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OI better with walking vs. standing

SpecialK82

Ohio, USA
Messages
993
Location
Ohio, USA
Have others noticed that their OI is bad when standing but immediately better while walking, and then immediately bad again while standing? I can't imagine why that would be. It would seem that there is increased circulation/BP while walking and that may help but the change is immediate, so doesn't seem to be enough time for that to come into play.

It would seem that the answer to this question might lead to a solution of the problem....
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Have others noticed that their OI is bad when standing but immediately better while walking, and then immediately bad again while standing? I can't imagine why that would be.

One thing is that when you are walking you are pumping your leg veins with your muscles and thus returning blood to the heart and brain. It is possible to strengthen these muscles to help mitigate the blood pooling. Pilates helped me with this.

Sushi
 

urbantravels

disjecta membra
Messages
1,333
Location
Los Angeles, CA
I've noticed this too, and I'm very sure the reason is as Sushi says - because walking helps 'pump' the blood back up from the legs. (This is true for healthies too.)

My heart rate might be high upon standing and then drop almost immediately if I start walking slowly. A common phenomenon for me is to be OK at the store walking slowly around picking a few things up here and there, but then immediately start feeling rotten once I have to stand in the line to check out. I shop at the non-busy times.

I have a few pieces of exercise equipment around from my healthy days, and one of them is a cheap plastic "wobble board" that you stand on for balance training. I've noticed that standing on it now feels surprisingly good! Only for a few moments at a time, though, but it seems to reduce the leg achiness and other OI symptoms. Need to get on that thing more often.
 

Sean

Senior Member
Messages
7,378
I have noticed this. One of the best ways for me to reduce OI from standing still is to just move around a bit, to literally become not static. Doesn't have to be much movement to get a substantial effect. It is a good short term palliative 'bandaid', doesn't fix the underlying problem, but can help deal with it.
 

SpecialK82

Ohio, USA
Messages
993
Location
Ohio, USA
That makes sense Sushi, it's amazing how quick it happens without any delay. Glad to hear that Pilates has helped you, I'm thinking of getting a Pilates video from the library, I have never tried it. My CFS doc did tell me that strengthing lower leg muscles would help. She suggested getting a Wii-Fit and doing the balance exercises.

A wobble board sounds like a great idea too Urbantravels, I'm surprised it doesn't make you more dizzy to move around but I guess if your lower legs are getting exercise it's compensating for your symptoms, wouldn't it be nice if you can improve you OI with it.
 

urbantravels

disjecta membra
Messages
1,333
Location
Los Angeles, CA
The only thing I do with the wobble board is just stand on it, keeping upper body as upright and still as possible, so almost all the movement/muscle effort is from the hips downward, with slight motions of the upper body to compensate. You can also do something more structured where you roll it around in circles, but again, you're not whipping your head and upper body around, it's a motion done mainly with the legs.

In looking at images of Wii Fit balance board exercises it looks like some of the exercises have you bending your upper body, which I would think would be much more of an issue for dizziness. Proceed with extreme caution! I got my wobble board for about $8 at a discount store, lots cheaper than a Wii.
 

Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,298
Location
Ashland, Oregon
Have others noticed that their OI is bad when standing but immediately better while walking, and then immediately bad again while standing?

Hi SpecialK,

That describes me to a T. Sitting for too long is also problematic, but not nearly to the extent standing is. I feel very fortunate that I can walk about a mile every other day or so. But given the problems with both sitting and standing, I'm probably in a laying down position about 20 hrs/day.

Best, Wayne
 

Chris

Senior Member
Messages
845
Location
Victoria, BC
Hi; there are some isometric exercises that may help a bit--lean against a wall with your knees bent and feet about 15 ins from the wall--hold for 30-45 secs, repeat in a while; stand on tiptoe with hands on a chair back for 15 secs, repeat; sit and raise and straighten one leg in front of you above the chair seat, pull your toes up tight, and hold for 15 secs; and any ab exercise too will help a bit. The more muscle mass in your legs and abs, the less space for pooled blood, I think--and hope. Am trying it to see, anyway. Best, Chris
 

SpecialK82

Ohio, USA
Messages
993
Location
Ohio, USA
Yep Chris, I am trying those same sorts of exercise too, I tried them about 6 mos ago and over did it so will try much slower this time - it's amazing how I think I'm not doing much and then feel payback the next day, and I think "how could I even do much less", it constantly catches me by surprise. I need to do abs again too, thanks for the reminder, wish you success with your routine.

Wayne, I know sitting is getting a bit difficult also, I have been recently adding more and more salt to my food and trying to increase my taste for it, also am drinking a 32 oz poweraide (sugar-free) everyday, it seems to help some, it's hard for me to drink all the fluids we CFS'ers need daily. I'm amazed that you can walk a mile!! Do you walk pretty slowly or is it somewhat aerobic? My CFS doc told me to exercise but only below my aerobic threshold (99 beats/min) or I will get PEM, it seems to be true. It's so nice that you can walk though if you are lying down most of the time, it feels so freeing doesn't it? Just for a little while...
 

SaraM

Senior Member
Messages
526
My OI is almost gone after going on stone age diet, eating a small amount of carb in the morning , correcting my vitamin and mineral deficiency and adding 50 mg of ubiquinol coQ 10 .I had a very bad case of OI. my spectracel test showed my Coq level was excellent, but I did not feel much improvement until I added it to my daily intake of supplement.
 

glenp

"and this too shall pass"
Messages
776
Location
Vancouver Canada suburbs
I am OK with walking - but not with standing around. I am also ok in recliners, adirondack and zero gravity chairs that have foot rests. The first thing in the am a regular toilet seat isnt good either. Learning all the tricks is difficult.

glen
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
With POTS its generally standing people have issues with.. as in POTS there is supposely blood pooling in the legs and abdomen. Walking helps the blood flow and helps get the blood to the brain hence can help many of us with POTS symptoms. (Some thou can have POTS so bad that they cant be upright at all!)

If you have to wait in line try to shift your weight back and forth from one leg to the other, back and forth the whole time so you arent completely still to keep the blood moving, thou I find it easier to just squat in line or sit.

Im currently thinking about getting some kind of aid i can take with me places which goes into a chair, to deal with the POTS better (would save me from having to sit on floors at times which in queues).
 

Sallysblooms

P.O.T.S. now SO MUCH BETTER!
Messages
1,768
Location
Southern USA
Tania, you should get a folding chair cane or something. I have two folding seats I use. I used one yesterday doing errands. I sit and rest and sit and pay for things I buy. Perfect. Lots of people comment about what a great idea it is. I think they wish they could sit too, even when they are ok.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Tania, you should get a folding chair cane or something. I have two folding seats I use. I used one yesterday doing errands. I sit and rest and sit and pay for things I buy. Perfect. Lots of people comment about what a great idea it is. I think they wish they could sit too, even when they are ok.

Hi Sally,

Do you remember where you got yours and what model it is? I have looked at a couple but they weren't as good as one my friend had--she got hers from a medical supply place within WalMart but they no longer carried them last I looked.

I do the "squat and read the trash magazines" bit in supermarket lines, and sometimes sit on the floor too (always at librarys, bookstores etc.) but finding a good cane-chair would be a boon!

Thanks!
Sushi
 

Sallysblooms

P.O.T.S. now SO MUCH BETTER!
Messages
1,768
Location
Southern USA
I can't remember where I got it but you can Google folding cane seat. I think I saw one at Amazon. Let me know if you can't find one by Googling.
 

sensing progress

Senior Member
Messages
296
Location
Tucson, AZ
My OI is definitely much better when moving than standing still. Before I knew about OI/CFS, I used to hate going to museums or other places where you're standing in place for long periods. Didn't know why, just knew I felt like crap. As if I had a museum allergy, lol

My OI is almost gone after going on stone age diet, eating a small amount of carb in the morning , correcting my vitamin and mineral deficiency and adding 50 mg of ubiquinol coQ 10 .I had a very bad case of OI. my spectracel test showed my Coq level was excellent, but I did not feel much improvement until I added it to my daily intake of supplement.

Dr. Rowe did mention in his OI webinar that food intolerances can be a trigger for OI, so that makes sense. I too find my OI is much better when I follow a paleo/stone age diet. The trouble is it's a lot of work and I don't usually have the energy to cook. Any tips?
 

fla

Senior Member
Messages
234
Location
Montreal, Canada
I have recently been able to walk up to 50 minutes but had never tested how long I could stand. Well I tested it and to my and to my wife's shock I completely collapsed after only 16 minutes of standing. Luckily I was standing next to the couch so I landed on it so no harm done.

This standing test was done while measuring blood pressure and pulse. Today I repeated walking around the room while also measuring blood pressure and pulse.

The interesting thing is that my pulse goes up by about 50 bpm when standing relative to lying down but only up by about 20 bpm when walking slowly. While walking however my low/diastolic blood pressure kept dropping to the point where the blood pressure monitor gave errors and failed to get a reading. At that point, about 15min, we stopped the walking as a precaution.

In my case the super high pulse rate induced by standing, like any other physical/mental effort for CFIDS sufferers, can not be sustained for an extended period of time. The medium high pulse rate induced by walking can be sustained significantly longer but is still pushing my system.