I looked around and read some about making sure to excercise and working through it, but I need some more advice, please.
I am new to PsA and the forum. Luckily my job is one where I sit and crunch numbers most of the time, but about 10 weeks out of the year I have to travel and be up and around for that week. I recently had to attend two week long trade shows back to back and when I got home I was almost cripple. I had to get around at the trade shows and my feet and knees were in terrible shape. I pushed through it but ended up having to take pain pills every day
I talked to my rheumy last week and asked if I should still push through all the pain in a situation like that since it seemed to do more harm than good, or slow down. His response was yes I had to keep going.
How do you keep going and moving when everything hurts so bad. For the last few months the PsA seems to be in my knees and feet worse than it has been. With it being bilateral, it can make for some tough days. I think I may be doing more damage than good.
Any suggestions on how to push through that much stiffness and pain. I hate taking the pain pills
First, sorry for the pain youâve been in. Next, anything you can do to stay active and mobile is good. I love how you say âluckilyâ about your sedentary job. Many of us have those same kinds of jobs but donât feel so âluckyâ about it. Sitting still is NOT good.
A good start for your regular (non-travel) work is to ask for a standing desk. This way you can get a little standing up time in your day and still be productive. When it comes to all that time on your feetâIâd say you have to ease in to it. I had been travelling internationally every year (not this year) and the 10-14 day trip was a grueling combination of day-long formal presentations and then intense sight-seeing. I was essentially chaperoning students so I couldnât not go along. But for the two months before the trip I would start easing myself into walking more and more so that by the time I went away I was taking my 10,000 steps a day as a matter of course.
One last thingâaccommodations. If you canât stand all day long, see about being able to sit for a little while. If your feet are really sore, add insoles. If your knees give you hell, try a knee brace. Iâm an absolute hilarity to myself when I work-out anymore because of the compression sleeves, tendon braces and so forth that I wear so I can enjoy being active without suffering after the fact.
I will try that. I know my schedule months in advance.
As for a standing desk, we can get them, just one problem-I am 6â 5" and they donât come up that high. Plus, I use three monitors at a time and they will not hold that.
I am able to get up and walking around every hour as needed, no one says anything. I work with a good bunch of people, but I feel like I am not carrying my weight sometimes because my boss does accomodate me and doesnât send me on as many trips as everyone else.
I am learning sitting is the enemy, thought that is all I want to do somedays.
I think the worst thing you can do is go from sedentary to being on your feet all day. I agree with janeatiu that youâd be best off easing yourself into it.
Additionally, any predominantly purposeful or snatched exercise is likely to tense you up more than is ideal. I hear you about wanting to stay seated. Iâm not surprised because you have a lot going on in your joints and it sounds as if the pain is pretty bad. But if you can find time to do the kind of exercise that is somewhat enjoyable and relaxing too, you may feel soothed, you may start to get ever so slightly âaddictedâ to moving. Swimming is the main thing that comes to mind. Or even just strolling in nice surroundings. Or walking as fast as possible and then following up with a jacuzzi at least. Anything to avoid exercise becoming yet another painful chore. And anything that will be balm for your joints as well as good for them.
Maybe thatâs my present problem. With a fractured pelvis sadly sitting has been predominant but walking is still slow and an issue. Still though it gives me hope. Thanks
