Any chronic pain fighters out there?

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desiresdestiny
desiresdestiny Posts: 175 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hello everyone,

I'm looking for support in my fitness lifestyle from other chronic pain fighters. I will be supportive as well. I'm 29 and been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, degeneration in my tmj and osteoarthritis. Add me
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  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
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    I have a permanently dislocated sacral joint due to an accident a few years ago. That injury led to 6 surgeries with a 7th coming in February. Aside from that, I've had 3 knee surgeries and I have arthritis. I still work out and have a great trainer who works with my limitations.
  • tcarp8
    tcarp8 Posts: 370 Member
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    I used to run. I now have arthritis in my knees and hips. Still walking but probably won't be a runner anymore.
  • desiresdestiny
    desiresdestiny Posts: 175 Member
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    debrakgoogins wrote: »
    I have a permanently dislocated sacral joint due to an accident a few years ago. That injury led to 6 surgeries with a 7th coming in February. Aside from that, I've had 3 knee surgeries and I have arthritis. I still work out and have a great trainer who works with my limitations.

    I've found and continue to find exercise that work for me as well except when I'm in a bad flare that leaves me unable to walk. Sounds like you have an amazing trainer. I'm gonna add you if you don't mind
  • blackburn23
    blackburn23 Posts: 385 Member
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    I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia approx. 6 years ago. I fight mental fog on a daily basis and I ache and hurt like I have the flu on most days. I have flares around my joints because of inflamed connective tissue. I am very sensitive to medicines and am unable to take the prescribed medicines used for fibromyalgia. I manage my pain with ibuprofen and tylenol when needed. I have learned that exercise helps, especially with the "fibro fog", but I have to be careful to not overdo it. Exercising too vigorously can cause days of extreme pain and tiredness. I have about 70 lbs that I would like to lose.
  • AlannahQuick
    AlannahQuick Posts: 2 Member
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    I have chronic degenerative disc disease and it cause some issues when exercising but you have to find what works for you and your pain. My weight played a lot into back pain and so when I lost weight it would relieve the tension enough to keep me going in the gym. People with constant pain are fighters!
  • desiresdestiny
    desiresdestiny Posts: 175 Member
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    blackburn23 wrote: »
    I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia approx. 6 years ago. I fight mental fog on a daily basis and I ache and hurt like I have the flu on most days. I have flares around my joints because of inflamed connective tissue. I am very sensitive to medicines and am unable to take the prescribed medicines used for fibromyalgia. I manage my pain with ibuprofen and tylenol when needed. I have learned that exercise helps, especially with the "fibro fog", but I have to be careful to not overdo it. Exercising too vigorously can cause days of extreme pain and tiredness. I have about 70 lbs that I would like to lose.

    I'm very sensitive to meds too. I have had so many reactions that Doctor worry about giving me any. I live off of ibuprofen but it doesn't do much.
  • desiresdestiny
    desiresdestiny Posts: 175 Member
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    AlannahQuick wrote: »
    People with constant pain are fighters!

    Agree
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
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    blackburn23 wrote: »
    I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia approx. 6 years ago. I fight mental fog on a daily basis and I ache and hurt like I have the flu on most days. I have flares around my joints because of inflamed connective tissue. I am very sensitive to medicines and am unable to take the prescribed medicines used for fibromyalgia. I manage my pain with ibuprofen and tylenol when needed. I have learned that exercise helps, especially with the "fibro fog", but I have to be careful to not overdo it. Exercising too vigorously can cause days of extreme pain and tiredness. I have about 70 lbs that I would like to lose.

    I was diagnosed with fibro four years ago when the pain had become unbearable. The doctor put me on meds that made me feel like a zombie, the next set of meds made me feel like I was in hyperdrive and my heart would beat out of my chest, and the third med my insurance wouldn't approve so I went back to the first at a lower dosage. I decided to try other ways to alleviate my pain without the mind numbing meds, they made the fibro fog worse and they had to go. I lost weight (70 pounds) over the last two years, started running in the last year (really helps with the fog), and regularly go to a chiropractor and massage therapist. The massages have been the biggest help because they are able to work some of the trigger spots loose and a lot of the pain dissipates and I feel like I can function again. Also, being able to get quality sleep is a huge benefit. The flares get worse when I am stressed or running on a few hours of sleep a night.

    I have found all of this out through trial and error to see what works best for me. You may find that some of these work well for you and others not so much. I think the biggest thing is to listen to your body, get adequate rest, and don't push too hard when you are having a really off day.

    Feel free to add me if you like. Good luck on your journey and finding relief from the chronic pain.
  • blackburn23
    blackburn23 Posts: 385 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your encouraging posts. It really does help to know that others understand what chronic pain is like. Thanks also for sharing how you deal with your pain and what your fitness programs are like. I am soooo motivated right now!
  • Amberdoodledawn
    Amberdoodledawn Posts: 11 Member
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    I have scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, harrington rods, decrepitis knee joints, and chronic pain and fatigue. Every year or two I will have a flare up ( bulging disc, stress fracture ) and have to be put back on prednisone rounds and major pain meds that I have to take with food. I continously fluctuate 40lbs. The older I get the harder it is to lose the prednisone weight. This time I am struggling and want to lose the weight to avoid/postpone another impending surgery.
  • Amberdoodledawn
    Amberdoodledawn Posts: 11 Member
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    adhoopi wrote: »
    I have scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, harrington rods, decrepitis knee joints, and chronic pain and fatigue. Every year or two I will have a flare up ( bulging disc, stress fracture ) and have to be put back on prednisone rounds and major pain meds that I have to take with food. I continously fluctuate 40lbs. The older I get the harder it is to lose the prednisone weight. This time I am struggling and want to lose the weight to avoid/postpone another impending surgery.

    I mostly just take my dog for walks and ride a recumbent bike due to the reduced stress level on my joints and spine.
  • Azurite27
    Azurite27 Posts: 554 Member
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    I have scoliosis caused by a short leg. I've learned to do what I can rather than being limited by what I can't. I'm limited to very low impact exercises but I've learned to work with that, working on resistance and endurance rather than speed or intensity.

    Never compare yourself to others when it comes to fitness. Everyone has different abilities and potential. Only compare yourself to yourself, or in other words work on a better "you". Feel free to add me.
  • desiresdestiny
    desiresdestiny Posts: 175 Member
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    Azurite27 wrote: »
    I have scoliosis caused by a short leg. I've learned to do what I can rather than being limited by what I can't. I'm limited to very low impact exercises but I've learned to work with that, working on resistance and endurance rather than speed or intensity.

    Never compare yourself to others when it comes to fitness. Everyone has different abilities and potential. Only compare yourself to yourself, or in other words work on a better "you". Feel free to add me.

    I so agree with you. It took me a while to get to this point but it's true. Only each of us knows our own struggle and what we can and cannot do.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
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    adhoopi wrote: »
    I have scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, harrington rods, decrepitis knee joints, and chronic pain and fatigue. Every year or two I will have a flare up ( bulging disc, stress fracture ) and have to be put back on prednisone rounds and major pain meds that I have to take with food. I continously fluctuate 40lbs. The older I get the harder it is to lose the prednisone weight. This time I am struggling and want to lose the weight to avoid/postpone another impending surgery.

    Have you tried swimming or water jogging? There is no impact and you can get a surprisingly good workout in the water. I lost my first 20 pounds by eating better and doing water exercises.
  • Foggiblu
    Foggiblu Posts: 20 Member
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    I never understood it when I would hear commercials for pain clinics. I use to think, why would anyone be in pain all the time. I guess when I was young, I thought everything could be fixed. Well here I am at 57 and everyday is painful. So I get it now. Desiresdestiny are so young at 29 to go through this and I wish no one so young ever had to be in chronic pain.

    I believe years of being lazy have caused much damage to my whole body. I have back problems and Fibro...but heard that yoga can really help. Tried Lyrica (huge weight gainer), couldn't deal with the side effects. So I take hydo everyday...ugh.

    Anyone else doing yoga with success? I start next week with a friend, but I've been saying this every week.

  • desiresdestiny
    desiresdestiny Posts: 175 Member
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    Foggiblu wrote: »
    I never understood it when I would hear commercials for pain clinics. I use to think, why would anyone be in pain all the time. I guess when I was young, I thought everything could be fixed. Well here I am at 57 and everyday is painful. So I get it now. Desiresdestiny are so young at 29 to go through this and I wish no one so young ever had to be in chronic pain.

    I believe years of being lazy have caused much damage to my whole body. I have back problems and Fibro...but heard that yoga can really help. Tried Lyrica (huge weight gainer), couldn't deal with the side effects. So I take hydo everyday...ugh.

    Anyone else doing yoga with success? I start next week with a friend, but I've been saying this every week.

    Yeah got the tmj diagnosis at 27 and then all the arthritis stuff followed. Funny through I've been active and worked out prior to all this.

    I haven't tried yoga but I do Pilates. I follow a DVD and have tried some of fitness blender Pilates workouts as well
  • ElJefeChief
    ElJefeChief Posts: 651 Member
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    History of compression fracture, L3, history of bulging disc, C4, lots of PT and lots of pills in my history (the latter of which made me very sick in the end). I have ongoing issues with stenosis-type symptoms, here and there.

    Best thing I've done for my chronic pain is losing a lot of weight.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    I have thoracic outlet syndrome that comes and goes. When it comes, the symptoms range from neck, shoulder, and arm (all the way down to fingers) pain to the same areas just becoming painfully numb. Usually, it is just painful. At times, my hand is just not very dextrous (I can't pick things up very well, for example).

    Also, I've never gotten a diagnosis (I gave up years ago) on this, but I've always had back pain since I was a teenager. At that time, every dr. I ever saw just checked if I had scoliosis (I didn't), and just concluded that it must just be all in my head. It doesn't really affect movement like the thoracic outlet syndrome sometimes does, but it is an annoyance.

    Finally, this isn't as much of a pain issue anymore, but I've dislocated and separated both of my shoulders a whole lot of times. On the left side, after 12 dislocations and 1 separation, I had an open bankart surgery to repair it. That was 5 years ago and I have not dislocated it since. It just pops every once in awhile, and it can be painful from over-use.
  • cornmesserchronicles
    cornmesserchronicles Posts: 3 Member
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    I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1999. I was one of the first to get Ssdi based on that diagnosis. Needless to say at that time not much was known and my treatment was completely wrong. I was put on very strong pain mess along with 30 other pills a day. If it hurt I did not move. My depression became so severe I just wanted to die. In the last 4 years I have been battling back. I quit smoking, got off all my meds except for one light pain med I take at night because that is when the pain intensifies the most. Now I am trying to lose weight. I have lost 21 pounds but it has been very slow coming off. Moving, walking, even standing and sitting very quickly becomes extremely painful. I have ballooned to twice my weight and now weigh in at 295.2, down from my all time high of 317. Lately I have not been very careful with my diet but today was my first day putting in a renewed effort. I sincerely think I will have less pain if I lose weight. But.... I AM A FOOD ADDICT! I pray that I can contain my cravings.
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
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    Ankylosing spondylitis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, IBS, dry eye, multiple car accidents with injuries, multiple joint surgeries, drug sensitivities, pain, fibro fog, and have completely lost the ability to multitask. I gained almost 100 lbs on prednisone. Withdrawal from prednisone was very difficult, and still after more than 6 years, I wish I could go back on it.

    With all that, I've come to realize that I still have to take responsibility for my own life. I still need to eat right and exercise to the best of my ability. I can't do what healthy people do, but I can to do what I can do. The hard part for me is actually doing what I can do, and not using the above conditions as excuses. And balancing that with knowing when to stop. When I'm having a good day, I tend to overdo it and regret it the next day. But, believe it or not, my memory is so shot that sometimes on a good day I forget that I have bad days.

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