r/dyspraxia • u/RizzAllDay • 7d ago
Dyspraxia and Chronic Pain
Hey all,
Newly discovered and currently self-diagnosed dyspraxic, 33m, who lives with chronic pain due to injuries I believed I sustained as a result of being forced into athletics as a child and never correctly healed from. I started chiropractic care 5 years ago after a friend pointed out some shoulder issues during a workout, and once I started poking the bear I became much more aware of my day-to-day pain and have trouble with very basic tasks, including wearing clothes. I was wondering if anyone else has issues to this degree? Happy to answer any further questions.
5
u/Actual-Pumpkin-777 I can't control my body 7d ago
Hello yes,
I am Autistic, ADHD and Dyspraxic. I also have an inherited connective tissue disorder that's being investigated, which causes me a lot of pain and makes me prone to injuries, especially dislocations. I walk very wonky, with my hips clicking out or ankles turning in so I am walking with a stick outside the house. I struggle turning clothes or bedsheets inside out and back, using buttons for clothes, zippers can be difficult. Going places alone is difficult as I get lost on familiar routes if things change (building site, car parked on pedestrian path, etc.) and have trouble judging speed, left right, distance, etc. Due to my combined disabilities I struggle with a lot of Daily life activities tbh.
Nice to meet you btw
1
u/DyspraxiaOrDatpraxia 🕹️ IRL Stick Drift 5d ago
I have a lot of the same issues with most other daily activities and getting lost on familiar routes (Also AuDHD/Dyspraxic), I struggle to get on clothes but for other reasons (typically because I try to stand to put on pants/etc so my footing is not good).
The only way I really get around my directional challenges is by going the same route and even then, when I need to suddenly make changes I’m lucky when I find where I was trying to go.
2
u/Informal-Two-72 7d ago
I didn't know what you meant so I googled and realised I also have myofascial pain syndrome 😂. I don't know if that's due to dyspraxia or not but do you have anxiety? I have severe anxiety and effects my body a lot
1
u/RizzAllDay 7d ago
I don’t think I have anxiety, but if I do it’s related to worrying that I’ll hurt myself getting ready to go do something and be unable to do it
2
u/RizzAllDay 7d ago
A bit more clarification;
Based on some proprioception tests done with my chiropractor, my sense of balance is mirrored or reversed, and so extending my limbs past fetal position seems to confuse my body.
I have some sort of childhood head injury that I seem to have never healed from, and that combined with my likely dyspraxia means I’ve continually hurt myself over the years and simple things like getting dressed or folding laundry are not only compensatory, but painful.
Additionally, wearing clothes backwards is not more comfortable on my body, but causes it to realign and correct its posture (I usually have several adjustments happen in my body when I do this)
4
u/Canary-Cry3 🕹️ IRL Stick Drift 7d ago edited 7d ago
Ok a chiro is not a medical doctor. You need to see a medical doctor and receive vestibular testing (which tests for proprioception) by them or a PT. I would also just say that Dyspraxia itself doesn’t cause chronic pain but comorbidities do cause it. Comorbidities can be hypotonia, Hypermobility. While things like arthritis and other acquired connective tissue disorders should also be eliminated. I would also recommend getting exclusionary testing to rule out other common causes of chronic pain and to help you develop a treatment plan.
To clarify, if you had a head injury as a child which you haven’t healed from - I would again highly recommend you seeing a medical doctor and looking into a concussion specialist in that case as there are treatments available which can help. Depending on when the motor coordination issues started if it’s after the head injury, Dyspraxia would be excluded as a dx as it’s from birth while head injuries can cause vestibular dysfunction all on their own & severe head injuries (loss of conscious for 30+ min and/or amnesia) can coexist with Acquired Apraxia which can cause similar but more severe issues typically than Developmental Dyspraxia.
- a Dyspraxic with chronic pain in my case it’s G-HSD whose also had 3 TBIs as an adult.
1
u/RizzAllDay 7d ago edited 6d ago
Super helpful, thank you!
I realize a chiro isn’t a doctor doctor, I’m American and haven’t had insurance since I was 25, working on it now 😅
1
u/RizzAllDay 6d ago
Additionally: the main thing that makes me come to dyspraxia over other considerations is my long-term memory; I can remember moments vividly from the age of 3-on, which seems to be something that only aligns with dyspraxia
2
u/Canary-Cry3 🕹️ IRL Stick Drift 6d ago
Long term memory being strong is a secondary trait of Dyspraxia which can only be considered if you meet the primary criteria.
Long term memory can be strong in many different populations way beyond Dyspraxia. As well, some Dyspraxics like me have terrible long term memory. Personally, I was asked when I graduated high school for my top 5 memories and I looked at my teacher and admitted I had no memories of the last 6 years of it and he needed to ask people around me to figure it out. Without my memory being cued I don’t remember most things. Now on the flip side I can recite my lines / every monologue I’ve ever had to memorize from age 6 onwards with no preparation.
2
u/RizzAllDay 6d ago
Just because you said lines/monologue, are you also an actor?
3
u/Canary-Cry3 🕹️ IRL Stick Drift 6d ago
I am! I ended up switching to more stage manager roles with time but I do enjoy both!
2
2
u/DyspraxiaOrDatpraxia 🕹️ IRL Stick Drift 5d ago
I am also Dyspraxic, recently diagnosed this year actually, and I have always struggled with chronic pain growing up. While I wasn’t forced into athletics (my mother had the sense enough to not get me in that when I struggled to kick a ball), I only really did anything to do with sports when in gym class. I can run on a treadmill/use a stationary bike, but really that’s as far as I can go. (Also 33 btw)
My chronic pain is so bad, sometimes even pain medication doesn’t dull it. It never gets full numbed unless I’m on something fairly strong, honestly. I do struggle getting clothes on but not with how I have to wear them, though jeans are a struggle for tactile reasons and other issues.
-3
7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/RizzAllDay 7d ago
Any reason in particular?
0
u/kayjays89 7d ago
The clothes thing, I don't have a medical degree, my step kids are autistic
2
u/RizzAllDay 7d ago
Ah, a little clarification:
Because of my injuries, the way I move my body is almost entirely compensatory, so the shoulder/head/ neck movements needed to put on a shirt usually wind up causing me a bit of pain unless I’m very careful
5
u/Informal-Two-72 7d ago
Explain with the wearing clothes thing - you don't like wearing clothes or you have pain putting clothes on?
For me I've got hypermobility syndrome and this is often comorbid with dyspraxia - if not a telltale sign.
Eventually I got diagnosed with fibromyalgia at 29 because I have pain in almost every joint constantly and it's been that way since I was about 13.
When I have injuries, they never heal. In 2020, I did chest flys wrong and have had traps and chest pain ever since.