Hi, does anyone know of any wraps or braces that can help with the pain on bad days. I was thinking of something especially for my legs and my forearms and hands while I'm at work. I have braces for my wrists that my doctor gave me but then I can't bend my wrists and I have to be able to at my job. Any suggestions? Thanks everyone!
you can buy hot/cold heat wraps from amazon.com for £20.00 pound sterling i would recommend them from personal use. xxxxxx
Hi CarolAnn,
I used wrists braces for my job some years ago. They had medal in them. My brother is wearing a brace for his wrists and it looks as though it is more flexible than what I had. Have you asked your doctor?
In the end I just could not take the stress on my hands and went back to school for a different job. My hands finally healed.
I think you'll find tons of people, even without fibro do this. People with lower back pain or tendonitis anywhere, or nerve pain like carpal tunnel syndrome, or even the newer texting thumb syndrome, there is a brace for them all. I have an ankle brace that I have to use once in a while. For your wrists, there are elastoplast braces that are just tight elastic fabric stuff where you can still bend your wrist, but the support feels good. That's what one of my ankle braces is made of too. Your whole legs? Have you considered compression stockings? Insurance often covers those.
wraps have helped me tremendously, as a teen my dr would put a half cast on me, then a regular wrap over the cast. but as an adult doing a job can be horrible. i'm a hairdresser, it's hard. i've had to change areas in the beauty industry. i do nails, i don't have to lift my arms. i sell kits that hair students need for their state test, etc....i don't do a lot of hair anymore. i miss it, but it's too painful. i would use wraps during the day and the stiff wraps while you sleep. good luck, let us know how your doing! :)
The most comfortable, flexible thing I can suggest to you are the Tommy Copper products, I have PsA that mainly affects the spinal column, so I ordered the blouse and shorts, in order to cover the entire area,and can notice a difference, they ran true to size, the other products ran small and I am in the process of exchanging them right now. The drug stores and businesses who offer types of disability aids are always coming up with new things as well, and you see many of the older musicians wearing wrist supports, especially the drummers. Perhaps you could 'google' that for more info.
Hope this is a help to you!
SK
When I switched from gabbapenten to lyrica I went through a period where I needed extra support for my legs, elbows, shoulders and hands. I was able to buy them all at docortho.com. I get a heavy ache in my body and sometimes when it is in the tops of my thighs it is more than my meds can take care of, so I bought a pair of compression braces that help with the pain pretty good. They have a lot to choose from. It might be worth checking out. I pray this may give you the relief you need.
Sounds like mine... they all have metal in them but are more for my hyperflexibility than the fibro. Mine were given to me at the hospital by either rheumatology or physiotherapy. The metal ones are really good for me but some days I wish I had a more flexible one... but I guess the docs at the hospital knew why they gave me the ones they did. Mikex
Hi
I find that the more exercise, even though extremely painful, the better in the long run. If you start to rely on other things you will get weak maybe. Suggest you discuss the concept with your doctor.
Cheers
Helen
Thanks everyone! I'm going to look into finding something to help. I think if I had something that was "snug" on my legs and arms, It may help me get through the day. Oh, does anyone have any exercises that you suggest? I'm finding it difficult to do ANY exercising. I'd love to walk but I can't walk very far. Any other exercises I try are very painful. And I know I need to do them but it seems impossible. Sorry for all the questions-this is pretty new to me and it's becoming very discouraging for me to think that this is my new way of life. Pain. It's just a matter of how much pain I'll be in on any given day. Thanks again!!
Carol Ann, My doc said the only exercise he wanted me doing was gentle stretches and strengthening with gentle strength exercise bands. They come in different strebgths, and I didn't know it, and bought the most difficult one, so I need to buy a dsifferent one. You can do yoga in limited spurts if its a yoga for chronic illness. there are some videos especially for arthritis and fibro that let you use a chair for support and are modified movements, but don't do it for an hour at a time. Starting with just a few minutes is enough.
I have a WONDERFUL, scent free pain cream. It's a prescription. Diclofenac 10%. Your pharmacist mixes it up for you. Most pharmacies within department stores can't do it, but individual pharmacies can. It has properties that are muscle relaxant, somewhat numbing, and anti-inflammatory. You can buy it over the counter as Voltaren Emulgel, but that's only 1.6%. Still, people say it helps them, but they may not have fibro, which includes nerve pain.
The gentle stretching, not overdoing to point of pain, the pain cream, massage, gentle strengthening, are all good pain control techniques.
I also was taking pantothenic acid, (which is vitamin B5). It dissolves lactic acid in your muscles that makes your muscles hurt after overdoing.) A university football team Dr. taught me that one. He said it keeps the players off of narcotics it works so well. It can be used for muscle injuries or just after workouts or for constant pain like we have. I was told to take up to 500 mg. every 6 hours, and that it actually HEALS your stomach and liver, unlike ibuprofen or tylenol, and it's also cheaper.
When my health declined due to lupus, and involved many organs, I had to get stronger meds, but that pantothenic acid did help my fibro. My daughter was also put into remission from her fibro by taking D-Ribose. Check out www.endfatigue.com . The Dr. who runs the site is an M.D. and a naturopath and has made incredible discoveries and remedies for various fatigue based illnesses, which are his specialty. He and his brother are both doctors and naturopaths, and his brother is the writer for the Dr. Oz show.
Hang in there, there are various remedies and alternatives to help. Hang in...like this..
I use plain old Ace wraps. They do look kind of ugly but oh, how they help! I even found some Ace wrist wraps. They do help.
Hi CarolAnn,
I use "Thumb Support" braces for my hands - you can buy them anywhere, Wal-mart, etc. Futuro brand. They are a little bulky, the way the strap wraps around the wrist, and there are plastic bars to hold your thumb, but I removed those and still get great support. And they are still easy to type with. I also have Neoprene gloves for support, they look just like fingerless black gloves, that come down past your wrist. There is enough compression in them for relief. I had found several different kinds on e-bay, so that may also be a place to check. Even to see what's available! I don't know anything about the leg support, but I bet that would help tremendously, I think I'll look for those too !
Renie♥
I have used the Rx drug patch, and the pharmacy patches with heat and various rubs and wraps like ace bandage.
But since studying this disease so much, I learned its the muscle involved that might need to be held up and confined some to support it (since our support is defective) and the skin is the major player. If it has no idea there is air or electric ions in the damp/cold then it stops hurting so bad.
With trial and error for my body, what works best is very simple. Somewhere i found a pair of legg warmers. The super baby soft kind, not hard stuff... that baby soft material some blankets are made from just feel like clouds. Then with a little Icy hot which is my best friend and putting on the leg warmers over my ankles and under my heal my pain leaves. that is generally when the floor is colder than the air. So if it worked there, it might work elsewhere. I bought some of that baby soft material and made some covers for my arms. i put slight elastic to the upper arm and had them to past my wrist. My arms below the elbow can be horrible, but it stops the pain... with a little icy hot first, then put on the arm wrap, wala... no air can hit it.
A large piece of this stuff can wrap around you, go under your back, around your neck, wherever there is pain today. And, since I learned the Boswellia and Cucumin worked as well as Celebrex... that is my treatment in a nut shell.
I do have the ankle braces with the metal strip, they are yellow and velcro.. but they do not work nearly as well as just that little baby soft material covering my skin. Its amazing !
Sorry you have pain... I am praying it will calm for you.
HOP
Hi, CarolAnn; how are you feeling today? Good I hope. I wear braces on both wrists for carpal Tunnel, and just gave me a sript for a Z-brace. apparently, I am developing scoliosis, isn't that awesome? Just when you think your getting bye well something comes by to derail it. I just got a second pair of wrist braces today, and they don't have even a tiny bit of velcro. UGG! Take care of your self! Keep posting, I always get the best advice here.
Hi CarolAnn,
I hope you had a nice day! 
I have found that walking laps in a heated pool is wonderful. It isn’t painful to walk as long as I wear pool shoes to protect my feet. Even walking 10 minutes is great exercise to start off. There are other movements in the water you can do to keep it interesting like walking backwards or walking sideways. After a few minutes in the pool I hit the hot tub which is my favorite part.
Just be careful not to overdo it - feels bad the next day (flares symptoms). Sometimes just driving to the pool is exhausting. I end up only soaking in the hot tub on bad days.
Some insurance companies pay for physical therapy in the pool. That is how I got started but after doing it for a while realized I could do it on my own and skip the copayment.
Take care,
Sunflower
PS I wear control top/leg panty hose from silkies.com. I find it helps with knee or leg pain when I’m wearing them (mostly for work). It’s not as tight as a medical grade compression stocking but holds up well. I tend to ruin stockings easily but this brand is nearly indestructible.
CarolAnn,
One final suggestion is a Gentle Yoga class. At the studio where I take classes, some students are sitting in wheel chairs. A good instructor can work around a student’s disabilities but it takes many years of practicing yoga to learn how to accommodate a wide array of handicaps. It’s also hard to find a good studio depending upon where you live. One of my close friends is a yoga instructor so I am happy to ask if she has connections in your area.
Namaste,
Sunflower
Lastly the Gentle Yoga classes I mentioned are based on the Anusara and Iyengar styles. I’ve learned that not all styles are suitable for me-
Hope that helps-
Hi everyone, sorry you are all going through so much!! There has been such great info posted here, thank you all for your contributions, surely there is some relief just waiting for us!
This has turned into an epidemic, I know we have all been hard workers, but it's not like we came across country in a covered wagon, built our own homes, cleared, plowed ,planted, harvested countless acres of land, you know?... Imagine those poor people, they just suffered until they layed down and died!!
Well, wasn't that a pep talk!!! LOL!!
wishin you all well,
SK
Hi All!
Thanks for all of your advice. I'm so happy I found this site. It's a relief to discuss fibro with people who understand. I know how bad the pain can get and I feel bad for anyone else who experiences it. We gotta stick together-right? :)