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Monitoring Stiffness

I’m having difficulty visualising how people measure stiffness. I know that being ill with the Flu or the day after some vigour’s exercise I will be stiffer than usual. Being very tiered will also make me very stiff. These are very notable changes in me but I tend to wake up in the morning like it. It is not something which occurs gradually or suddenly during the day.

When people say for example ‘eating a banana makes me stiff’ how are they measuring the increase in stiffness? Is it purely a person’s perception or is there a specific exercise they do to gauge their stiffness?

The context to this question is that for 50 odd years I have largely ignored my condition and got on with things. Not surprisingly, I have had a few accidents (some serious) but it was a simple knee operation earlier this year which knocked my confidence. I’m now up and about but I want to make the most of my condition and monitor for what food has an impact on me so I can avoid it in the future.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Andy E

Type of Myotonia: MC

Country: UK

Re: Monitoring Stiffness

I haven't been officially diagnosed with myotonia yet, but what I call "stiffness" I measure according to how much it disables me. If I feel "weird" when moving, or slow, then that's not too bad, whereas if it takes all my effort to move a body part, then that is really bad. So I suppose for me it's entirely subjective. I'm not sure how you could measure it objectively, short of having access to lab equipment or something. Maybe you could figure out how fast you can perform an action?

Type of Myotonia: ???

Country: USA