Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group muscle spasms? trigger points? what to do?

thanks jay,

seem to be tolerating 250 mg ok, sometimes i don't.
but its magnesium oxide, looks like i should pick up another form.

will build up slowly,

thanks,

thanks freddie,

will do,

Trigger point injections sound more painful. I don't think acupuncture hurts at all. The needles are small and don't go in very far. I live in PA and we have MD's that practice acupuncture. I would ask your family doctor or your local medical board or society. You may want to google your hometown and acupuncture.

Craig

thanks craig

Hi Sue,

Well that sucks!! Sorry to hear but sounds like you are doing all you can at the moment and getting some good advice from the gallery. I sooooooooo hear you... More than specific meds, P.T. has helped relieve my spasms more. It just takes a long time and patience to see it thru. I wish I could quick-fix it for you. Believe it or not, and I am an incurable insomniac, and I have been getting a little relief from the new Excedrin PM. I thought, no way, but WAY! It doesn't happen right away, but when I can settle down, it has been helping me stay asleep longer and provides me a little more relief-go figure. Hey if it's out there, I will try it!

LOL and keep us updated and let us know what your rheumy says on tues.

Sounds like you are the pro on this! How do you differentiate between the muscle pain and the AS pain? Faith

I don't know how it is differentiated. My dr. will say, "This is the Lupus or this is the RA or today your AS is really bad." I finally told him I didn't care what he called it as long as he made me feel better. )

The PT helps me more than any pill. I am really blessed with a very good PT who is also a Women's Health Specialist so I have learned a lot from her. I have been seeing her 2xweekly for over 2 years. I am getting tired of the appts but she keeps me going.

Blessings to you all.
Possi

thanks mamallama,

yesterday was really bad, a trigger point that had been latent in the other side of my back had become active (probably too much stress trying to help the left side out), it was like someone was stabbing me all day long to the point that my stomach was scary bad. i took a walk and it was the only time of the day that my stomach got a little relief. took a bath, took muscle relaxants, put a flector patch over the area, took some mylanta to calm my stomach, and actually got to sleep more hours last night than i have in a week. woke after 1 hour, stayed awake for an hour or two, then managed to sleep another 3-4, and then another 1 or 2. and my back was a bit better this morning. kind of fragile better like if i was careful, maybe it would continue to get a little better today, with lots and lots of ice, i think it did. took two walks today, think that helped. when i woke my stomach, which had emptied overnight, hurt, but as the day wore on without the unrelenting pain of yesterday, it has gotten a bit better too. if i could just have a few more days like this. but tomorrow i have to sit in the car for 30 minutes to get to the doctors and sitting for even a few minutes right now is the main thing that sets it off, well, that and laying to sleep. i will take a cooler of ice packs with me and hope i get through that ok. the main thing is, i really need to get back to work, and how can i if i can't sit for more than a few minutes at a time. but, maybe with ultrasound at the PTs and lots of ice and some walking, maybe i can turn this around. my neck is no longer spasming, so i must be doing something effective. i know it will be a long road, but if i continued like yesterday, they would have had to give me something for the pain mostly because of my stomach. it truly has amazed me to watch my stomach which has been quite excellent as of late go downhill so rapidly, within a week, just from pain, nothing else, just pain. doctors need to make a note of that and take pain seriously. i know some do, but i'm not sure all understand the significance of unrelenting pain. but i know you all do. thanks for caring and will let you know about rheumy appointment, unless too depressing, then i will eventually, just not right away,

well, certainly not a pro, and like possi said, mostly don't care what causes it, JUST MAKE IT STOP! however, with that said, if i know the root of the problem, i know better how to treat it.

for example, now that i realize the muscles are spasming because of the active trigger points, do treat the muscle spasms so the muscles don't fatigue too much and because well, they're painful in their own right. but also know that if i don't treat the trigger points, then the muscles will never stop spasming so must treat the trigger points. now, i don't know if my underlying disease makes me have this trigger point problem. i don't know why my latent trigger points become active upon stretching; all the literature tells you to stretch trigger points but i've had three or four episodes now where careful stretching has caused major trigger point activation problems. i do not understand this. i'm pretty sure my doctors and PTs don't understand it either. but i do know that 1/2 of my problem is trigger points --> muscle spasms and myofascial pain. but i don't know if that's an arthritis exacerbated symptom (have read that arthritis and joint problems are one of the things that they think contribute to trigger points) or a mechanical problem from years of desk work, etc. the only way to find out is to get a medicine for the arthritis and if the trigger points get better, then we know, and if they don't, then we know the other way.

however, the trigger point / myofascial pain does not address the sacroilliitis, which has been documented by physiatrists, and cortisone does help so that also has helped prove its inflammatory, plus the marbly feeling that the SI gets. also does not explain the hands, and feet, and knees, and elbows; arthritis though explains those plus the SI.

i only care to sort it all out because it makes the treatment more possible, but like possi said, i don't really care what it is, so long as they can treat it.

and yes, there are some things i understand, but a lot more that i don't. i might understand what, but definitely not how or why?