Parkinson's, Stiffness, Mobility and Elbow Pain

[myoman]

Team,

I am a 49 year old powerlifter who has had Parkinson's for 12 years. To be as brief as possible, how much "stretching" should I do for stiffness, tightness, etc.... in a couple of problem areas? I'm not a big fan of stretching so I'm a bit reluctant to do it but my circumstances are a bit different, I guess.....maybe not. For some perspective, I am a competitive lifter and close to being a contender for Nationals so it is very important to me to keep training as it is the best medicine for Parkinson's. My right elbow area is a mess. I have previous fractures of my radial head(proximal) and scaphoid on the affected side with slight arthritis in both. The pain is ambiguous but can be quite sharp and go from my medial elbow to lateral and then to the thumb area. My supination mobility is quite limited and my elbow extension is limited as well. My right elbow flexors are hypertonic due to Parkinson's so I usually have a slightly flexed arm. An example of the sharp pain is when I put on my shoes and pull the heel of the shoe with my thumb..... sharp PAIN! It also hurts when pushing a door open without thinking. Could my limited mobility be part of the pain and should I do a bit of stretching to hopefully increase the ROM? Any idea what could be causing this pain? It has been an on/off thing for a few years. Pulling hookgrip is possibly the main, but not only, trigger.

Thank you!

[Michael Ray]

Team,

I am a 49 year old powerlifter who has had Parkinson's for 12 years. To be as brief as possible, how much "stretching" should I do for stiffness, tightness, etc.... in a couple of problem areas? I'm not a big fan of stretching so I'm a bit reluctant to do it but my circumstances are a bit different, I guess.....maybe not. For some perspective, I am a competitive lifter and close to being a contender for Nationals so it is very important to me to keep training as it is the best medicine for Parkinson's. My right elbow area is a mess. I have previous fractures of my radial head(proximal) and scaphoid on the affected side with slight arthritis in both. The pain is ambiguous but can be quite sharp and go from my medial elbow to lateral and then to the thumb area. My supination mobility is quite limited and my elbow extension is limited as well. My right elbow flexors are hypertonic due to Parkinson's so I usually have a slightly flexed arm. An example of the sharp pain is when I put on my shoes and pull the heel of the shoe with my thumb..... sharp PAIN! It also hurts when pushing a door open without thinking. Could my limited mobility be part of the pain and should I do a bit of stretching to hopefully increase the ROM? Any idea what could be causing this pain? It has been an on/off thing for a few years. Pulling hookgrip is possibly the main, but not only, trigger.

Thank you!

I don't have a good reason to recommend static stretching based on what you've outlined here. I agree remaining active is ideal and beneficial. If you are noticing symptoms such as tightness, stiffness, and pain experiences then this may warrant programming changes more than anything. The range of motion restrictions you are outlining may not inherently be a concern provided you are still able to meet the demands of activities of daily living and your sport (lockout in bench for example). We'd ultimately need a consultation with you to dive into this discussion a bit more and make individualized recommendations for management. If you are interested please complete our intake paperwork HERE.

[myoman]

Thank you for the reply! I know Charlie and live in the same town so this may be the way to go.

[Michael Ray]

Thank you for the reply! I know Charlie and live in the same town so this may be the way to go.

Our consultations are remote but yes, if you are concerned and prefer in-person, then I do recommend finding a clinician in your area to work with through this issue.