PLS effects tendons and ligaments?

[AKmom]

I know it effect muscles but does it effect tendons and ligaments? I will for no reason pop a tendon or ligament now. This has been the last 5 or so years since this has started happening. Sometimes its as simple as taking a step backward then pop! My calf tendon that attatches to my knee to the calf muscle pops and tears. Another time getting into bed a tendon in my groin goes POP! Ouchie! Or like my wrist which was the most recent one...the hand locks up when using a cane and I do my usual squeeze and turn of the wrist then...POP! Tear a tendon or cartlage. Although I guess my question should include cartage to all this. But the jury is still out and guessing on which was torn in my wrist/hand.

So have anyone heard or read of such a pheononimon?(sp is horrible).

My hands hurt all the time now but its not arthritis from all I can tell. I figured this out last night. They hurt worse when they haven't been moved for a few minutes...like as if they are in their own spastic cramp. I rub them and rub the joints. The pain is isolated between the joints but not in the joint. Like a muscle or tendon or ligament running up and over the joint that hurts. There is no redness or swelling. Just the pain effecting every part of the hands and sometimes up the inside of the arm halfway between the elbow and wrist. You can feel the muscle in there all knotted up. I have no grip anymore yet my hands never relax enough. When hubby holds my hands he always rubs them and says "Relax!" But I cannot control them or relax them. I hardly even pay attention anymore to them unless they seize up on me completely.

My hands are a part of what I do for a living. I am a professional photographer and artist. I use my hands daily and its getting more and more difficult to hold my camera. I have to use wrist braces to support my wrists but not sure what to do about the weak grip and fingers.:-?

 

[AKmom]

I guess by the non replies I must be the only one here who is going through this? Thats ok...I am just praying it doesn't get worse. The site seems to have slowed down some. I pray all is well with you all!

 

[Al]

Could be just a slow week on the forum. Some of us are paying attention but have no advice to give.

AL.

 

[joelc]

Sorry you have not received any replies. Speaking for myself I have been having a lot of problems trying to get anything in print. I am trying to work through this.

As far as ALS affecting tendons and ligament, I really don't think it does. At least not directly. As muscles atrophy they are no longer able to keep things together and therefore more stress is put on your tendons and ligaments. I believe that this could be what is happening.

 

[abbas child]

Couldn't the UMN spasticity cause pulling on the tendons and ligaments? Not long ago, Ladyinn had such a bad spasm, it herniated a stomach muscle. That experience as well as some others I've read about with UMN make me think that as the muscle is twisted, it would easily tear or pull on the connective tissue holding it to bone or joints.

 

[Ladyinn]

Yes, I developed a very painful hernia, Ann, after a week of horrific muscle spasms through my stomach and torso. Muscles are no longer functioning and I can not sit up without a corset-like belt to hold me rigid. I think some ligaments could easily been torn with the twisted muscles. I also had terrible pain in my shoulder as the muscles atrophied and my arm hung at my side pulling the shoulder from the socket and ripping tendons. Ouch.

 

[Tokahfang]

I don't have any wisdom to offer beyond what was already said. Spasticity and such have a serious secondary affect on the whole skeletal structure, setting your tendons up to fail seems to follow. I don't know what to do about it, though.

 

[AKmom]

ok yes that all makes sense. Seems like because my doc doesn't know enough about this disease, its always a help to hear reports from others who have experienced the same things so we can understand more of what and why I am going through things. I have learned that keeping the spasticity under control is my first priority. Because I seem to always injure something when I don't.

On that note...I have been forgetting to take my baclofen in the afternoons and by evening I am so tight like a twisted rubberband. But I need to take that last dose closer to betimes so I can sleep better through the night. Thing is when I only take two a day I don't sleep at all because I have break through spasm at night that wake me. But during the times I forget I am noticing that I might be progressing more than I realized. The twitches in the muscles are now affecting my tongue and inside my throat like next to the larnyx. And they are cramping up as well as the muscles under the chin. Its kinda scary to think about going through all this and no one else around here knows what to do about it. Not that there is anything that can be done! My hubby who use to think me hard as rock now is treating me like I am a glass porcelain doll. Thats scary in itself because my hubby has never treated me that way. I can only imaging what he must be going through all this also. Seeing his wife of 26 years who was strong as any and could hold her own in a soccer match, become a bumbling, feable, old, weakling who cannot even open a jar let alone walk a straight line.

Getting old sucks. But I have my faith that the Lord must have some reward for me to go through this much now. Sorry to rant on with my pitty party I am having. Sometimes just saying it to stangers who are going through the same stuff helps me to process it. I will be ok.

 

[Alyoop]

Hey Joyce
Yea it sucks! We are all too young to go through this. I can't keep up with my 78 year old mum and she is frail. I think it's the hardest thing for the family as well.
Sorry you are having such a hard time. Baclofen is not particularly toxic, so make sure you don' t miss it. I am not nearly as bad as you and only have a bit of spasticity which causes me no pain. And I take 60 mg a day divided into 3 as it has a very short half life. Taking it only twice a day is not a good idea as it wears off. So be vigilant with remembering the doses. I have no side effects at all on 60 mg, but then I am someone that does not dwell on side effects, so have very few. The secret is never read the side effect profile unless you have to.

I am off to Sweden on Friday, but my son is sick with a nasty abcess. I won,t be getting on the plane unless it starts healing. Boo hoo.

Always thinking of you
Love Aly

 

[johnnyliverpool]

well, there you go..a wasjust gonna reply and put my sixpennyworth in and the gang beat me to it. deffo the spasticity..as usual experience knows..actually i quite enjoy the spasticity,,well some of it..i find it staggeringly amazing that i can tap my thumb with my middle finger and me arm will do some crazy dance routine..of course then the elbow become extremely sore.......so i guess that when the muscle are in constant tension the attached tendons feel the strain.....wow that read well.you would think i new what i was talking about.......johnnyclonus.......

 

[joelc]

Enjoy your twitching, spasticity and cramps because once they are gone you will not be moving because muscles will be gone. I wish I could experience them again. LOL.

 

[abbas child]

Joyce, I feel for your pain, because to me it sounds awful. When Diane (Ladyinn) told me what she was going through with the spasticity I wanted to howl for her. I'm not one who thinks PLS is the preferred diagnosis. You all have very serious affects with the UMN problems.

Aly, I hope your son heals fast and you make out well in your travels.

Johnnyclonus-pooler, only you can laugh at the pain and make it sound okay!

 

[Zaphoon]

Joyce, I've had the kind of hand pain you describe but it only went on for a few weeks then subsided.

 

[AKmom]

Thank you all for your responses. I have figured today that the pain is from me using my hands all day. I have been having alot of work lately and taking pictures then editing and drawing digital art for a tee shirt design job has put stress on my hands. I guess with the tightness my hands have already, then I add working with them (using a mouse in my right and a digital pen in my left...yes I am ambidextrious) then typing using both is taking its toll too. That can be the only explaination for it. I am glad to have the work and it seems I will loose my hand strength regardless of whether I use them or not. So I guess I will put up with the pain in order to accomplish my work and have something to show for it years down the line.

 

[johnnyliverpool]

joelc....you brought me down to earth with your reply...i do tend to make light of these things..in fact am a little scared now.........at the moment my probs are small beer in comparison to those like yourself..if i offended, even just a tad..i apologise sincerely......godbless johnnyliverpool..