#foot arthritis treatment

[project-321]

When dealing with arthritis, having additional foot complications—such as bunions, hammertoes, or neuromas—may be a serious detriment.

[shreyajainblogs]

5 Tips to Alleviate Arthritic Foot Pain and Get Back on Your Feet" offers essential guidance for individuals struggling with the challenges of foot arthritis, as advocated by Dr. K P Meda. This comprehensive approach encompasses recognizing symptoms of arthritis in the feet, exploring appropriate treatment options, incorporating targeted foot exercises to improve mobility and reduce stiffness, implementing preventive measures to mitigate the risk of arthritis development, and emphasizing the importance of early intervention in managing early-stage arthritis effectively. By adhering to these tips, individuals can take proactive steps towards alleviating arthritic foot pain and reclaiming their mobility and comfort under the expert guidance of Dr. K P Meda.

[foot-vein-care-fl]

If you have foot arthritis in Florida, you need the best care possible to alleviate your pain and improve your quality of life. This is where Foot and Vein Care FL can help. Our experienced medical team specialises in providing effective Foot Arthritis Treatment using cutting-edge techniques and technology. We understand how foot arthritis can interfere with your daily activities, which is why we strive to provide personalised care that is tailored to your specific requirements. We have the expertise and resources to help you get back on your feet and regain your mobility, from conservative treatments to surgical options. For the best foot arthritis treatment in Florida, turn to Foot and Vein Care FL.

[lifootcare]

Sports Foot Arthritis Treatment

[drrajputorthocentre]

Dr. Rajput: Your Trusted Partner for Advanced Orthopaedic Treatments in Delhi

Dr. Rajput, a distinguished Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 33 years of experience, stands out as one of the Best Orthopaedics in Delhi. His extensive training at esteemed institutions, including the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, U.K., has solidified his expertise. Over the last 5 years, Dr. Rajput has pioneered Cellular Therapy in India, offering groundbreaking treatments for conditions like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Degenerative Arthritis of the Knee, and Autism. With over 2000 successful procedures, Dr. Rajput's practice is a beacon of hope for those seeking advanced Orthopaedic Surgery in Delhi. His dedicated team at the Rehabilitation Center in Delhi ensures comprehensive care tailored to each patient's needs.

Book an appointment with Dr. Rajput and take the first step towards a pain-free life!

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

today's vetted campaigns. please continue to share and donate in whatever capacity you can. these families are struggling every day just to find the basic resources of life - whatever way you can offer support is valuable.

june 22nd:

Orphaned twins Kareem and Carmen, their grandparents, and two aunts ($3,807/$50,000) - @06679799, verified by @/90-ghost

Khalil Abubaker, his five siblings, and their parents (€725/€30,000) - @khalil95, verified by @/nabulsi

Muhammad Al-Azayza and family, including a young child with Down syndrome (kr5,684 SEK/kr200,000 SEK) - @hamouda-az, verified by @/sayruq

Reuniting Mahmoud Helles with his wife (who needs urgent kidney treatment) and their four children (€17,027/€20,000) - @hillesmahmoud, verified by @/fallahifag

Ayman Ayyad's family of eight, including four children ($11,137/$35,000) - @aymanayyad81, verified by @/nabulsi

Sahar El Tibi, her husband Mohammed (who needs treatment for a foot injury), and their 4-year-old daughter (€14,549/€30,000) - @sahareltibi1, verified by @/el-shab-hussein

Mahmoud Saleh and family (they've already lost several members) (€3,531/€20,000) - @mide444, verified by @/nabulsi

Wafaa's family of 15, including four children and a newborn (€13,954/€50,000) - @wafs-posts, verified by @/90-ghost

Mahmoud Khalaf's family of eight (€7,006/€30,000) - @mahmoudkhalaff, verified by @/nabulsi

not yet vetted:

14-year-old Hamza and his family (his father needs treatment for rheumatoid arthritis) (£1,097/£35,000)

Siblings Mai, Khaled, Ola, and Mohammad (€11,720/€40,000)

Hasan Saied and his wife Lena ($12,222 CAD/$20,000 CAD) - @hasanandlena

Firas Muhaisen's family of six, as well as he and his sister's medical education ($545 CAD/$82,000 CAD) - @firasmuhaisen, @nisreenameen

Amna Marwan, her husband, and their three young children (€2,336/€30,000) - @ahmed505

your shares and donations on other posts like this have meant so much to so many. keep up the good work. don't turn away.

[jointpaindoctor]

Deskbound Dilemma: Navigating Orthopedic Health in the Office Jungle

In the hustle and bustle of the modern world, where desks have become our daily companions, the toll on orthopaedic health can be significant. Desk workers often find themselves grappling with a myriad of orthopaedic issues, ranging from notorious back pain to shoulder discomfort and joint stiffness. Dr. Manu Mengi, a leading expert in orthopaedic health at Orthopedic Clinics in Chandigarh, sheds light on the common problems faced by desk workers and offers invaluable tips on ergonomics, posture, and exercises to stave off the discomfort.

The Deskbound Predicament: Unraveling Orthopedic Woes

Sitting Disease: The sedentary nature of desk jobs contributes to a phenomenon known as “sitting disease.” Prolonged sitting leads to weakened muscles, poor circulation, and increased pressure on the spine.

Back Pain Blues: Back pain is the quintessential companion of desk workers. Long hours of sitting in front of a computer screen can strain the muscles of the lower back, leading to chronic discomfort.

Shoulder Strain: Hunched shoulders and poor posture can result in shoulder pain and stiffness. Over time, these issues may escalate, affecting overall mobility and well-being.

Joint Jitters: Joints, especially in the hands and wrists, can become stiff and achy due to repetitive motions such as typing and mouse-clicking.

Ergonomics Unveiled: Crafting a Comfortable Workspace

Dr. Mengi emphasizes the pivotal role of ergonomics in mitigating the adverse effects of desk work on orthopedic health. Simple adjustments to your workspace can make a world of difference:

Chair Matters: Invest in an ergonomic chair that supports the natural curve of your spine. Adjust the chair height so that your feet rest flat on the floor, and your knees form a 90-degree angle.

Eye-Level Screen: Position your computer monitor at eye level to prevent neck strain. Use a document holder if you frequently refer to paperwork.

Keyboard and Mouse Ergonomics: Keep your keyboard and mouse close enough to prevent excessive reaching. Your wrists should remain in a neutral position to avoid strain.

Take a Stand: Consider a standing desk to break up prolonged sitting. Alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day to promote better circulation and reduce muscle stiffness.

Posture Perfect: A Blueprint for Desk Warriors

Maintaining good posture is a game-changer when it comes to preventing orthopedic issues. Dr. Manu Mengi advises the following:

Sit Up Straight: Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and elbows close to your body. Avoid slouching or leaning forward.

Mind Your Monitor: Position your monitor directly in front of you at arm’s length, ensuring that the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level.

Distribute Weight Evenly: If you use a laptop, consider using a separate keyboard and placing the laptop on a stand. This helps maintain a more natural posture.

Stretch Breaks: Incorporate short stretching breaks into your routine. Simple stretches for the neck, shoulders, and back can alleviate tension and improve flexibility.

Exercises for Desk Jockeys: Keeping Orthopedic Woes at Bay

Dr. Manu Mengi prescribes a set of exercises designed to counteract the detrimental effects of desk work:

Neck Tilts and Turns: Gently tilt your head from side to side and turn it left and right to relieve tension in the neck and shoulders.

Shoulder Shrugs: Lift your shoulders towards your ears and hold for a few seconds before releasing. Repeat to ease shoulder tension.

Wrist Flexor and Extensor Stretches: Stretch your arms forward, palms facing down, and gently press down on your fingers. Then, flip your palms up and repeat to stretch the wrist flexors and extensors.

Seated Leg Lifts: While seated, lift one leg at a time, straightening it out in front of you. Hold for a few seconds, then lower. This helps engage the core and improve circulation.

Spinal Twists: Sit up straight, twist your torso to one side, and hold onto the back of your chair for support. Repeat on the other side to relieve tension in the lower back.

Desk workers need not succumb to the orthopaedic pitfalls of sedentary lifestyles. With a conscious effort towards ergonomics, posture, and regular exercises, the deskbound can transform their workspaces into havens of orthopedic wellness. Dr. Manu Mengi’s expert guidance from Orthopedic Clinics in Chandigarh serves as a beacon for those navigating the challenging terrain of office-related orthopaedic concerns. Remember, a little care for your orthopedic health today can pave the way for a pain-free tomorrow.

[milwaukeeadvancedfootankleclinic]

Arthritis is a condition that involves inflammation of the joints. When it comes to arthritis, prevention is better than cure because there is no cure yet for arthritis. While there is no cure, various treatments and interventions are available to help manage symptoms, improve joint function, and enhance the quality of life for individuals with arthritis.

[regenorthosport37]

Non Surgical Treatment For Foot & Ankle Joint Pains Using Stem cells and PRP

RegenOrthoSport is a leading non-surgical orthopedic treatment clinic specializing in the management and rehabilitation of various musculoskeletal conditions. When it comes to foot and ankle pain treatment, RegenOrthoSport offers comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and personalized treatment options to help individuals find relief and improve their quality of life.

Foot and ankle pain can stem from a wide range of causes, such as sports injuries, overuse, trauma, arthritis, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, sprains, fractures, and other underlying conditions. RegenOrthoSport focuses on non-surgical interventions to address these issues, employing advanced techniques that promote healing, reduce pain, and restore function. Find the best doctors for orthopedic therapy in India which offers improved mobility and relief from pain conditions.

[a-shade-of-blue]

New Gaza fundraiser asks I've received (12 September)

Mohammed & Diana (@melhindips): They have 12 members in their immediate family. Diana is currently pregnant with their third child, and their daughter suffers from a neck injury. They are trying to evacuate out of Gaza. (https://gofund.me/4e1d146f) (vetted by PaliLiberation and is documented as Family #132. (FYI PaliLiberation is an Instagram and Tiktok based initiative, and they only document campaigns who have passed their verification process))

Ali Jundia (@ali-manar2024-family, @ali2024-family): Ali is from a family of 9. His son Yazan has been injured in the foot by a sharpnel. Ali is raising funds to evacuate his family and provide treatment for Yazan. (https://gofund.me/c76c2983) (vetted by association. Ali Jundia is a friend of @samerpal (#196 on the verified fundraiser list vetted by el-shab-hussein and nabulsi)) (kr959 SEK raised of kr550,000 goal)

Mohammed Ayman (@mohammed-gaza): Mohammed is 19 years old. He is trying to evacuate himself and 7 family members including 5 children. Their house has been destroyed and they are now living in a displaced people camp in Mawasi Khan Younis. (https://gofund.me/a0fe2508) (vetted by association. Mohammed is a friend of @maram-gaza (#196 on the  Bees and Watermelons verified fundraiser list. Also vetted by association. Maram is a friend of @yousefjehad3 (#255 on the verified fundraiser sheet vetted by el-shab-hussein and nabulsi))) (€40 raised of €70,000 goal)

Alaa (@alaa-syam): Alaa has 3 children: Raghad (15), Ahmed (10) and Ismael (14). Ahmed suffers from a serious eye condition but has not been able to receive medical treatment. Alaa is fundrasing to provide for basic necessities and medical treatment for Ahmed. (https://gofund.me/0a8f5756) (vetted by association. Alaa is a sister of @yousefjehad3 (132 on the Bees and Watermelons verified fundraiser list, shared by 90-ghost and listed as #255 on the verified fundraiser sheet vetted by el-shab-hussein and nabulsi)) ($206 CAD raised of $30,000 goal)

Noha Ayyad (@nohaayyad19): Nour lost her only child (two-and-a-half-year old) and her husband in the 2014 war. Her home has been destroyed. Her mother suffers from arthritis and back pain, and her brother Darwish suffers from paralysis in his right leg and needs regular treatment. She seeks to evacuate her 17 family members out of Gaza. (https://gofund.me/00cf57d2) (#78 on the Operation Olive Branch verified fundraiser list) 

Anas Al-Sharfa (@anasalshrofa): Anas dreams of being a doctor but his uni has been destroyed. Their younger siblings are at risk since they haven’t received their vaccinations and there is an outbreak of polio. His brother suffered from jaundice and there is no treatment. (https://gofund.me/589a25a1) (#913 on the Butterfly Effect Project vetted fundraiser list) (€1,961 raised of €50,000 goal)

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 13 - 25 July.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 26 -29 July.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 30 July - 1 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 2 - 5 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 6 - 10 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 11 - 14 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 15 - 18 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundrasiers from 19 - 21 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundrasiers from 22 - 24 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 25 - 28 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 29 August - 1 September

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 2 - 5 September.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 6-10 September.

How does vetting and verification work? See post here. (also read comments regarding 90-ghost and why we trust the campaigns he has shared)

Click here for my Google Doc with my complete masterlist of all the Palestinian gfm asks I've received, updated daily (along with other verified ways to send aid to Gaza).

See post here for other verified ways to send aid to Gaza.

Don't forget your Daily Clicks on Arab.org, it's free!!! and Every click made is registered in their system and generates donation from sponsors/advertisers.)

[skippyv20]

Our Prayer List🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend’s friend. She had cancer and was back in the hospital again since Thursday. Waiting on results after surgery.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend’s friend, Lynne. She is going to the hospital for radioactive iodine treatment following the removal of her thyroid for cancer.

Prayers and good thoughts for Liz Roboyna who is 16 yrs old and battling a rare and aggressive tumour.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend whose husband of 25 years is terminally ill.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend who has had foot surgery and is in my pain. Also has faced trials of emotional, financial stress. Also her husband is not well and having problems with his kidneys.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend. She is having cardiac issues and will be having many tests. Also her blood pressure is very high. Her mother had many heart issues and this has frightened our friend. She is very anxious and scared.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend. She is going through a difficult time. She has had a rough 12 months and is feeling burnt out. She also is dealing with a narcissistic father, and taking care of her elderly mother with no support from family members.

Prayers and good thoughts for Kylee who is missing. It has been months since her mother and grandmother have heard from her. Today is Kylee’s 18th Birthday. We pray Kylee is safe. We pray for her mother and grandmother as they are so worried. (This will remain until we hear Kylee is home safe and sound)

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend’s 22 year old nephew who is struggling with anxiety, depression & panic attacks.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend who is suffering from ringing in her ear. It is constant and she can’t sleep. Neither her doctor or dentist can find the cause.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend’s brother who is finally home and who has palatine care now. He is increasingly frail now but is comfortable. We pray also to give his partner strength at this exhausting and frightening time.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend who is having suicidal thoughts, and having difficulty finding employment. Praying she finds employment soon.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend’s son and husband. Her son has spinal fractures and they don’t know why. Her husband is having issues with his back as well.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend whose husband had a mental breakdown and they are now facing financial hardship. He is bidding on numerous jobs and needs prayers.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend’s oldest daughter. Her daughter is on dialysis now. She did test positive for drugs, and her boyfriend is a known drug dealer. This is of great concern. Mar 27

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend’s treasured son-in-law. He has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer with mets to the liver and lymph nodes throughout his abdomen. He has a very poor prognosis - less than a year, probably just a few months. He is only 48 years old. Our friend is heartbroken, her son-in-law has been in the family for 17 yrs, and he is so very loved. He is scheduled for a PET scan next week.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend’s nephew who is struggling.

Prayers and good thoughts for our friend’s nephew who has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

We pray for our friend who for 36 years has suffered from a progressive, painful, debilitating neurological illness that has her housebound, and she is tired.  

[anexperimentallife]

Help a disabled, neurodivergent, interracial family get back to the US for medical treatment

After three bouts of COVID and other medical issues over the past six years here in the Philippines, my health has deteriorated to the point at which I'm worried I won't get to watch my little girl grow up unless I can get back to where I can use my Medicare and VA benefits for various surgeries and treatments.

Unfortunately, even with all y'all's help, @thesurestthing and I are still in debt from the two-year ordeal of fixing our daughter's stateless status, so we can't do this on our own. My little sister started a fundraiser for us, and there are a couple of other ways to help, as well. If you can't help, please reblog. Thank you! (The PayPal link takes the lowest fees, but whatever works for you is best!)

If you want more details, they're under the cut:

Six years ago, while still grieving the deaths of my adult sons and a painful breakup, I moved from the US to the Philippines with just what I could carry, in large part because it's actually possible to survive here on the pittance US disability pays. I had kind of given up on life and figured I would sort of drift off eventually. I wasn't going to kick my own bucket, mind you; I just wasn't going to try very hard to keep living. And I figured I'd just pass away someplace beautiful.

Soon after I got here, though, @thesurestthing (also American) started messaging me from the states, told me she was going to come to the Philippines and be my girlfriend (even though I told her no at first), and eventually joined me here. We had a baby under lockdown, and got married.

So now I had something to live for. (And most of y'all know the drama with the error on El's birth certificate that left her stateless and took almost two years and a lot of money to get fixed.)

But I have had health scare after health scare over the past few years, including three bouts of COVID (some of you remember the month I spent hooked up to an oxygen machine), two bouts of pneumonia, a persistent two-year foot infection that took surgery to clear up (and is going to require another surgery to keep cleared up), damage to my heart and scarring in my lungs from long covid, a literal hole in my throat that is growing bigger, a spine injury, joint injuries, osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, a traumatic brain injury that affects my memory and concentration, adhd, bipolar disorder, autism, and other issues.

(Not even getting into the dental stuff--Hope to be able to get that done before we go back, here where it's cheaper, because Medicare doesn't cover that.)

I'm terrified that I won't be alive to watch my little girl grow up unless I can get someplace where I can use my Medicare and VA health benefits.

An old friend of mine is a social worker and on the school board in a small Minnesota city with its own VA clinic, and has offered to help us get settled in there, but we still have to find a place to live (suitable for a couple that includes a physically disabled adult, and who have a toddler), some basic household goods, some cheap used transportation, and need to survive for a couple of months while Zoey looks for work.

Given our situation in general and the fact that right now my disability is our only income, we're probably looking at having to pay at least six months (or possibly an entire year) of rent up front in order to get anyplace to lease to us.

We can't stay with friends because every single stateside friend we have with a spare room also has a cat--and I have an anaphylactic allergic reaction to cats, meaning that I will literally die if I'm around a cat for too long. I've had to go to the ER because I slept in a room that had a blanket in the corner that a cat had momentarily lain on. The only way I can be around cats is if I'm on massive doses of immunosuppressive drugs, which, well... The whole issue here is that I keep getting deathly ill, so suppressing my immune system even more is a non-starter. Oh, and Fel D 1, the protein secreted in cat dander, saliva, and waste, can stay even on hard surface for up to two years, and even longer on porous surfaces.

Again, if we weren't still in so much debt from El's birth certificate debacle, we might be able to do this at least mostly on our own. But as things stand, we can't do it on our own. We need your help.

If you read all of this, thank you very much. And again, if you can't give, please reblog.

For more medical details, check my Rob Gets Medical tag. For more details about Eleanor's birth certificate saga, check my Baby El tag.

[three--rings]

I'm having an absolutely terrible time in my injury recovery RN.

This week my physical therapist looked at me and said, basically, "look, you're not getting better, you're still having this mysterious pain constantly, you need to go back to your doctor and figure out what is wrong in your foot."

So I called my doctor and all I could get was an appointment 2.5 weeks away.

And since then, my foot has gotten worse. Something has gone wrong in it and I'm having terrible pain when I put weight on it, worse than I've had in months. Something is out of place, caught, or whatever and I'm losing my mind.

Like, at this point, the GOOD news would be "we found what's wrong and you need reconstructive surgery to fix it...so you get to start recovery over after 9 months." The bad news would be..."yeah it's just gonna be like this now, maybe it'll get better in a year or so."

Because estimated recovery time for a badly broken calcaneus (which is what I had) is 1-2 YEARS. And you will almost certainly never walk the same again and continue to have pain and problems.

Which I've known but like....okay you'll have arthritis is one thing, but what I'm having now is something ELSE.

All of this because some FUCKER was fucking texting or something. And it also kills me that like, I can't get any recompense or anything from the accident because even if I took him to court, even if he was rich (which I'm fairly sure he's not) and I won, I'd have to turn everything I got over to my health insurance company to cover all this treatment I'm getting. So I'd still just be right back at disabled for life (some more) without even a consolation prize.

IDK I'm just really upset today. There's nothing worse than feeling like things are getting back into place, back to normal and then being knocked the fuck back to helpless.

[lifootcare]

Sports Foot Arthritis Treatment

[basshole-astard]

hey you, blogger. do you find yourself in incredible pain daily? even weekly? despite being in your 30s, or younger? despite doing everything that's ""supposed"" to help?

On top of being in incredible pain, can you or could you at any point in your life:

bend yourself into funny positions like putting your foot behind your head

can bend down without fanfare and put your palms COMPLETELY FLAT on the floor

do your elbows bend a bit backwards? how about your knees?

you can bend your pinkies backwards 90 degrees

you find your joints are incredibly weak and garbage; wrists often in pain despite doing stretches; shoulders/neck always hurting no matter how good your posture is; can’t get down on your hands and knees because doing so is Ow Ow Oof Ouch

you have gastrointestinal issues that you cannot link to food in any way (yes, for real,)

headaches/migraines – especially unexplained, but even if you do have an explanation (for real)

never had enough room in your mouth for your teeth

vision prescription gets better and then gets worse again and you find yourself very confused about how??? why????

have really bad allergies including “I can’t use x soap it gives me a rash for some reason” or other similar “coming into contact with certain things makes me break out” (it’s called MCAS, it’s often comorbid)

stand up and your heartrate spikes and/or you get dizzy (that’s called POTS, also comorbid)

Then, hi, you might possibly have something called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, or EDS; specifically the hypermobile subtype (hEDS), which doesn’t yet have a known genetic marker and goes wildly underdiagnosed in patients, partly because the things they test for hypermobility are pretty limited, partly because doctors don’t know what it is, partly because doctors would rather diagnose you with a different condition (if arthritis or fibromyalgia diagnoses/treatment didn’t help, well...!) because if it sounds like a horse it’s PROBABLY a horse (but it could be a zebra)

Of course having any one of these does not an hEDS diagnosis make, but if you have multiple on my above list? Multiple of the list I am including below the cut? It’s worth looking into. You can continue on reading to see my brief overview, or you can head to www.ehlers-danlos.com to do your own research; they’re a great resource!

"I have a lot of these but not all of them" that's still worth looking into! I've only got five on the above list, and i definitely still have hEDS! Even three is worth considering!

more symptoms and info below the cut, if you want to hear it from a fellow blogger who was diagnosed at 25 and found the diagnosis Extremely Eye Opening as to why i was always in pain and Various Other Issues

---

General hEDS info: EDS itself is a genetic disorder that affects your connective tissue, which in general makes your joints weak and your ligaments weaker. hEDS is the most common subtype, in which you have a lot of EDS traits AND hypermobility BUT none of the genetic markers for the 12 other EDS subtypes.

“Wait, but this thing I can do is normal, my whole family can do it!” or “my mother’s side of the family is all like this!” hEDS is genetic. It’s possible to have it if your parents don’t, but VERY unlikely. So unlikely, in fact, that having immediate family history of hEDS is one of the 3 main diagnostic criteria for it. (You can still get diagnosed if you hit the other 2, but they only ask for 2/3.)

“Surely it can’t be so hard to diagnose that doctors don’t notice it!” my sister did not find out until she was in her 30s, because one of her friends has hEDS, and when my sister was bemoaning how useless doctors were, her friend was like “....hey those sound like MY symptoms, have you considered you might have hEDS?” (Which, due to it being genetic, is how my mom and I found out we also probably had it.) Also, much like ADHD, doctors are wary of diagnosing people with it, afraid they’re just trying to get the “good” meds.

“What good does a diagnosis/research even do me?” 1) an explanation for why you’re in pain all the time 2) knowledge so you can avoid doing things that would hurt you (you have to be SOOO careful with most forms of exercise!) 3) it’s a disorder that warrants higher pain meds than what you can get OTC, so if you are seriously in a lot of pain all the time, and would like to not be...

I’m gonna put a more in-depth list of symptoms below. If you have any five of them, I highly suggest you poke around www.ehlers-danlos.com and do your own research, because even if you aren’t in a position to get a clinical diagnosis right now, even suspecting you MIGHT Have it is useful, either for an explanation for all the things that seem wrong with your body that couldn’t otherwise be explained, or to know that... hey, you should really be careful with what kinds of physical exercise you’re doing, because your risk of injury for some sports is WAY higher than it is for people who don’t have hEDS. More on that below, as well.

-

Symptoms list time:

*THIS IS ALMOST DEFINITELY A MARKER OF hEDS*

hypermobile joints

unstable/weak joints

joints that dislocate frequently

CHRONIC PAIN

stretchy and fragile skin (classic EDS marker, but can show up in hEDS): do you bruise easily? Do cuts take forever to heal?

your parent(s) are also like this (it's a genetic disorder!! Chances are you got it from one of them!!! Love to hear “oh my hips do that too!!! Didn’t realize it wasn’t normal” thanks mom.)

"my parents don't have hEDS tho" are you sure. like. my mom didn't know until my sister found out she did. this thing is *wildly underdiagnosed*. Mom’s in her 50s and had doctors diagnose her with arthritis and fibromyalgia, the treatments for which didn’t help her because it wasn’t what was actually wrong

-

*OTHER THINGS THAT OFTEN COME FREE WITH YOUR hEDS*

chronic fatigue

gastrointestinal issues (if you thought you had IBS, but hit any of the hEDS things, you should consider, well, an hEDS diagnosis; gastroparesis is a common comorbidity)

dysautonomia; i don't have this but it causes things like POTS or "heartrate spikes when i stand" or "i get dizzy when i stand and lose vision briefly"

headaches (and/or migraines!)

MCAS, aka really bad allergies. your nose gets offended at the slightest bit of pollen. the weirdest materials give you a rash. you can only use one soap because all the other ones make you break out. etc.

...ADHD. I’m not shitting you. It is so frequently comorbid that in the UK when you test positive for either ADHD or hEDS they will immediately test you for the other. Connective tissue exists in your brain, as well, so I guess if your connective tissue just doesn’t function properly...

-

HEY CAN YOU PUT THIS IN NON-CLINICAL TERMS FOR ME

sure! did you, at any point in your life:

- able to bend into funny positions like put foot behind head; especially as a kid (hi! that's me!) but of particular note if you can still do those things now

- stretches like butterfly or crossing your arm over your chest just... don’t feel like stretches? (my sister)

- could you bend and without effort place your palms flat on the floor? can you still now? apparently most people struggle - without regular stretching - to touch their toes, let alone put their palms *completely flat* to the floor. that's hypermobility baby!

- elbows bend a little bit backwards? knees?

- can you bend your pinkies back 90 degrees?

- consider yourself double-jointed?

- shoulders/neck always hurt? and like your muscles are SOOOO tight in your neck all the time? hey guess what: the thing EDS does is make your body produce less collagen, which makes your ligaments weak as fuck, and so your muscles are constantly spasming to hold your head up. this is why you're in pain. this is why working the knots out never helps and they always come back. no, this isn't because you’re on your computer too much. your body was just built differently (poorly)

- stretching never seems to help? stretches make you hurt more??? or even: most forms of exercise cause you pain? yeah, most exercise/stretches are meant for Able Bodied People, not people with an underlying undiagnosed hypermobility disorder. You have to adapt them to your needs, and also stretches will never be the be-all-end-all solution to back pain like those funny little infographics on the internet will try and tell you. Maybe it is for able-bodied people, if you have a genetic condition that causes chronic pain, well,

- “but my shoulders are soooo tight tho” POINTING ABOVE AGAIN. they are doing that because the muscles have to overcompensate for your weak ligaments. Stretching does not fix this; you may loosen your muscles, but they will simply tighten again later. The real fix is doing exercises to improve your shoulder muscle stability – I’ll talk about some exercises below.

- have you ever thought to yourself "what the hell, i'm too young to be in this much pain all the time??" you're right! it might be hEDS.

- struggle with opening jars? weak upper body strength? randomly lose your grip on things you’re holding with your hands? “are you serious” I’m serious

- can't crawl on your hands and knees because that hurts your wrists and your knees?

- tangentially: did your parents say you crawled funny as a kid? army crawl? started walking way earlier than expected? yeah.

- you can't squat or kneel because ow oof ow your ankles ow ow your knees? yeah.

- is getting up from the floor hard sometimes?? despite being 30 or younger???? yeah.

- despite everything, and not trying to be, you're still kind of really flexible???

- like, you could do the splits as a kid without having to train yourself to do it?? you can still do the splits now without any effort at all?

- do you seem to get injured really easily? joints especially, or, again, bruised really easily.

- are you in pain right now? think about it. shoulders? back? legs? did you see the part where one of the diagnostic criteria for hEDS is chronic pain? yeah.

i could probably keep going.

-

~here's some specific connective tissue disorder things; i've included only the extremely "normal" ones that haven’t already been listed above and/or are easy to check yourself. you can find a full list at https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/hypermobile-ehlers-danlos-syndrome-heds/ under "how is hEDS diagnosed?"~

listed above: stretchy/fragile skin. By stretchy btw I mean: can you pinch your skin anywhere and pull and get even half an inch away from your body? Neck/back of hand is a good place to try. If you can’t pinch your skin at all w/o hitting Meat then you don’t have this (I don’t, even tho my sister does!) but it’s worth looking out for and alone is like THE thing EDS (all types) is characterized by, so if your skin stretches, that’s of particular notice (but your skin not stretching does not disqualify you from having EDS)

stretch marks (they hate to use this if you're afab, but,)

"Bilateral piezogenic papules of the heel" uh when you're standing are your heels kinda. lumpy. like they got balls in 'em. that's what this is. (this is one of the things i have)

dental crowding (lol!!!!)

can you close your thumb+pinky around both your wrists? (steinberg sign)

when you make fists, thumbs underneath fingers, do your thumbs stick out past your fingers? (walker sign)

-

“Hey, I’m not really hypermobile - is it still possible to have hEDS??”

in theory! I’m only mildly hypermobile myself, outside of the “foot behind head” trick from when i was ten and the “can even now at 25 bend down and put palms flat on floor with no effort” i have… basically no other signs of hypermobility. Though, I guess “things that should be stretches like butterfly or touching your toes are super easy and not stretches for me” also counts as being hypermobile, huh. It’s just really mild.

And, you know, maybe you just have a different EDS subtype. EDS as a whole is not super well understood, so the chances you got a doctor who didn’t know what it was / didn’t want to order a genetic test about it is still, like, high enough it’s worth looking into, I think.

Basically every issue my body has can be drawn back to hEDS, and that kind of knowledge is insane but also really liberating. There is a cause for this. I’m not just in pain for no reason – or worse – because I’m “bad” at taking care of myself. I have a genetic disorder that makes it so my joints don’t work right and also I’m in pain all the time. It’s not necessarily happy, but at least it’s an explanation, instead of sitting there and shrugging and going “I dunno” about it.

So, sincerely, if even five of the things I’ve listed above sound familiar to you, I think you should look into it. Maybe you’ll research and go “oh, that doesn’t sound like me at all, actually”, but on the chance you, like me, start researching and find yourself going “THAT’S WHAT’S BEEN CAUSING THAT THIS WHOLE TIME????” I think it’s worth looking into. That validation is sincerely quite freeing.

-

“Ok, you've convinced me. Now what do I do?”

first of all research some more!

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/ <-- EDS overview and EDS subtypes! Maybe you have one that isn’t hEDS

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/hypermobile-ehlers-danlos-syndrome-heds/ <-- hEDS specific page

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/heds-diagnostic-checklist/ <-- hEDS diagnostic checklist

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/assessing-joint-hypermobility/#1667831445611-fb40d58e-84a4 <-- the checklist opens on something called the Beighton scale, which is explained in more detail here. **IF YOU DO NOT SCORE HIGH ON THE BEIGHTON SCALE BUT STILL HAVE MOST OTHER HEDS ISSUES, PRESS FOR DIAGNOSIS NONETHELESS. ENTIRELY POSSIBLY YOU ARE HYPERMOBILE IN AREAS THAT AREN’T TRACKED BY THE BEIGHTON SCALE. IT’S IMPERFECT AND PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BUT THEY HAVEN’T GOTTEN AROUND TO IT YET.**

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/2017-eds-classification-non-experts/ <-- EDS things in layman’s terms, including comorbidities, like what I was talking about wrt gastrointestinal issues, orthopedic issues, chronic fatigue issues, etc, etc, etc. if you have issues with allergies look at the Mast Cell Disorder one. if you have that “heartrate spikes or I get dizzy when I stand” issue look at the Cardiovascular Autonomic Dysfunction one.

(ngl, sorry if its gross, but learning that hEDS often comes packaged with gastrointestinal issues was what really sealed the whole deal for me being convinced, despite “your sister has it and your mom almost definitely has it” being EXTREMELY damning evidence, because. I have had issues with diarrhea my whole goddamn life. I can’t tie it to food. It just curses me daily.)

second of all: talk to your doctor! or, find a doctor in your area that specializes in EDS. book an appointment, see what they can offer you. they can probably hook you up with physical therapy options (to safely strengthen your muscles to compensate for your weak connective tissue) or some pain management options! If you find the physical therapist is making you do things that make you hurt more and they repeatedly do not listen to you and your body, fire them and find a new physical therapist. 

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/healthcare-professionals-directory/ <-- list of doctors. 

Third of all: find a support group if you’d like? There’s FB groups and Reddit groups and probably even more. Links to some of them here: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/support/ 

YMMV because hEDS sometimes gets shit on by people with the other EDS subtypes, but at the very least, if a fellow Zebra is bitching about a doctor, you’ll know who to avoid. 

Fourth: Just… if you think you might have it, I want you to take a step back and reconsider the way you feel about yourself and maybe about the exercise you are/aren’t doing. I had a lot of compounded guilt about how I “wasn’t taking good enough care of myself” ; when you’re in pain all the time you sometimes start blaming yourself, especially if you, like me, find that exercise is difficult and painful and that stretching doesn’t ACTUALLY help, you quit doing it. But you don’t always quit thinking “well apparently if I did those stretches to prevent back pain that people always talk about, then I wouldn’t have any back pain!!!!!!” and that kind of mindset... sucks.

It's also not true. Like, not in general, but also especially not if you have hEDS. My back is in pain because my body was built different (poorly), NOT because I “wasn’t doing the right thing”.

So here’s my get out of jail free card, for you. You aren’t in pain because you aren’t doing anything to “fix” it. You’re just in pain. Sure, you can do some (specialized) (hEDS friendly ones) exercises to help combat it, or you could go take some painkillers, but... your pain is not a punishment for your decision not to exercise. Your pain just kinda... is.

Every generalized exercise advice you see online you need to take with a grain of salt anyway, because it was not written for people with a hypermobility disorder. If doing it doesn’t help, then you don’t need to push through the pain because “it’s the thing that’s supposed to fix everything!!!!” No no. There is no correct answer. There is no one-size fits all. If it doesn’t help, or if it hurts, then you shouldn’t do it.

I say this from a place of love. I spent several months trying to fix my wrist pain with stretches, and you know what never went away? My wrist pain. In fact, I’m mildly convinced the stretches made the pain worse. I kept pushing through it for ages, though, because I kept getting told it was supposed to help, and that it was IMPORTANT as someone who spends all day on the computer to TAKE CARE OF MY WRISTS via THESE STRETCHES WE HAVE HELPFULLY COMPILED ONTO AN INFOGRAPHIC FOR YOU!!!!! ...but that’s not how it works. The rules are a little different when you have a hypermobility disorder. You have to really look into exercises that are safe for you to do, instead of just assuming the ones that everyone passes around are going to help.

“Man, so even those shoulder stretches you see around might not help?” nope! They might not!

“What do I do then?” strengthening exercises... I’ll put resources / explain one easy one (for shoulders) below.

Also if you are someone with a job that requires sitting at the computer all day, and you’re worried about how that affects your health... Even if you just get up once every two hours and walk around / look at something else (even your bathroom!!!) for a little bit, that’s fine, that’s plenty, that’s more than enough. You don’t have to stretch your shoulders every 30 minutes. You shouldn’t stretch your shoulders every 30 minutes if that’s hurting you.

RESOURCES TIME

1) https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/resource/strengthen-your-hypermobile-core-a-home-exercise-approach-for-eds-hsd-and-hypermobility-jeannie-di-bon/ <-- webinar that covers at-home exercises you can do

2) and a whole playlist of at-home exercises (in reasonable sized video chunks) by one of the experts, here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp-oNOmoFdAMFZB7XfpUZyvg_xzE3S3Ue – DISCLAIMER I HAVE NOT WATCHED OR USED THESE, SO WHILE I CAN SAY I DOUBT SHE WOULD BE FEATURED WERE SHE NOT A REAL EXPERT, PLEASE JUST. Err on the side of caution. If even one of these hurts you, try not to do it until you can talk with your personal physical therapist, which, yes, I realize requires Acquiring one first..... worth poking around tho, this person has a ton of tips on how to be careful with your joints while doing chores and day-to-day tasks as well, it seems. Actual advice that might actually help you instead of “oh make sure to stretch every 30 minutes!!!!” (might not help) or “have you tried jogging? Its free and easy!!!!!” (sport that is more likely to injure you thanks to the weak joints thing)

3) You can also search “exercise” on ehlers-danlos.com and come up with a ton of other pages/videos/etc of EDS friendly exercises produced by the experts that run this site.

4) That One Easy One I Can Explain In A tumblr Post: Bridging

Meant for core stability, but also works towards strengthening your shoulder muscles as well. Bridges!!! You can probably look up guides, or the lady I linked above has a video that includes her doing bridges about 4 minutes in. here's the video (link).

The version I do involves going up for five seconds, then down for five seconds, repeating for a minute (time yourself). Each day add on ten seconds (so second day you do a minute ten, third day minute twenty, etc) until you are eventually able to do it for three minutes. You do not need to go past three minutes. You are recommended not to. You are recommended to work up to 3 minutes and then continue doing it for 3 minutes every day.

(It doesn’t have to be every day nor does it necessarily have to be 3 minutes every time; if I’m tired or in a hurry I’ll just do two minutes. If I’m really tired I’ll just skip it and do it the next day. No big deal!)

That’s all I got. Thanks for listening to me rant. Hope it was enlightening at all!

[fatal-blow]

Self-Massage and Myofascial Pain: Do You Have Low Back Pain?

"Doesn't everyone?" you say. No, actually. Yeah, I find the concept baffling too. However, you too could not have back pain for the low, low price of skimming this post.

The short story of all this is that I've been learning about trigger points, myofascial pain syndrome, and the science of good posture, and I've become so absolutely furious that this stuff isn't common knowledge--

(I have encountered ONE healthcare professional who knows SOME of what I know. FUCKING ONE. And myofascial pain is something that Every Single Human Person has experienced.)

--that I'm making little self-diagnosing guides for common pain patterns based on my own experience as well as The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, which is now my fucking bible.

Common concerns:

"I'm pretty sure it's just my fibromyalgia." Fibromyalgia and myofascial pain have tons of overlap, so I recommend looking into this regardless!

"I do have pain, but it's carpal tunnel/stomach ulcer/tendonitis/arthritis." Myofascial pain is frequently misdiagnosed, and the treatment for it is easy and unintrusive. Even if the problem isn't myofascial, practicing myofascial release can help relieve muscles associated with these conditions.

"Will I hurt myself?" Probably not*. Self-massage can cause bruising if you're a little enthusiastic, like myself, but you won't cause long term damage. Maintaining focus and avoiding pulses are your only concerns, and they are mild.

*Some health conditions can make self-massage a bit dicey. I recommend a little research beforehand if youre worried.

"What does myofascial pain feel like?" A lot of things, to put it simply. Some signs of myofascial pain that I've come across are: areas that feel like bruises with no actual bruising, skin sensitivity (if you get pain from, say, running your hand over it in the shower), an assortment of symptoms from various things that seem unrelated, pain that doesn't go away with rest, pain with no clear cause, and more.

"Do I need massage though? Shouldn't I rest?" You also should rest, yeah, but here's the thing. Myofascial pain can be Instantly Relieved with self-massage. So why wait?

Furthermore, trigger points, the cause of these pains, don't always go away with rest. They can create positive feedback loops. If untreated, more trigger points can crop up, and the pain gets worse and spreads. Targetted massage can break that loop.

"Dude, I'm concerned by how much of a conspiracy theory this sounds like." Brother me too. Miracle cures aren't a thing, but stumbling across this information sure has felt like one, given I feel better than I have in years. Just...hear me out on this one. It won't harm you to try these techniques.

"What even ARE trigger points? What's myofascial pain syndrome??"

That's a long answer that I'll need to save for another post. You don't need to know what it is or how it works, though. Just how to treat it.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Disclaimer: I'm not a professional at anything except for being in pain, and constantly weaseling out ways to not be in pain. All this information can, more or less, be found in The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Claire and Amber Davies. I'm just organizing it into a more accessible guide for myself and others.

--

I have low back pain, and my feet, knees, and hips also hurt. I might also have widespread pain in general.

This combination of symptoms is often tied to postural issues, and usually it's Morton's Foot (not to be confused with Morton's Neuroma).

One in four people have this quirk in their anatomy. The short of it is that the foot distributes your body weight across two points instead of three--which can leave you feeling off balance.

Mortons Foot can cause widespread pain. If you have other conditions such as hypermobile joints or anxiety, watch out!

Go to www.mortonsfoot.com. They'll explain it better than I can. I can also tell you they're legit; I bought insoles from them and boy do they Work.

Other symptoms: sensitive feet, frequent sprains/rolling of ankle, bad posture, unusual worn spots in footwear.

--

The pain is in a horizontal band across my back.

The nature of trigger points is that referred pain patterns can seem nonsensical. A horizontal band of pain ANYWHERE in the back, not just the low back, can be caused by the abdominal muscles.

Can be caused by slouching, improper lifting, and overworking abs with exercises like sit ups.

Associated with the pain in your back after a hard day of work. This is the source of the "back breaking" in back breaking labour.

Massage Tips:

Do this lying down. Prop your head and shoulders on a couple pillows. Make sure you're warm, cozy, and comfy.

Lower abs should be massaged with fingertips, using your other hand to support them. Use your middle three fingers and begin by searching for tender points. Focus on the central muscle. Raise your head or legs to feel them contract.

If you find a tender point (and I do mean tender. If you're not familiar with pain, you might become concerned. Don't be--your body and mind are made so that you won't hurt yourself doing this) hang out and get to know that muscle. Seek out the spot that hurts the most.

Abdominal muscles go lower than you think. Get your fingers right down in the pelvis. Root around in there like a boar roots around for truffles.

Once you've got your guy, use short strokes from one end of the point to the other. Pain is subjective, but your goal is not to be in agony. Each stroke should cause a sensation right before you would classify it as pain. If you're grimacing, or tensing your muscles, ease off.

You only need 10-12 of these strokes. Search around for other tender points, do the same until you can't find anymore.

Your pain should have eased by now. If some, but not all, has disappeared, or you didn't find any success, try the other techniques in this post.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Your goal: To relax and soften the muscles as much as possible. Heat and other relaxation techniques will help. One session should be enough to bring some relief, but you should repeat this until you stop finding tender spots.

After massage, stand up and gently stretch out your abdominals three times.

--

The pain is on one side, possibly both, and I sit a lot.

The section above can also help chronic sitters, but this section is the meat of the issue for us. My experience with this pain is that it's sharper and more debilitating than typical low back pain. It can make it hard to walk.

Caused by...sitting a lot. Wheelchair users take note, I wouldn't be surprised if this one could help y'all out.

This one is more likely to cause limping. Do you sit with your knees up a lot? This muscle doesn't take kindly to that. You also might have trouble getting up from low seats

Be careful with this one. If it's active, it's gonna hurt like a bitch to poke around.

Massage Tips:

Like the previous massage, lie down with your shoulders and head slightly propped up. Have an extra pillow on hand.

Pick which side you're working on. Prop your knees up, and lay your knees AWAY from your chosen side. Use the pillow to lay them on.

Use the tips of your fingers, using the opposite hand to support them, for massage. You can also put your fingers back to back (make a T) to dig deeper.

Find the hip bone. You can easily start by poking around the inside of it, top to bottom. When you find tender spots, massage with short strokes. Look for the sensation that precedes pain.

You can go deeper by pressing down into the area between the hip bone and belly button. If you feel a pulse, move closer to the hip bone. If you can't get away from the pulse, or if you've found a pulsing mass, go to the hospital. Not joking on that one.

If you're have trouble finding the muscle, bring your knee towards you. It helps if you do this with resistance against the knee. You should feel the psoas muscles flex.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Your goal: Relax, again try not to elicit so much pain that you're tense or grimacing. If these muscles aren't the cause of your pain, you might not even be able to feel it. Sometimes, the psoas muscles are so sensitive that you can barely touch them. Even the lightest massage can help, though, and over time you'll be able to put more pressure.

After massage, gently stretch the leg on that side behind you three times. This is best done while standing. Be careful not to strain it if you are lying down.

--

Feels like, or has been diagnosed as, sciatica.

Sounds like you've got butt problems. Yup, you've got a pain in the ass. Different from Morton's Foot because the pain comes from the hips, and rarely refers all the way down to the feet.

Appropriately, your butt might be tender. Pain tends to extend across the hips, both above and below the belt line

We qualify this as low back pain, but if you put your hand overtop of the painful area it's more like back, upper hip, though that's not always the case.

Usually only one side, but can be both.

Massage tips:

Get yourself a tennis ball. If you're short enough, a doorknob will do in a pinch. If you have access to a Theracane, that's great too.

Brace against your tool of choice using a wall. Start on the outside of your hip, beneath the hip bone. Keep your knee bent and put your weight on the opposite foot. Look for tender areas and massage them out--look for the sensation that precedes pain.

You can also sit to get at your butt muscles easier.

Work all across the outside hip and all across the butt. Hell, get other areas of the lower back while you're here too. This will kill so many birds with one tennis ball.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Your goals: This massage is a bit tougher to control the pressure on, but fortunately the tool you're using is broad enough that it won't elicit the intense sensations that other trigger points can. The back of your hip should feel looser and more relaxed.

After massage, guide the hip through its range of motion. Don't force movement if it feels like the joint is "catching" or if pain intensifies--at worst the area should only be a bit sore afterwards.

--

Pain is a deep ache that feels like it's in the spine itself.

This pain is actually from your spine! Well, generally. A lot of muscle pain gets referred away from the problem point, but these guys are right where you expect them.

Admittedly I have less experience with this back pain, but typically pain is also accompanied by your back feeling stiff as a board. It's the pain typically associated with throwing out your back.

This pain often gets blamed on osteoarthritis, but even if you have signs of damage on xrays, sometimes it's muscular.

Fun fact: these muscles, which run along the spine and interconnect the vertebrae, are only relaxed in two positions: lying on your back, and standing up straight. So if they're tensed up when doing either, something is going on.

Massage Tips

Tennis balls and objects of similar size can help, but sometimes don't penetrate through the muscles well enough. For an extra boost of gravity, you can also lie on a bed, with your tool of choice on top of a paperback book.

Follow the pain, massage it until it feels better. Don't be afraid to dig in if you aren't getting results. The muscle here is thick.

Best practice is getting the tennis ball into the groove of your spine and just going to fucking town.

Theracane can also be used.

For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.

Your goal: Your hope is to see a release of tension in the back. Before and after massage, lie down with a heat pack and relax to help soften the muscles.

Don't worry too much about stretching out these muscles until you have more confidence in your body again. It's easy to overstretch and undo all the progress you've made.

--

And that's about it for lower back. I'm happy to add any clarification on these points if necessary, but please don't come into my inbox expecting me to diagnose you.

If you're a friend/mutual, though, feel free to hmu for more specific advice.

Final note: expect to need to work on these more than once, and don't be surprised if you only get relief once you've tried some or all of these. Experimentation is your best friend with myofascial pain, and even if it's not the source of your problems, it's good to gain familiarity with your body and the pain you experience.