Frustration over exercise - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

mek918 · 04-24-2003, 02:15 PM

As I've said before, my problems are all muscular in nature.

I used to enjoy lifting weights (nothing terribly heavy - I'm not that strong), working out a little, etc.

I find I cannot do it at all, it just aggravates my back/neck/shoulder pain. I think I'm in such agony right now bc I was painting the house this past weekend, helping a friend move, etc.

Why, why, why doesn't building strength help with muscular problems? Why does it make it worse?

24 hours to massage, counting down, counting down

OHJELJ · 04-24-2003, 02:20 PM

It hurts because your muscles can't stretch with the movement. You tax them even more with weights and therefore strain them and cause even bigger knots and spasms...don't do it right now. Let things calm down first.

Try another form of exercise like walking or riding a recumbent bike carefully, until your body has worked out where all of its muscles belong again!

Jennifer

GenDen · 04-24-2003, 02:32 PM

The muscles can't function normally when they are in stress. The knots or triggerpoints need to be deactivated. The muscles need to heal with gentle stretching. When that is accomplished, strengthening exercises are in order, but not before. You wouldn't keep on as usual with a sprained ankle or knee. You would give it time to heal and possibly have therapy to help in the process.

rhody · 04-24-2003, 07:35 PM

I don't know if you have the same thing I had, but what you write is so similar. I usually write in other sections, but occasionally I find this site interesting. I feel so awful for so many of you that have this TMJ pain.

I had the same problem (with the muscles - not TMJ) that took me more than 20 years to solve. When I exercised, the muscle pain would come, in the area that was being used. If I was bowling, it would come to the left leg at the top where there was the most stress. If I tried to lift weights, it was in the arm and shoulders. If I tried to run, it was usually in the ankle or knee area - most of the time somewhere in the foot. I spent so many years trying to figure it out. When I did find out what was most likely causing all my problems, to my dismay I found out that the medical community in general doesn't understand this or accept this.

About ten years ago I linked all of these fibromyalgia pains and conditions to my mercury-silver dental amalgams when my tooth broke - exposing one amalgam. At that point, my pains went "through the roof". I knew I was in trouble when I called a local hospital, and they told me that no-one could help me and maybe I could contact a research center. So, I took action myself. Over the years I have improved from a person that could not walk to "save my life" to now running nearly 20 miles a week.

This may not apply to you or others. Some of you who have this type of muscle pain may not even have a filling - but I thought I would point it out, just in case. Once the amalgams are removed and replaced with less toxic materials, there's also a period of detoxification. Removing mercury is extremely slow. It slowly accumulates from dental amalgams and other sources such as fish or medications etc., until the body reaches a toxic level that is debilitating. It depends on so many factors, and apparently some individuals are more sensitive to this than others. If you would like more information, please let me know.

Before I replaced the amalgams, I also experimented with vitamins, mineral supplements, herbs, and a healthy diet. Those all helped until I found something else that's made "all the difference in the world" - removing those toxic materials out of my mouth. To this day, I've continued with this healthy lifestyle, so consequently I write about diet issues as well. It's no fun being sick.