I am not a professional but I have had shingles for 8 weeks. It is slowly getting better. I think that moderate activity is good. I am retired but still cut grass and wash the car. It seem to me that I reach a point in activity where the shingles dosent hurt anymore. If it hurts your back or starts an uncontrollable itch stop what you are doing

Hi - this is my take. First, the GP myth is if you take anti-vitals within 72 hours this somehow reduces risk and duration of PHN - in fact research shows anti-virals no better than placebo. What is known is that the virus impacts 'nerves' but (a) they don't know if it causes scars; (b) if virus remains active hence PHN; or why some get PHN and some do not. The normal treatment course is anti-viral + some medications like gabapentin or Lyrica (prefnablin) - then to cope with the skin rash a variety of suggestions is given and the patient should 'suck and see' e.g.. vitamin D creams; capsaicin, hemp etc etc. Information is very scarce on how a patent might recognise their symptoms as getting better - e.g. nerves healing or whatever happens. In general as JIMG2 says, expect 3 months with the worse pain calming down by week 8-9. In effect one can cope longer on the same dose and the dose is filtrated so you go from say 300mg to 150 etc etc. You may never quite get rid of the numbness but who cares as long as the pain goes and you can sleep drug-free. Now to your question: shingles/PHN is NOT a muscular-skeletal condition so you can do anything but you have to be prepared to (1) do it in pain; or (b) do it with a deal of drug inside you. For example Lyrica will cause you to be dizzy, light headed but just takes the edge of the bad pain. A healthy person can tolerate up to 900mg a day though 600 is conventional. Like JIMG2 I am at 8 weeks and ono;y now the bad bad pain is subsiding. From day 1 I continued to play tennis and went to the gym - I found that after 10mins the endorphins kicked in and I did not feel the pain. After 5-10mins of stopping the pain returned and it wasn't worse it was just that I felt it was worse. Exrercise can do no harm, can help you cope with the pain, and keeps the body at optimum performance for yourself. Sorry if I offend any doctors or others but the above are truths and I have read most research papers. PHN is the pain you feel as soon as the rash starts healing and it doesn't matter if it is 1 day 1 month or 3 months - it is the SAME pain and researchers are playing research semantics to suggest otherwise. The single factor s an indication of likely PHN affliction is age and then health complications. It is not whether you take anti-vitals, prodromal stage pain, stress etc etc.

Thanks for the input. I'm coping better on some days and not so good on others. I'm trying to stay active. Can garden and go to the store but can't walk further than around the block. This is devastating to me because I walk marathons and am so worried I'll never be able to walk like that again. My right leg won't work properly...hurts, seizes up and refuses to walk right.