Hi guys I'm so confused about rehabilitating my upper back and arms. I haven't been feeding myself for six months because my arms are tired from things ike showers, using my walker, massaging strained leg muscles, or brushing my teeth. I don't know how to choose between exercising and the daily things I need but I just don't seem to ever be able to get stronger. Sometimes I feel like I'm getting stronger but I don't know how to measure it… is it how much I wash my face or pick up my phone? I do so many arm movements during the day I have no idea how to measure what I'm doing. Sometimes I try to add an exercises and then I lose function for hours at a time where I just have to lay still and not move. I usually do that anyway almost every day as I am on bedrest 20 to 21 hours a day. I was down to 16 and then I had a setback with my calves. I don't know my arms just haven't improved and I just don't know how to measure or coordinate my daily activities to get them stronger. I never seem to get it right to get out of this cycle. They've been getting a little bit stronger lately but I don't know why or how to keep it going or how to improve on it. Sometimes it seems like the more I ignore them the better I do because I don't panic. Sometimes I'm in a meditative state for days. Do I try to do a bunch of small movements during the day or do I go for it and do exercises and then rest them for longer? I really like to be able to keep them moving a little bit more. Anyway I'm always in pain and have been for six months. They've really been bad for two years and I rehabilitated them to the point I was doing pretty good and then I crashed all in one week. Talking seems to tense my back if I do it too much and that's when my biggest setbacks occurred – I met with my PT for two hours and afterwards my arms crashed and I still haven't been able to bring them back for months. Since I'm in the couch so much I'm also in a bad position a lot— laying down still and then sitting with my shoulders rolled forward to balance on an unsupportive seat. My husband is constantly massaging knots out of my back. I will have a good day and do a little bit more and then I'll be sore the next day or maybe for several days after. I don't know how to get in a rhythm or to increase beyond the basic abilities I have now without overdoing it or underdoing it. I try to pace myself and follow my intuition but obviously six months of trying have not paid off very much. Another issue I have is that my shoulders are not able to raise all the way anymore. I've been trying to do wall climbs to resolve the issue but I can only do them a couple times a week and it doesn't seem to make enough of a dent. Because of this stiffness raising my arms for any activity is more difficult and requires more strength.

Posted by Amanda C at 2022-08-17 17:17:29 UTC