TeriC
New member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2021
- Messages
- 4
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
Hello Everyone! First, I’d like to say that I’ve been reading many messages and I’m humbled by your strength and positive attitudes. I’m writing today in the hopes that I can get some help from those of you living with this disease. I’m so beside myself that I can barely function. For many years, I’ve had little muscle twitches in my calves, did not think much of it. Within the past six months, I noticed my calves being stiff, but walking fixes it until the next day and sometimes even longer.
In 2018, I went to an orthopedic doctor for loss of range of motion in my neck. He said it was muscular and poor posture and fixed the issue with chiropractic and ant-inflammatory meds. I got lazy with excercise and found myself this past May asking for an Ex-ray because I also have low back pain. The Ex-ray showed arthritis and I’ve been in physical therapy. Since starting physical therapy in May, my back muscles are constantly tight, burn and are stiff! I did not have this prior to starting therapy. Also since starting therapy the twitches in my calves are frequent especially right after therapy and I now have a few in my right thigh.
I went to a spine doctor out of worry that the therapy actually made me feel worse with the tight back muscles. I had an MRI today of the lumbar. Also,I’ve noticed the past two weeks that my fingers are stiff. First my thumb and index fingers on both sides and today my left pinkie. It feels like my hand is stiff and I had trouble with certain movements such as extending my arm to search through papers, it didn’t seem to want to work. Yesterday, I tried singing and my tongue felt stiff and it was hard to form certain words and I can’t get too high. Today, I feel this same tongue issue while talking!
The spine doctor put me on an anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxer. I’ve only taken half a pill of the the muscle relaxer and it did not relieve the back muscle issue. If I stretch, or use a massager, my back muscles loosen up only to return the next day or two. The anti- inflammatory does seem to work well on my joints abs my lower back pain is almost gone.
So, why and I on this forum? I’ve done what no person should do and I’ve been on the internet reading comments from als patients with a very similar story as mine and I’m scared. I also had a fall back in April, the toe of my sander caught on something. A couple of times it’s felt like my right food drops and my right toe stubs. I sit a lot at work and have exercised very little. I did request to see a neurologist, and gave an appointment next month. The in office tests show no weekness ( strid of toes, geeks, squeezes hands, pushed with legs) and reflexes seemed good according to the spine doctor. He has no knowledge of my other symptoms. Did any of you experience my symptoms? Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to respond to me. I understand it’s asking a lot of you.
In 2018, I went to an orthopedic doctor for loss of range of motion in my neck. He said it was muscular and poor posture and fixed the issue with chiropractic and ant-inflammatory meds. I got lazy with excercise and found myself this past May asking for an Ex-ray because I also have low back pain. The Ex-ray showed arthritis and I’ve been in physical therapy. Since starting physical therapy in May, my back muscles are constantly tight, burn and are stiff! I did not have this prior to starting therapy. Also since starting therapy the twitches in my calves are frequent especially right after therapy and I now have a few in my right thigh.
I went to a spine doctor out of worry that the therapy actually made me feel worse with the tight back muscles. I had an MRI today of the lumbar. Also,I’ve noticed the past two weeks that my fingers are stiff. First my thumb and index fingers on both sides and today my left pinkie. It feels like my hand is stiff and I had trouble with certain movements such as extending my arm to search through papers, it didn’t seem to want to work. Yesterday, I tried singing and my tongue felt stiff and it was hard to form certain words and I can’t get too high. Today, I feel this same tongue issue while talking!
The spine doctor put me on an anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxer. I’ve only taken half a pill of the the muscle relaxer and it did not relieve the back muscle issue. If I stretch, or use a massager, my back muscles loosen up only to return the next day or two. The anti- inflammatory does seem to work well on my joints abs my lower back pain is almost gone.
So, why and I on this forum? I’ve done what no person should do and I’ve been on the internet reading comments from als patients with a very similar story as mine and I’m scared. I also had a fall back in April, the toe of my sander caught on something. A couple of times it’s felt like my right food drops and my right toe stubs. I sit a lot at work and have exercised very little. I did request to see a neurologist, and gave an appointment next month. The in office tests show no weekness ( strid of toes, geeks, squeezes hands, pushed with legs) and reflexes seemed good according to the spine doctor. He has no knowledge of my other symptoms. Did any of you experience my symptoms? Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to respond to me. I understand it’s asking a lot of you.
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