#Spasticity

[only-knives]

there's a lot of talk about joint pain in chronic illness communities which like fair, it hurts like a bitch. but shoutout to my fellow spoonies who are painfully incapacitated by things like muscle spasticity and nerve compression. just because people can't see red, swollen, dislocated, or malformed joints doesn't make your pain not real. and extra shoutout to spoonies who deal with all these types of pain, because i know how hard it makes things.

[hellyeahscarleteen]

"Cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries, among other disabilities, can involve spasticity. Your muscles might feel stiff and you might have to focus a lot of energy to move them. You might also experience spasms and pain as well. People often have day-to-day coping mechanisms to help manage their spasticity, but what do you do when you have spasticity and want to have sex⁠?"

[hussyknee]

PSA: Please for the love of God stop using the word "cretin". It's a slur for people born with congenital hypothyroidism (CHT, that used to be called cretinism) that causes physical and intellectual disability.

I think it's unrealistic to expect a blanket moratorium on insults about intelligence, but words like "mong/mongoloid" (anti-Asian slur later applied to people with Down Syndrome), "spaz", "downie", "midget" and "cretin" refer to people born with specific developmental disorders. If you care enough not to use the "r–word", please steer clear of these as well.

[juchalbert]

[brightlotusmoon]

OH. The baclofen just kicked in. The muscles in my legs are relaxing, which feels like cooling, but they're fighting the drug so they feel like burning. Calm down, legs. There's no fire. Quit screaming.

The weed has also kicked in, so maybe they'll just fight it out.

[shychick-52]

My physical disability (long post)

Given that it's Disability Pride Month, I wanted to share a bit of my own experience.

After experiencing HORRIBLE back pain for weeks in late 2016 (the doctor didn't send me for an MRI or any deeper scan after the x-ray didn't show anything), I woke up one morning in January 2017 with literally ZERO balance. Like, I could move my legs, but I still couldn't walk. It was the most terrifying sensation.

Called the ambulance, they took me to the hospital where I had the proper scan done, and it turned out to be a massive tumor pressing on my spine and crushing the nerves. Because it had been growing for months, everyone agreed it was a miracle I wasn't totally paralyzed. (The tumor turned out to be cancerous, and I had several more tumors in other places too, including my stomach, ovaries, liver, and kidneys). After it was removed, I still had zero balance.

Well, the entire five months I was in the hospital getting treatment wasn't fun, made even worse by my destroyed mobility. During my stay, I switched back and forth between a wheelchair and a walker. I was so depressed, terrified I'd never walk properly again and convinced my life was over. Even after I was discharged from the hospital, and still continued to use a wheelchair and walker, I can't count how many times I freaking bawled. I had very poor control of my legs, and had to look down at them at all times to know what they were doing so I didn't trip.

And for the first time in my life, I was met with challenges that able-bodied people don't have to worry about (the worst of which were stairs). I could finally appreciate how frustrating it is when able-boded people selfishly use the handicapped stall in the washroom (when the other ones are perfectly available) when you have to go!

Not long after I got out of the hospital, I started attending physical therapy. I worked for months and months, and graduated from a walker to two canes to just one cane. I practiced walking in the pool by my place (with aqua-therapy, I didn't have to worry about injuring myself if I fell in the water, and I fell plenty at first). I gradually got better, but it was HARD.

Shortly after my very first visit to physical therapy, my therapist diagnosed me with spasticity in my legs and feet. That's a condition caused by a spinal cord injury; the injury to the nerves in the spine cause the signals between the nervous system and the legs/feet to be thrown completely out-of-whack and fail to communicate properly (which was why I couldn't sense what my feet were doing unless I looked at them), forcing the leg muscles to be in a permanent state of horrible stiffness and constant spasms. It's a horrible feeling.

Finally, in the later part of 2019, I no longer needed a cane. I could walk just fine on my own (for the most part), and I haven't had to rely on walking aids since then, and I don't have to watch my feet to know how they're moving when I walk. But the spasticity- which is permanent- remains. I manage it with medication, which helps the stiffness a bit. And my biggest challenge remains stairs; I absolutely cannot go up and down stairs (especially up) without a banister. But because of how generally stiff my muscles are, my balance will never be perfect. And I can't really run, although I can walk just as fast as I used to.

Cold weather, rain, and atmospheric pressure all make the spasticity worse.

[dittohasadhd]

some fucking Karen : I would never eat any processed foods! I don't put anything in my body that I can't pronounce the ingredients of!

me (washing down 5 pills w/ a meal replacement drink) : idk lady. sounds like a skill issue.

[idontexistig]

So fuckin tired of being called crippled by people who only see me as their joke. Im tired of "friends" teasing me nonstop about the same old shit. Tired of hearing "oh im crippled too" over minor injuries that have no effect on your life because you want to compare yourself to my chronic, painful condition. Yes i joke about it because i have no other way of coping, that doesn't mean you make it all you ever joke about with me. Im tired of it. It hurts. Im tired of being your cripple. It never stops. I can't even ask them to stop because then im overdramatoc and hypocritical. Its bullshit.

[only-knives]

friendly reminder to take it easy with spastic muscles! stretch slow, and dont pull on anything. you need a lot less movement than you think to find relief. if you push yourself too hard, it'll only hurt more. there's nothing wrong with needing to be gentle with your body. ♡

[hyperfixation-trashhuman]

And muscle

I’m here, I’m queer, and my joint pain is moderate to severe

[cpinmymind]

Day 2 on Amtrak

Written April 23, 2025 I woke up on the train and decided to stay up since 5:40ish. I’m supposed to be there at 1ish. I’m taking notes for blog. I knight need a nap I slept more than usual but it wasn’t restful when I’m at dc union station I’m going to get coffee and take allergy medicine. I take 2 types every day in spring and I figure it will be better to do it then or at least the 2nd one. I…

[drchristophedelongsblog]

Brain injury and abnormal movements: What you need to know

Brain damage can lead to a variety of problems, including abnormal movements. These involuntary, uncontrollable movements can have a significant impact on quality of life.

Types of brain injury that can cause abnormal movements

Several types of brain lesions can cause abnormal movements:

1.         Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) stroke ictus

o Ischemic stroke 🩸: A blood clot blocks an artery in the brain.

o Hemorrhagic stroke 🩸: A blood vessel in the brain ruptures.

Strokes can lead to :

o Hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body)

o Hemiparesis (weakness on one side of the body)

o Ataxia (lack of coordination)

o Tremors

2.         Traumatic brain injury (TBI) blow

A violent blow to the head can cause TCC, resulting in brain damage of varying severity. TBI can cause :

o Spasticity (muscle stiffness)

o Dystonia (involuntary muscle contractions)

o Chorea (sudden, irregular movements)

3.         **Neurodegenerative diseases **

These diseases cause progressive deterioration of the brain.

These diseases cause progressive deterioration of the brain's nerve cells, such as :

o Parkinson's disease (tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia)

o Huntington's disease (chorea, cognitive disorders)

o Multi-system atrophy (motor disorders, balance problems)

4.         Other causes

o Brain tumors

o Infections

o Medications

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis is based on clinical examination, brain imaging (MRI, CT), neurological tests and other investigations. Treatment depends on the underlying cause and may include :

- Medication

- Rehabilitation (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy) ️‍♀️

- Surgery (deep brain stimulation) 🪛

Conclusion

It's important to consult a doctor in the event of abnormal movements, as they may be a sign of an underlying brain lesion.

Go further

[juchalbert]

[brightlotusmoon]

Look, I'm not saying that vaping weed healed up this fakakta multiple headache deal, but after the gabapentin and baclofen kicked in, the cannabis opened the door and peeled back the layers through the actual pain.

There's a stubborn tendon or ligament in the back of my head leading down my right shoulder that I'm about to stab with a vibrating massage tool and transdermal THC lotion.

There's also the vibrating heating Shiatsu shawl that Roommate B got from his restoration company for Christmas two years ago and then gave to me, along with a weighted blanket. Thank you, company, but please give him more money too.

Aw, now my jaw is throbbing again. Hi, TMJ symptoms. I know you're contributing. I'm trying to kill you, stay still.

[alan-tel]

Earthquake and Extreme Cold

What a start for the day. I got up this morning and turned on the local news and learned about a swarm of earthquakes in Central Oklahoma.

Between 9:30 pm and 9:45 pm last night Candy was in the kitchen and she felt a vibration. She didn't think much of it as there was no shaking and no boom or cracking sound.

USA Today reports that we've had 18 quakes. The strongest quakes being 4.4 and 4.1. A neighbor sent me a text asking if I felt anything. I didn't feel anything like he and my wife did. It's probably because of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) I can't feel the earthquakes. My feet have some numbness and tingling. A scary situation is taking place they're reporting that fracking had no part in the event. Back in 2014 to 2016 they were fracking in the area and it was stopped due to earthquakes. Questions are being asked whether that is why we got earthquakes today. There is no drilling or fracking taking place in the area at this time.

Here's why we are feeling the earthquakes I think is because there is an ancient fault line in eastern Edmond that runs parallel to I-35. It starts near Perry, Oklahoma and runs just south of Lake Acadia that could cause damage to the dam. From south of Acadia the fault line runs southwest to near Will Roger's Airport. That is near my house.

Along with the earthquakes is the extreme cold weather that has come to Central Oklahoma. Thursday afternoon it was 64°. Sixteen hours later Friday morning it was 16° with a wind chill of-3°. This morning it was 15° with a wind chill of 0. At least 2 more cold fronts are due to arrive in the next few days. This aggravates my spasticity.

I'm looking forward to warmer weather.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay