I’ve really been trying to do more walking this summer. I figured the more I walked, the more it would help the pain in my hips and thighs and really my whole legs. In the past, that’s what happened about half the time I went walking. The other half, the pain just stayed. Or if I didn’t hurt when I started out, walking brought pain.
The pain is mostly from old horse-related injuries. Also from getting older.
I’m just so discouraged. I thought that doing more walking would help. But it isn’t doing any good at all.
Sigh.
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Swimming is a good substitute for me. Much easier on the joints, can be as aerobically intense as I like, (mostly I tread water or do very short laps). I use floatation and it takes away any fear of getting “too tired”. I understand about the pain.
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I am sorry you know about pain. Thank you for the idea about swimming. I really miss being able to do that and I’m hoping that a move will mean I will be near a pool.
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Without a current diagnosis it’s hard to say what will help and what won’t. Hope you find some relief soon. I was diagnosed with one of the most catastrophic spinal conditions you can possibly have but thankfully found a treatment that worked for my untreatable condition.
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I’m planning to see a physical therapist later this month. First I need an order from my doc and can’t get that for a few more weeks.
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I hope the therapist can help you work through it. Do any supplements help at all? Good luck with your treeatment!
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I feel your pain. Really. I was doing the same thing and had the same result. I was working on getting legged up for work and was doing pretty well. Got up to almost 5 miles in a week. And then I wasn’t. It felt like I had sprained my ankle, except I didn’t. After a week in my favorite walking boot, it’s a lot better. I’m thinking I might have to hit the pool. I hate swimming. It’s so boring.
Do you need a doc’s order b/c of insurance? Quite a few states allow you to see a PT without a referral.
Thanks.
I haven’t tried any supplements. I need to learn about supplements. I can’t get my doctor to tell me anything about them, or my pharmacist. Pathetic, I know. 
Well, I tried glucosamine years ago but it gave me indigestion.
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It’s weird about the PT and the doctor’s order. About a year ago I saw another PT with the same office and he didn’t require a doctor’s order. I don’t know why this one does. Maybe their rules have changed.
I have very many age related pains, complicated by the fact that one of the symptoms of my MS is what I call “wandering pains” that can hit anywhere at any time for any reason or no reason at all. I have had many falls from horseback, and over 30 years ago a drunk driver hit my car head on and my body still suffers from this.
The Back on Track human stuff and the Fenwick stuff have saved me a lot of money because I do not “have to” buy over the counter pain medicine.
Like this morning. My right hip has been hurting for a few days, worse this morning. Usually either one foot or both feet have some sort of pain. Then there is my neck. My back hurts frequently. Lately my hands have been bothering me.
I take 2 aspirins a day, not enough but my doctor does not want me to take any more. I would have a much more miserable life if it was not for BOT and Fenwick. A while ago I realized, by accident (well I listened to a horse) that if I use both of them together they work much better than just by themselves.
So right now I am wearing a Fenwick gaiter for my neck, my super BOT back brace with one Fenwick leg wrap inside (and this feels REALLY good, first day I’ve tried it), a BOT ankle brace on one ankle and a Fenwick bootie on the other foot, my BOT women’s boxer shorts plus I am sitting on a folded Fenwick lap blanket for my left hip. Earlier this morning I had a BOT fingerless glove on with a Fenwick glove on top, those I was already able to take off. Some days my neck hurts so bad going up over my occiput that I also have to wear a BOT mesh top hat.
As the day gets hotter I gradually shed all of this stuff because the extra heating makes my MS neurological symptoms worse, but in the morning when it is cooler all this stuff means that I can walk around and recline on my bed more or less pain free, except for the occasional pang.
I have found riding a horse for 30 minutes has been the best possible physical therapy for my MS, including the pain. The horses will NOT keep contact with my hands properly if I wear my BOT & Fenwick stuff (the increased warmth makes my nerve conduction a lot worse and the horses tell me all about it!) but since the horse is usually wearing some BOT and Fenwick stuff I can get some benefit, like I no longer have to wear gloves in the winter because I have a BOT neck rug on the horse and on summer days I can get my hands near the Fenwick saddle pad. There are some days I wish I could wear this BOT & Fenwick stuff while riding but having good contact with the horse’s mouth is more important to me, and after a little bit the pain goes away.
I hope you find solutions to your pain. It can really suck out all joy from one’s life.
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Oh, I forgot about the emotional distress.
The Fenwick stuff helps me with this. I put on any of my Fenwick stuff and my mood lightens from the dark doldrums, at least for a little while. Sometimes I just put my Fenwick gaiter over my nose and breathe through it for a few minutes which seems to help some.
Again the horses taught me this. The Fenwick Face Mask does put the horse in a better mood and seems to reduce my riding instructor’s personal horse’s anxiety, as in he stops shying madly at every leaf rustle on the trails and he listens to her better. She always regrets forgetting his face mask because all of a sudden he is back to being a super anxious over reactive bundle of uncontrollable nerves, until she puts his face mask back on and he views the world with a lot more equanimity.
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Thank you for this. I have cervical dystonia and am in constant pain from it. I’m going to order the Fenwick gaiter. I have a back on track neck thing; it is too heavy and causes more pain. If you might be able to use it, pm me and I’ll send it to you.
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Thank you @NaturallyHappy for the offer. I already have the BOT Neck Dicky and the BOT neck collar, was there another one that I missed?
EVERY morning my BOT neck collar ends up around my husband’s neck for around an hour. It isn’t really that he needs it, but for that first hour it feels so good to him, then it is available for me.
One nice thing about the Fenwick stuff is that it does not need the introductory period that the BOT stuff needs, I just put it on when I got it and I did not take it off until I took a bath, then it went right back on again. I wear the Fenwick neck gaiter pretty much 24/7/365 except if I am riding a horse (the extra warmth makes my MS symptoms worse and the horses do not like how it affects my hands.) If my neck hurts more than usual I will put a BOT neck thing over it and it helps having both of them on at the same time.
No, you didn’t miss it. 
It is the neck collar. Any pressure (like turtlenecks) cause pain. I will order the Fenwick piece today. Thank you again!
The Fenwick gaiter is stretchable, and it has gotten bigger as I put it on and take it off. It hangs loosely on my neck now, I can get my fist between it and my throat.
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I need one of those face masks.
Thank you for telling me about BOT and Fenwick. I had not heard about either of those before, so after I read your posts I Googled them. I am glad they work for you.
Just this afternoon I had to walk up through my apartment to pick up a couple of deliveries and I had absolutely no pain at all. So I came home happy and started opening the boxes and putting things away, and all of a sudden I was sore all over from pushing and pulling and bending and stretching. Grrrr.
It is actually not horribly hot here today, low humidity and a nice breeze, so I may try a walk outside before dark depending on how I feel when I get up again.
I searched–far-infrared therapy on yahoo and there came up copper infused far-infrared fabrics. The one I looked at was https://coppercompression.com. They looked very interesting and I will be ordering some after we get our septic system fixed.
My son uses a copper infused back brace that he says helps him some. Since he is HUGE the BOT and Fenwick stuff is too small for him, way too small. I think the Fenwick stuff is mainly aimed towards jockeys (I need stuff for my hip, I am just too big, of course the gaiter is fine size wise), and I just got to face the fact that I will never be as small as a jockey. The copper infused stuff seems to be sized for bigger people too.
The far-infrared fabrics sure are making my life a lot more bearable in the pain department. I guess it is time for me to branch out beyond BOT (ceramic) and Fenwick (titanium).
Until I try the copper infused fabrics I do not know how they could help mentally, but back when my depression was acute I found that putting a copper bit in my mouth (I was tasting it for the horses) my depression got better for a while. Unfortunately taking a copper supplement makes me throw up violently though it did help my depression. Maybe these far-infrared copper infused garments will help my mood too like the titanium ones do.
I’ll update on this whenever I can get one. I just hope my septic system is not too terribly expensive to fix, if we did not need the septic system company to come out I would be ordering one of the copper infused garments today, oh well.
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I went all through the Copper Compression site and found FOUR things that the other places do not supply, or ones that cover more.
My shoulders have been bothering me for YEARS. It hurts to lie on them eventually. I am making do by sleeping on a folded up Fenwick lap blanket with a folded up BOT shawl layered on top. This helps some. I am excited, this site has two different things specifically for shoulders.
My hip has been bothering me for decades. This site has several things that should help me, a “Groin Thigh Sleeve and Hip Support” which looks like it will also help my lower back.
They have compression shorts too, I will need to do a man’s size, oh well.
I often have trouble down my back, between my shoulder blades. They have that covered too.
I have 4 things on my list, which adds up to $110 USD with free shipping.
They are cheaper than BOT and have a lot more different things than the Fenwick site.
I hope my septic system gets fixed soon. I want to order this stuff, I NEED this stuff!
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Generally speaking if you want your insurance to pay for PT you must have a drs order. That may be why the one office is ‘requiring’ it without offering a non-referral appt.
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