Resuming normal movement with SUPER tight muscles

Hello! I'm making slow progress with my healing. My pain from the acute attack is getting better and I'm focusing on trying to move a little more normally, including my daily treadmill walks. I spent last weekend doing absolutely nothing out of obligation and just enjoying myself, and the pain definitely decreased during that time.
The one thing I still struggle with is that my muscles respond to the oxygen deprivation by getting REALLY tight. Even before I had any TMS pain issues, I tended to have pretty tight muscles that needed to be stretched pre and post-workout. In addition to the oxygen deprivation causing that, my stuff body movements for the past several months have just exacerbated the tightness. When I get out of bed now, my entire body just feels like a tightly stretched rubber band. Because of this, I just don't feel comfortable bending straight forward just yet. Even though I know there is nothing structurally wrong, I feel like the oxygen deprivation has resulted in muscles that are bound too tight and I don't want to pull anything by trying to go for the gusto first thing in the morning.
Thoughts on this? I don't want to sabotage my healing, but I also don't want to push myself and end up with more fear. Will the muscle tightness get better with time and give me more comfort about normal movement, or do I need to just start pushing myself?

 

Hi, Kris. Muscle tightness, like other pains, will go away when you believe 100 percent they are caused by TMS,
repressed emotions that may go back to childhood and may be triggered by something recent. Or having a
perfectionist or "goodist" personality, wanting everyone to like you all the time, and trying to please. We can overdo that.

Keep up the daily exercise. The tread mill is great, Don't be fearful you will hurt yourself.

Keep doing deep breathing. Taking more time to enjoy yourself relieves pain. You've already noticed that.

Good luck and keep posting about your progress.

 

Hi Kris,
I don't think you need to push too quickly to have any physical happen. You are making progress. You are moving. You understand the source of the stiffness. Why not be gentle with yourself?
Andy B.

 

Kris,
I think the muscle tightness is from the "tension" in TMS. At least that was the case for me. Once I finally began to relax, my muscle tightness went away. I have become aware of how much I tense my muscles when I'm stressed. With that awareness, I can now relax them. I think a guided meditation that uses progressive muscle relaxation may be beneficial for you. And the kind where you purposely tense your muscle, then release it. When we have chronically held our bodies in a very tense way, it starts to feel normal. Yoga may be helpful too.

 

Can you suggest any online sources for getting started with the guided meditation you are referring to?

 

Kris, I agree with what has been advised! I just want to give an encouraging word. At least for some of us, when we begin to feel better, like Ellen said, we notice our muscles tightening with stress. I now find it entertaining to have my legs tighten (no pain) when I am watching TV. I like crime dramas and mysteries, and my sub-c doesn't know what is real and what isn't.

This mindbody is amazing! Also, kudos to you, your post sounds like you are convinced there isn't anyrhing wrong, just a mild lack in oxygen. Good for you!
Lizzy

 

I don't have a specific one to recommend because the form of yoga I do (Bikram) includes tensing muscles to form a posture, holding it, and then releasing it. It has helped me a great deal with the muscle tension.

But if you search on YouTube for "progressive muscle relaxation meditation", you will find many come up that you can try. Maybe someone else has a specific one to recommend?

 

Don't know if you saw this related thread:

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/tightness-and-excercise.8230/

 

Thank, Ellen. You always give great advice and lead us to excellent urls and threads.