Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Extremely Stiff Muscles

Hi All,

Ive been suffering with severley stiff muscles for so long I cant remember now. Ive been told to try physiotherapty which didnt really help, and they discharged me after i missed an appointment (even though I work in the hospital and was really busy and forgot).

The main place I have the stiffness is in my hamstrings, and I also have pain in my calves. It is so severe that when i take a step forward, like literally a baby step it hurts as if the muscle is being stretched to its maximum capicity. I sometimes think are my muscles wasting away. they are also very rigid and hard rather than nice and soft.


I also suffer with terrible shoulder pain which affects my sleep at night, I thought I had a normal range of movement in my shoulder until I was shocked when my 75 year old grandmother could reach up and get something from the top shelf and me aged 30 could not.

I was just wondering if anyone knows what it may be, I do have AS and take 50mg Entranacept injections weekly. Ive been seeing a private masseus which really sothes my muscles but after a day there sore again.

any advice or anyone reccomendations on which specialist i should consult with would be appreciated.

Thanks

Joe

I get that kind of stiffness which is almost a muscle spasm, when I have enthesitis really badly. I figure that the inflammation at the point where tendon joins onto bone affects the whole muscle and can cause it to get painfully stiff and sore. I used to have terrible problems in my lower spine, but have also had the same problems in my legs and shoulders like you. As far as the shoulders go, I suffered badly with very limited movement in one shoulder for ages until I found a really good physio. You do need to try and get the inflammation under control one way or another but once that is happening, then a good physio will be able to gently mobilise the shoulder, and once you have movement back a bit, you can continue your stretching exercises to keep it that way. Since I've regularly been doing stretching exercises my shoulder has never got to as bad as it was at its worst. Google AS exercises to figure out what you should be doing, but basically its stretching every joint to the fullest extent comfortable as often as you can, but at least once a day. It really does make a difference in your flexibility. I personally think that stretching exercises are more use than a massage, though a massage can feel nice at the time.

I'll echo a lot of what cemc said.

Yeh, I have low to moderate muscle spasms, some places worse than others. my upper back is the worst due to nerve compression by bone spurs in the facet joints in my neck (cervical spine).

The things that have been helpful:

I saw a manual physical therapist for the first few years which was very helpful. Different than a normal physical therapist that just prescribes exercises. A manual PT will do soft tissue work, use ultrasound, etc in addition to the exercises (both stretching and strengthening).

I now see a chiro who is very similar to the manual PT. Not an old fashioned crack the back type of guy, but a soft tissue work guy. He's great. He has a lot of tools in his tool box.

I get trigger points and the chiro does ART to get them out. Ultrasound at home, ice and heat at home, trigger point injections (by an interventionalist now, a physiatrist in the past) very helpful too. For me, if one presses too hard on a trigger point, it only gets worse, but gentle pressing with movement (ART) or ultrasound or ice all work.

My rheumatologist recommended magnesium and CoQ to help the muscles, they both seem to help.

I also take a muscle relaxant most every night and as needed. I take zanaflex (generic of) because it only lasts in the blood stream for 6 hours so I can take it at bedtime and not be groggy in the morning. It does lower my BP and make me sleepy about an hour after I take it for about 1-2 hours. So at bedtime is perfect. If i need it during the day, I time it so I can take a nap for an hour when my BP drops. I tried flexeril first, terrible side effects of extreme zombieness for hours and hours and hours and hours...but the muscles were so soft, like a marshmallow man, but the brain was all spacey too and i couldn't have that....the zanaflex not as strong regarding the muscles, but just enough to be helpful.

For me, massage just made me rebound worse. Soft tissue work by a PT or chiro has always been a better bet for me.

Magnesium does help yes.

I am too stiff in the arms as a dead guy.

Serious shoulder pain as well plus cracking sound as a bonus.

I feel like I am falling apart.

Stretching, range of motion, massage anything gentle that will get movement back into your body.

Start there.

Warm hugs,

Joseph-after 50 years of fighting this stuff, the only thing that always helps, if I can stand the pain, is enough exercise to get hot and start to sweat. Which is not always possible.
It is hard to know if we are wearing our joints or if it is just pain....
yeah, it is almost like baby steps!!

Same for me as well. excersise and heatpads. Walking up and down the stairs a few times helps, and a hot shower. Sometimes if my hip and shoulder/chest pain gets too bad at night, I'll jump in the hot shower and do the stairs, and then I'll take a sleeping pill as well.