<h1>A stiff upper lip is, for sure, necessary</h1>

I was talking to Mr X who was telling me about a man he knows who has PD and who becomes rigid when he doesn't take his meds.

That brought to mind when I was coaching at a national track meet in Quebec City. I overheard a young French athlete tell her companion,"Oh, j'ai stiff" and then went off to warm up for her race. I had to smile both at her Frenglish expression (in French, "Oh, j'ai raide" would be correct) and her youthful stiffness. Perhaps she was talking about her suppleness not being its best. Maybe shes was not as loose as she thought she should be. Maybe, but I have my doubts. You don't win races when you are stiff and she won hers! Sometimes I think that young athletes have no bones, they are so supple.

So there you have it, stiffness ranges from a lack of suppleness to absolute rigidity.

Stiffness came up in conversation in another context last year when an old friend told me he had myotonia congenita. He had had it all his life as did other members of his family. In his own words:

"We always looked upon our symptoms as comical rather than a burden.

(for example) Taking that first step up to get on a bus in winter … “Why funny” …… because your leg won’t move. Frozen solid for a few moments. Add that to grabbing the metal hand rail to assist raising yourself up and now having difficulty letting go of the hand rail. Now that’s funny. The effects only last a few seconds. It usually left the bus driver shaking his head wondering who this nut was getting on the bus."

Myotonia Congenita

Myotonia congenita is a disorder that affects muscles used for movement (skeletal muscles). Beginning in childhood, people with this condition experience bouts of sustained muscle tensing (myotonia) that prevent muscles from relaxing normally. Although myotonia can affect any skeletal muscles, including muscles of the face and tongue, it occurs most often in the legs. Myotonia causes muscle stiffness that can interfere with movement. In some people the stiffness is very mild, while in other cases it may be severe enough to interfere with walking, running, and other activities of daily life. These muscle problems are particularly noticeable during movement following a period of rest. Many affected individuals find that repeated movements can temporarily alleviate their muscle stiffness, a phenomenon known as the warm-up effect.

My friend only realized that he had myotonia when watching a TV program about fainting goats 8 years ago. It was confirmed by his neuro. He had gone through life thinking everybody had the same problems.

Of course, myotonia is another level of stiffness, far above the simple "j'ai stiff", but not that far off the level of "rigidity".

Most of us PWP may eventually fall victim to some level of stiffness. It is one of the major symptoms of PD, along with tremor and, I think, exhaustion. Of course, PD being a designer disease, not everyone will experience severe stiffness as a result of PD.

For PWP who are sufferers of stiffness, the two best things you can do are:

1. Don't be stupid, take your drugs in a timely fashion as prescribed by your medico; and,
2. Exercise, of course, at least 30 minutes per day, 4 or 5 times a week.

As JFK once opined:

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity."