I was working as a warehouseman and one day I overexerted my self trying to fix a recalcitrant overhead door. Luckily it was towards the end of my shift and except for minor paperwork my work was done. Anyway, I got so weak I had trouble lifting my arms. It took a long time to summon up the energy to finish. It was Friday, and I spent the whole weekend completely enervated. I didn’t feel bad or dizzy or anything- just weak. What could it have been?
Theoretically you could have wrenched/pressured your back/neck or something else such that the ensuing swelling pinched the nerves to your arms, giving you a sensation of weakness as they just were not responding normally. Eventually the swelling could go away on its own and unpinch the nerves.
Theoretically. Maybe go for an exam and x-ray from some pros?
[Moderating]
Medical advice goes in IMHO.
I would see a pro. It could have been anything from a twisted muscle to a mild heart attack. But weakness hanging on for a couple days, even without other symptoms and after overexertion, is something I would want a trained opinion on.
While it’s tempting to see the work you were doing on the overhead door as related, it might well be that there’s no connection.
Systemic weakness and enervation is nothing to mess around with. Go see a doc.
You may have depleted you muscles completely of glycogen. Your body keeps enough in reserve to run your brain and autonomic nervous system.
This happened to me after my third PT run in basic training. I’d gotten myself into the slow group on purpose, because even though I used to run, I hadn’t in a long time. I should have played it smarter, and tried for the second worst group. My group was freakin’ POWERWALKING. I started running on ahead, and catching up with group 2.
Now, I was wearing these crappy shoes they made me buy at clothing and sales, because they thought the high-quality work of my shoes was nullified by the fact that they were dirty.
So after I failed the preliminary (baseline) test in them, the DSs were happy to give me anything that might confer an advantage. I had scored 91 (out of 100) on my pushups, and 87 on my situps. My pushups were the highest in the unit, and my situps were 2nd highest. Unfortunately, I scored only36 on the run, and I needed 50 to just pass. It would be sixty on the next test, and 70 to graduate basic
The first time I wore the good shoes, I ran with group 1, who I knew would run fast enough to past the PT. I flew through the base with that group, barely winded, but my legs started to feel strangely rubbery. My vision tunneled. Then, for a few minutes, my legs were in agony. I wanted so much to drop out, but I didn’t. I had to pass that test. The pain went away when my feet and legs became numb. Kept making my best effort to put one foot own then then other. My feet were slapping down, and my arms were everywhere, like I had a movement disorder; but I could see our gear we’d grounded about 40 yards away. I plugged on. About 10 feet before the yard where we were supposed to stop, I collapsed. No one noticed in the crowd around me. I sorta crawl-dragged onto the grass, and sat there, doing the post-run stretching exercises, but not well. And I just sat while everyone picked up their gear.
Finally someone asked if I were all right. She helped me stand. My legs hurt so much on the march back to the barracks, had someone told me I’d be in that much pain the rest of my life, I’d’ve killed myself.
That what total glycogen depletion feels like.
Ah Basic. Good times.