Lyme Joint Pain & Stiffness? Movement can Help

Joint and muscle pain is a very common experience in Lyme disease.  Treatment will help body pain and promote healing.  But this may take some time.  Foster joint health strength and range of motion with treatment, diet supplements, movement, strength building and range of motion exercises as part of the recovery journey. If you have Lyme joint pain & stiffness don’t neglect it, get help.

Muscles and joints are made to move and respond to motion.  Gentle motion flushes the tissues and builds strength.  It also moves the synovial fluid in the joint cleaning up waste and inflammation byproducts.  This is all good.

Lyme Joint Pain & Stiffness  Start where you are.

I started my exercise routine very humbly because of weakness and pain.  A ½ a loop of walking at the mall and range of motion exercises.  The local mall can be a great place to start walking.  It is clean, climate controlled and has lots of people for support and lots of places to sit down.

½ a loop became 1 loop then 2 then 1 mile then 2.  As I felt better I added strength training and Pilates.  I know I want daily movement is part of my life for the rest of my life.  In good weather I walk outside in bad hit the mall or use a tape.  I totally feel it if I miss, so I prioritize exercise as part of my morning routine.  This level of activity helps my heart health and build resiliency in my body. It is a powerful wellness tool.

When I started I had to ice sore and inflamed joints post work out.  Ice packs for my feet and ankles and knees helped a lot. It was slow going for a few months so I added joint mobility exercises.  These helped with the stiffness and pain.  Joint mobility exercises are also recommended  for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, so there are abundant examples on the internet for wrists, shoulders, hips, knees and ankle.

I had a lot of pain and stiffness in my neck and jaw, so I do exercises to promote neck mobility.  Here is my morning routine to support my neck.

Jaw and Neck Exercise Routine for Lyme Joint Pain & Stiffness

 

If you have Lyme joint pain & stiffness, the inclination is to become a couch potato.  This is a problem.   No movement weakens you over time.  Get some help.  Start with massage or physical therapy, so you have the structure you need to prevent injury and make progress.  If you use a trainer make sure they are expert in helping people with chronic illness.

Walking at the mall and joint mobility exercises are free.  My morning routine for neck pain and stiffness takes less than 5 minutes and really makes me feel better.  Make time for simple self care. Start gently, to bring movement into your daily routine while you are on your healing journey.

 

The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical care, treatment or advice. All the material here is for information purposes only. Always share strategy and work with your health care team.