Well, now that I've nagged you into upper body stretching, you will be pleased to know that my doc is not at all impressed with my neck and shoulder mobility... so guess what? Upper body stretching for me now!

I'll start tomorrow.

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I'm getting there, too. You absolutely would not believe all the cool adaptive gadgets my sister has for her lupus/arthritis lifestyle. Her garden tools ROCK!

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we missed you and too!

hope you like the zanaflex!

tell me more about your sister's useful gadgets and tools! would be interested. also, garden tools? i've bought the good grips ones, they are helpful. and my kneeling pads of course. curious as to what she has. of course my #1 garden tool is hubby! he does 99% of the gardening and i get to reap its benefits and play in my herb garden, just a tiny manageable patch!

today, walk, 1.5 miles, 30 minutes

Thursday: walk 4 miles (80 minutes) and upper body stretching (30 minutes)
Friday: walk 4 miles (80 minutes) and upper body stretching (30 minutes)
Saturday: bike 25 miles (90 minutes)

Join the club!

I just don't understand the inflexibility of my neck and upper back. This is what I mean...I do a set of neck movements and I lay flat on my back. When I first lay down the head doesn't touch the ground as it sticks there at about 1 inch off the ground (it was about 3 inches before I started getting treatment). Then in about 10 minutes the head finally makes touchdown. I sometimes lay in that position while I watch TV. Then when I get up my neck is now stuck straight. And then within a few minutes it relaxes into a position with some bend. It is the same way with the rest of the neck movements...as I hold the flex the neck moves more and more into the flex. I like to find something that explains this condition more. I wonder if this is a precursor to fusion.

I don't understand it either, but my neck and shoulders have gotten progressively stiffer as I've gotten older, even though I'm not fusing and even though I'm totally loose after I swim and/or stretch. Then in a couple of hours they're stiff again.

Have you asked your doc about the fusing possibility? The Spondylitis Assn. does say that the AS specific exercises are designed to encourage straight fusing if it's in process... Well, whatever is going on, GOOD JOB doing your upper body stretches along with walking!

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She has tools that are sort of leverage things. Her hand spade is bent at an angle, and it has a strap that rests against her forearm. Kind of like this but not exactly.

As for the zanaflex, I just got the prescription filled yesterday, so I'll probably try it this evening. I have such weird reactions to meds, I like to try them once when my husband is able to dial 911 in case something weird happens. This body of mine is so odd. I was thinking last night that I feel so grateful for feeling as good as I do when my blood work always looks so crappy. Truly amazing.

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Sue, good job getting in a walk!

I don't know about you, but I do not like exercising in winter. I just don't, but we have to do it anyway. Right?

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Good job on the stretching and walking!

How's the weather down there in gold country?

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