I feel all my muscles have gone to the pack - please help me!

Hi Gary
I am having problems that seem to be brushed off by the medical and specialist team.

I have had neck and back pain for years, did gymnastics when very young. I have worked in the dental industry for over 25years on an off. I am 51years old and weigh 47kgs. I think I'm having menopause symptoms as well as everything else. Every joint in my body hurts and just picking up a jar of jam is a problem.

Have being going to a physiotherapist, who is treating me for long term neck and pain problems. I recently sore the doctor about my knee which when I kneel on it has a tearing feeling followed by pain and a Chinese burn like feeling, I can also stick a needle in three different parts of my knee and I don't feel a thing. Had an x-ray showed nothing specialist said could have hurt behind knee cap maybe still tender, have physio, I feel the fact theirs a horrible tearing and pain sensation when I kneel doesn't quite match the flippant way I was treated.

I'm sure I have some arthritis in my knuckles as they have changed shape, and the main finger I use for terminal work, is very swollen. Also my big toe and the bone on the side of it hurts more and more when I walk, doctor said could be a bunion, specialist said no nothing wrong that he could feel or see.

I also get tingling down left side of my face and thigh, the thigh may have been caused to the epidural I had when having my son, as I felt numb there for ages after the epidural and then the pins and needles just stayed with me, sometimes making it difficult to get to sleep at night.

I walk to work and back home 4 days a week, this is 45minutes each way, other than that and normal housework gardening cleaning windows etc I don't do any weight training or gym work.

I feel all my muscles have gone to the pack, could you please help me I am at my wits end, I think the doctors think I am imagining how I feel.
"J"
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Gary Moller Advises:
"J", What you are describing could be applied to many of the women who seek my assistance. I call it various names, including "Wobbly Wheels Syndrome" (WWS), or "Fragile Body Syndrome" (SBS). It just feels as if one's body is falling apart.

What you are suffering from could be one of several possibilities - more than likely it will be several different things working in concert. The pins and needles, for example, could be as simple as a vitamin B deficiency causing a condition known as beriberi and could be the consequence of a stressful life and a course of antibiotics as long as several years ago. The joint pain could be a sign that you are seriously mineral depleted and or acidic. It could be as simple as a deficiency in vitamin C. Or you could be seriously low in vitamin D. Yes, you may be going through menopause; but menopause will only be part of it.

X-ray examinations, physiotherapy, exercise routines, medicine, drugs and being talked to are all probably a waste of time because I suspect the problem is to do with your cellular metabolism being compromised in some way or other. We need to exhaust this possibility, before looking elsewhere.

To get the ball rolling, can you please complete the Active Elements Assessment here. Please answer each question carefully and please tell me in the comments section about any medication you are taking, including supplements.

"J",

My body is ravaged with imbalances - please help!

Hi Gary!

My body is ravaged with imbalances.

The main problems show at the hip, abductors one the left side and adductors on the right, both with tightness.

The adductor tightness seems to be linked to tightness in the tibialis posterior on the same side.

I have attached 2 pictures to show problems including bowed legs and pronation.

I have tried alot of workouts and seemingly everything apart from custom orthotics.

My theory is that "toe sitting" could have caused my pronation, ie sitting in chairs with only the toes on the floor instead of the whole foot.

Do you agree?

I first found it almost impossible to sit with the feet flat on the floor while trying to fix this, and think I have stretched out my arches?

If you agree, do you think stopping it would fix things?

Many thanks in advance!

Brian
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Gary Moller comments:
Brian,
Your legs look remarkably like some I have seen recently with similar problems with chronic iliotibial band pain and have had good success with.

First of all, if you are having treatment by a health professional, please discuss my comments with that person and take heed of their advice. What I am about to say is making a number of assumptions based on other cases and how relevant this is for you is uncertain, given the limited information I have to go by. I am about to make some big assumptions and am doing so in the hope that at least one or two will be relevant and helpful for you and others.

I am sure that examination of your muscles will indicate chronic hypertonic muscles (Tense and sore that do like being pressed). While this problem may be most obvious in the muscles on the outsides of the legs and buttocks, you will find this is general, including the calves, feet, neck, shoulders and arms. If one was to press on the most affected areas, there would be intense pain and the muscles would appear hard and unforgiving. As in the photos, there may be lack of muscle definition and some muscles may appear to have wasted causing muscle imbalances such as you describe. In your case, you are indicating loss of muscle that opposes the outer thighs and abductors, causing the appearance of being bow-legged. There may also be early signs of knee joint arthritis.

If we were to test your blood pressure, it may be higher than 120/80. This is because of the many hard muscles making the heart work hard to circulate blood, plus the associated stressful lifestyle that seems to go hand in hand with this.

If we were to measure your body PH it may be acidic, due to the toxic buildup of lactate and other metabolic by-products in the muscles due to poor oxygenation. These leak into the general circulation causing an overall frop in body PH.

You may be leading a stressful lifestyle that causes and exacerbates muscle tension, poor circulation and the buildup of metabolic toxins. You may be an athlete who has pushed himself too hard in training and racing with not enough rest. Ultra-marathons and Iron Man races are good at producing the kind of sporting casualty I am describing.

You may feel dead tired during the day, craving mid afternoon naps. You may rely on sugar, chocolate, sports drinks and coffee to get through the day and during training and competition. Your sex life may not be quite as hot as it used to be.

The appearance in the photos you supplied is of legs that are ravaged with muscle tension and very tight fascia sheaths that constrict the muscle bellies and tendons.

So what's the solution:

Massage to soften the muscles and fascia and to release any myofascia adhesions.
Each session takes about an hour, is painful and should be repeated every 4-5 days. This can be very painful; but should be more bearable with successive sessions as the muscles become healthy and toxins are eliminated. You may even feel a little ill after the first few sessions as huge volumes of metabolic toxins are released from the muscles into the blood stream where the liver and kidneys must work hard to eliminate them. By about the 4th session, you should notice that the muscles are getting softer and less painful to press. Painful trigger points will be less obvious.

If you were living in Wellington I would be able to assist with the massage. You will need to shop around carefully to find a suitable therapist in your locality.

Take several key supplements
The most important to take are vitamin C (2,000 mg/day) and natural vitamin E (1,000 mg/day) and a quality natural B complex. These assist tissue healing following the massage, and helps settle the nerves. The B and C vitamins support the liver with its extra loading while eliminating metabolic toxins.

If your body is acidic, then a calcium and magnesium supplement may assist as would one that contains potassium. These form alkaline hydroxides in the body that help neutralise acids. There are several to choose from, including the Floradix range of elixirs, Red Seal Crampbuster, Active Elements 3.1 and Bioceutical Ultra Muscleze. You can learn more about these by going here. Avoid acidic foods and excessive protein. Soft drinks, sports and energy drinks can be among the most acidic drinks you will find anywhere.

If there is any joint pain, such as affecting the knees, take a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement for three months and review progress.

I am not suggesting that you become reliant upon supplements. The idea is to follow these recommendations with discipline for about three months without fail and then to review what progress has been made and to try to identify what has worked and what has not. You then decide what to continue and what to drop and what else might be worth trying.

Are you burning body and mind from both ends?
Take a close look at your lifestyle, including work, family and sport. Are you overdoing things? When do you have real "chill-out" time? When was the last time you took a really healthy and relaxing holiday? Do you really like your job? Are you married to your work? Are you a stress addict? Are you happy at home? Do you worry about debts? Is sport an escape from harsh realities? Look at ways to progressively de-stress your life.

To stretch or not to stretch
If you have hard, painful knots in your muscles then you should not over stretch. Do only gentle stretching. Excessive stretching will not lengthen the hard bits; it will overstretch and damage the margins where healthy soft tissue merges with hard unhealthy gristle. Over time, stretching will extend the gristle the length of the muscle.

So, stretch gently and give time for the massage, the vitamin C and E to soften the hard muscles and gristle. You will find that flexibility improves as the muscles relax and soften.

Moderate your exercise
Take it easy for the next three months by doing only regular exercise that does not strain or exhaust the body. Give your body time to respond to the massage and supplements. As blood flow improves, toxins are eliminated and your body restores health and vitality your exercise capacity will be restored and you will quickly and effortlessly achieve new levels of performance.

Statins and muscle - leg pain

Gary: I read your blog and wanted you to know that I was a perfectly healthy 48 year old woman who took no medications until the use of Zocor for cholesterol for 6 weeks. This led to muscle pain that has lasted 1 and 1/2 years. I have yet to find relief and feel this condition is getting worse instead of better. If you have any advice in my case for supplements, nutrition or exercise, I would greatly appreciate it.
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Gary Moller comments:
The most common side effect of statins is muscle pain and weakness, a condition called rhabdomyolysis, most likely due to the depletion of Co-Q₁₀, a nutrient that supports muscle function. The consequences can be lasting and devastating due to the pain and the loss of function. In the elderly, the risk of serious injury by stumbling and falling is high enough as it is!

Cholesterol is essential for life and anything that messes around with normal cholesterol physiology is unwanted. Especially when there are safe natural alternatives. For more about cholesterol and statins, please read the article about the dangers of statin drugs by Sally Fallon and Mary Eng. Sally recently toured New Zealand to promote the merits of traditional foods. She happens to be married to a New Zealander (Which means she's OK).

According to the authorities, this and other unpleasant side effects are rare. This is rubbish: When giving a talk last year to about 60 elderly people, three of the audience approached me afterwards to ask me about their muscle pain associated with statin use. Given the presumption that a minority of the audience was on statins this is hardly an indication of "rare".

What is scandalous is the fact that these drugs continue to be prescribed.

What can be done to manage the muscle pain caused by statins?
The first step is to attempt to replenish the nutrients that might have been depleted by the statins and which may be ongoing since even what may be regarded as a nutriitious diet may not be sufficient to make up what may be a substantial deficit. You are assuming what is essentially a heart healthy diet and lifeStyle:

• Take supplementary Coenzyme Q10 daily. This is at the top of the list. Every person taking cholesterol lowering medication should be taking CoQ10 as a matter of course, as might anybody with heart or cardiovascular disease.
• Assume a natural foods diet that is rich in the fat soluble vitamins and healthy fats and oils. Please refer to the wealth of information on the Weston Price Foundation web site. Their cook books are highly recommended. Have a small amount of protein in each meal.
• Take a combination of Natural Vitamin E, fish oil, lecithin, Vitamin C and Lysine. These have multiple functions, including improving circulation, protecting the arteries from free radical damage and may even reduce muscle pain.
• I am particularly fond of Floradix Magnesium for muscle pain. While these are quite pricey products, their quality is unsurpassed. Taking twice the recommended amount for a week or so and then dropping down to the ongoing recommendations for a few months may be beneficial.
• Arrange to have a once to twice weekly massage of the legs, back and shoulders to assist circulation and to relax the muscles (Blood flows much better trough soft, spongy muscles).

After about three months of this commence a steady and regular buildup in exercise:

• Muscle strengthening exercises - a gym would be ideal twice a week
• Endurance exercise three times a week building carefully up to doing one walk per week that is two or more hours, such as a leisurely hike in the bush. Get outdoors!
• Take your time and listen to your body as to how much you do. Rest between sessions and keep those massages going!

You will note that I am asking you to concentrate on your basic health for a few months before stressing your body with exercise. While exercise is essential for maintaining health, it is a waste of time if the body is unable to respond to its stimulus. Too many exercise experts dive right in with a thrashing of exercise with little of no long term benefit and sometimes do harm. Its a put off that is best avoided until body and mind are ready.

If you find these recommendations helpful I would like to know. I thrive on feedback. If they do help, you might want to keep them going, although you can relax a bit on the supplements; but keep the diet and exercise going consistently.

You may also benefit from testing your body PH. An acidic body is often closely associated with chronic pain.

If you are under the care of a health practitioner, please consult with them about this advice before making any changes and please heed their advice. Thank you.

Myopathy known to occur with statins

"While the statins are effective in providing protection from coronary and cardiovascular events, they are known to cause myopathy (usually dose-related) and, rarely, rhabdomyolysis. A clinical diagnosis of myopathy is made when there is muscle pain or weakness accompanied by a creatine kinase (CK) level more than ten times the upper limit of normal. Rhabdomyolysis is a severe form of myopathy with muscle breakdown leading to myoglobinuria, which may result in renal failure and death.

The Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) has received eight recent reports (including two fatalities) of rhabdomyolysis occurring in patients taking between 20mg and 80mg of a statin daily."
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Gary Moller comments:
This medsafe NZ report raises a number of interesting issues:

Officially myopathy and rhabdomyolysis are "rare" with rates of from 0.03% to 1%. Such rates depend on not just the Dr detecting the condition; but reporting it in such a way that it is recorded in offical databases. In m y experience, this hardly ever happens and only in the most serious cases leading to severe disability or death - assuming the disability or death were directly attributed to the culprit medication.

Co-morbidities and other medications complicate the detective work. So, for example; while the patient might have died from heart failure, the medication might have damaged the heart muscle. Or, as a result of the severe muscle weakness caused by the statin, the patient might have slipped, broken a hip and subsequently died from the complications of a blood clot. The official cause of death would not be the statin.

If these medicines have such nasty side effects, it begs the question: "Why do these things continue to be prescribed?" Especially when there are such effective non-medical alternatives that have absolutely no side effects other than looking and feeling great.

"Because they reduce heart disease risk and because the side effects are very rare", you might say.

"Rare?" At a recent presentation to more than 50 "Oldies" I was cornered afterwards by two women who had been prescribed statins. Both had suffered severe muscular pain and weakness and one had visible severe muscle wasting of her thighs and was having trouble walking. I was horrified at the damage.

Assuming that about 10 of the total audience were on statins, is this occurence "RARE"?