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Ahoy! Physical Therapy Ahead
Finally, I’ve gotten word there is a Physical Therapy consult order in for ongoing, difficult weakness in my left shoulder due to LEMS. Have you done any physical therapy for LEMS weakness? I’m curious about your experience.
Early after my LEMS diagnosis, I had hip weakness, throwing off my mechanics while walking every day. I literally had difficulty lifting my left foot up from the street, over the curb, and onto the sidewalk. That problem with my gait caused pain and strain. I went to a Physical Therapy clinic near me to help. I must say, it was a mixed bag. Of the two therapists I saw, I thought one got the concept of LEMS weakness but the other didn’t.
I’m going to be very careful this time to educate my evaluating therapist on why my muscles are weak and atrophied. Did you do that? And how did it go? This time I’m going to be very careful about what strength rehabilitation routine we try! -
1 Reply
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Hi Price-Good going. Knowledgeable individuals in physical therapy, yoga, massage, accuputure, tai chi etc are the ONLY people that have helped keep me out of a wheel chair so far while pursuing a final diagnosis. The good ones are willing to educate you about your muscles, how a “normal” person uses them & then explain how a person with a particular weak muscle, compensates to do the same movement. Many times, this compensation or using the wrong muscles for movement causes the pain or worse joint injury or inflammation. It has taken me a bit of study to learn the muscles that are giving me problems and how I have been compensating for them, but now that I know where I am weakest, the PT has designed exercises to help strengthen those muscles BUT with the knowledge that I can’t push too much or I crash. They also know to watch how I am doing the exercise to make sure I am strengthening the muscle intended & not compensating with other muscles. If I fall into old patterns, it usually means the exercise they gave me is too hard, or I am too tired that day. I have gained strength, kept even in others and on bad weeks, lost. I have also used electrical stimulation & kiniseo tape in PT.You mentioned before that you try to walk everyday. I WISH that I could do that. I really admire your effort to do that.
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@searching4answers Yes! You have great knowledge, especially knowing that over exercising a muscle can cause that muscle to crash. I’ve had it happen!
Yesterday I had my PT evaluation (finally), and I’m VERY happy with the results. I’ll publish a topic on it Monday.
The short of it, she measured quantifiable weakness on my left, and visible asymmetry in comparison to the musculature and physical characteristics shoulder to shoulder.
This goes way beyond anything my Primary did or the “chicken wings” evaluation by my neurologist.
This confirms everything I’ve been feeling!
Today I’m starting an isometric routine she gave me, and we will start slow, watching for fatigue.
Thanks for your on point comments! I’ll post a thorough account Monday. Needless to say, I’m a happy boy!
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