I painfully did some physio the wrong way

I bought a Multiple Sclerosis Physiotherapy Book called The MSing Link: The Essential Guide to Improve Walking, Strength & Balance for People with Multiple Sclerosis By Dr. Gretchen Hawley

I needed some groundwork and a foundation to start exercises specific to certain symptoms and issues. Since I have yet to start a physio program yet and when I do, it will be fairly limited and will not cover every area I need. Or be long-term.

So far this one is perfect for my needs to start me off. It has some great started physio exercises for a number of issues related to different things and also strength building. Some may seem easy to others but to someone like me, they are just right. Definitely things I need to work on.

I started with the fatigue related exercises and a few for drop foot. Then I did a bit on my exercise bike for the day (just 10 minutes- nothing excessive). Seemed pretty good. Exercises were great. Worked different areas of the body. I felt good about it.

I’m thinking I will try out all the exercises in this section- get a feel for the movements. And it was going good. My body was loosening up a bit from that eternal stiffness. So maybe I did a few too many reps of each exercise. Maybe. Yes. And too many exercises. Maybe. Yes. (What the heckballs was I thinking?)

But, as usually, I did way too many of them. And I regretted that pretty quickly. I did drink cold water before and after. I rested before and after. At least I did those steps and didn’t overheat.

Completely overdid it

I felt the pain shortly after and into the evening. That was a bad sign. And now today- not cool. I’ll tell you that. I forget sometimes that I also have Fibromyalgia and that takes a toll when you exercise. Also a particularly problematic area of mine lately is my right arm, shoulder down, and it does not like movement at all- so it is angry at me now. Like radiating pain downward sort of angry at me. Being right handed, sort of not a good idea I did that. I already have a lot of trouble using it in everyday things. And I really ticked it off. Not even mentioning the rest of my body that is none too pleased with me at the moment.

Apparently, I have to take things slower than I anticipated. Always a problem when I exercise. I feel like I must be doing too little and then I do too much.

How easy it is to forget our limitations and power through them

Only to reminded shortly after with a blast of pain and a pounding of fatigue. And now, I am not sure if I can do any at all today. I will try for a short round but I may not be able to on account of what I did yesterday. Definitely no in the arms for sure today.

Nevertheless, that is why I need a book like this to structure my exercise in a way that works. I have, now, specific physio exercises I can do to build a routine. And when I go to physiotherapy I can work on specific problems like my arm.

Exercise never fails to be seriously complicated

For once, I wish my body would cooperate with me. And just Do the Thing. But it doesn’t. So, I continue my hate with exercise that continues to be a necessity in my life- and I also continue to hate that.

I worry so much I am doing too little and my muscles will get weaker from just that-doing too Little. But I am not sure I can exercise enough to maintain those muscles. However, that is my aim. Slowly but surely. Apparently, way more slowly than I thought.

• Either way, some exercise and movement a day, is good.
• I have to remember my limitations.
• That it isn’t a race. Damn it.
• That any exercise is good exercise. Sort of. Still sucks.
• Eventually, I will do more if I am consistent (which is always a problem as well).
• And it is always a slow process. But progress does happen, at its own pace. Not from me pushing myself beyond my limits. That never works. A lesson I will apparently learn several times over as my brain continues to believe I can do things I simply can’t.

I know how to do physio

I’ve done it a hundred times for a hundred reasons. And in no occasion has it been Do ALL the exercises AT ONCE. And then feel ALL THE PAIN. Never. So that was my mistake. Not that I did all the exercises in the book. But in that section, yeah, I did. And that’s foolish. Knowing my pain. And fatigue.

We have to pace. Know our limits. Start slow. Building and layer up- weeks at a time- as our body adjusts- if we see that it is. And slow and steady is the rule. One new exercise at a time. Sometimes two. I’ve never had a physiotherapist do what I just did to myself. See I do know that. After the fact.

Lesson here is- its a great book. Don’t use it wrong. Pick some exercises of the sort you need for the area you want to work on. Maybe three exercises. And work those for a couple of weeks. Then add one or two. I should know better. But I never learn right away. I remember, keenly, painfully, after the fact.

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Exercising with Multiple Sclerosis for me