the walking stick for short walks but have to be carefully to not overload one side of my body. The walking poles are good as they make the weight distribution easier and I use these when I can't use the rollator such as on country footpaths. I still can't walk a great distance before I am in pain but I can walk further with the aids than without.

By the way I am only 57, moral is be careful with your exercise as it can come back and bite you I was teaching 2 classes a day 5 days a week and cycling on top of that!

The other thing I do is sitting exercise to keep my ankles and leg muscles strong. I am sure your physio has given you those.

Anyway the point of my reply is don't be afraid to use aids to help you regain your strength. I know people are resistant because they don't want to look "old" or "disabled" but in my view maintaining good posture and building muscle strength and endurance is much more important than looks

Wish you well on your recovery journey x

[Lori23 in reply to S4ndy]

Thanks for all your information, I do a bit of exercise each day as I don't want to deteriate lol, I had pmr for 4 years but it is all gone now so I know what pain is. 😭😁

[Oxford8 in reply to Lori23]

PMR all gone! That gives all of us hope Lori! 👍👍👍😄🌷

Take care.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to S4ndy]

What a superb reply!!