Fibromyalgia and Exercise

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/health/14pain.html

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 8 to 10 years ago and thought the rheumatologist was crazy when he said that aerobic activity was the best thing that I could do! I find that walking helps me alot but have to be careful with any weights, I try to do 30 day shred but find I usually get far too sore so usually have to give up after 4 days!
Luckily with the fibro I´m doing great and have done for the last year but I understand how difficult it can be to get out there and start to exercise.
Just take it slowly, baby steps is better than doing too much and then having a bad episode.
Sending some good vibes,

Angie:flowerforyou:

I've found swimming and short walks are the only thing I can do, aqua jogging (with a flotation belt) has been great. Can't do much on bad days but have tried to go for a ten minute walk at least. I find the more regularly I exercise the better my pain is, but some weeks I just can't sleep it's so bad, so exercising feels way too hard then! Hang in there and just try and do 10min blocks to start with, little bits build up to make a big difference.

Hey all,
Yes! I suffer from fibro also. I am doing well on the dieting, but dread exercise..it causes me so much pain. I have fibro about 10 years. Lyrica and zanaflex for the pain and it does help. My sister in law is doing zumba gold. I have personally never heard of it. I know I would have a heart attack or not be able to walk after a few short minutes of the regular zumba. I wonder if anyone else has the problem of one day being able to do quite a bit, like clean my house good and the next day spent most of it in bed. I can do that now my children are grown. I feel like there is more to life than laying around though.

I have worked with clients with fibromyalgia for nearly 9 years. Many doctors (particularly in the UK and Ireland, it may be entirely different in the US and other countries) have very little training in this condition and therefore the lifestyle and exercise advice that many recommend is unsuitable for those with fibro. As you know yourself, it is a condition that can vary enormously in severity from person to person and also for each person from day to day. Some days you can feel pretty good, other days like you are in the worst pain and all accompanied by "fibro fog" (the mental fogginess).

Those that advise Tai Qi and yoga are right, however I recommend going to a practioner (esp for yoga) who has small classes and is aware of your condition and has experience with it. I would avoid going to general yoga classes in a gym where the teacher won't know your history.

Some people find gentle swimming helpful, whereas others find the heat of the water causes flare ups. Be sure that you are swimming with the correct posture , ie with your face in the water. Swimming with the head and face out of the water will aggravate neck presentations. If you can find a personal trainer or physical therapist who has a good knowledge of the condition all the better.

Exercise is important, but when this condition is present it is vitally important to really listen to your body. Some days you will be able to do moderate exercise, other days when you feel flared up it is essential that you rest. "No pain no gain!" and "pushing through the pain" is not recommended! Despite what I have heard reported from clients from doctors and physios at pain clinics in my country! :grumble:

I would highly recommend the following book: Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Survival Manual, Devin J. Starlanyl + Mary Ellen Copeland. It's written by two Doctors who have fibro.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fibromyalgia-Chronic-Myofascial-Pain-Syndrome/dp/1572242388/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326533422&sr=1-9

Eating a healthy diet is one of the key ways of managing this condition, eating the way all of should be! There are other books on the topic, but if you are following what people here call a clean diet (cutting out or seriously reducing processed foods and stimulants such as nicotine and caffeine and keeping alcohol to a minimum) it will help enormously.

My clients find that certain types of bodywork really helps manage their symptoms. I do a pretty large variety of complementary therapies ranging from traditional acupuncture to reflexology, and every client will find something that helps. For me the most effective therapies are The Bowen Technique and the Emmett Technique.

If anyone wants to send a friend request thats cool too. I'm no expert but I work with a staggering number of people with this condition every week. Good luck to you all :flowerforyou:

I understand your concern but can tell you exercise is the last thing you should be afraid of. Just brace yourself for a bumpy ride and try to look at things long term. You can make things worse with exercise but de-conditioning and sleep depravation are major factors that set ppl up for FM and keep it going. Ultimately you need the blood and endorphins flowing. You need the sound regular sleep exercise can eventually help you with.

Chronic diseases including Fibromyalgia & Myofascial Pain Syndrome are really out of the scope of most Drs, physical therapists, & trainers. There will be some false starts and setbacks but stay with it. Lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, and sleep are your main weapons in this battle. You’re on the right path.

The safest exercise is light cardio although strength training is possible if you can go slowly and get excellent guidance. The key is lots of stretching between sets and avoiding overloading muscle groups. So, for example, if you do some sets of modified push-ups the triceps are done. Leave them and forearms alone and stretch the back, chest, arms, neck. If you do then go on to shoulders (after lots of progress) keep it light with lots of stretching.

Ideally, though, start with some swimming. Swim a little and stretch. Then swim some more and stretch. Wash, rinse repeat. Start very gentle with very modest goals. NEVER stretch cold. If you can’t warm up with exercise pull out the hot packs or take a hot shower. But remember this is absolutely 2nd best and may even still not really cut it.

Yoga, Qigong, and safe core exercises (even if only pelvic tilt) would be very smart moves. Try Hatha Yoga with someone good. If you see Power Yoga run for the hills!

Recovery can be a problem. Try to figure out what might be interfering with sleep quality or your sleep schedule. Try to see if you can find a trigger that is keeping your pain and spasm cycle going. Eat whole foods and lots of lean protein and raw veggies. If you are addicted to sugar or carbs detox. Try to reduce or get off coffee and whatever meds you can. Coffee isn't good for "brain-fog" anyway.

I know that’s a tall order (and sounds a bit insane) so take things one step at a time. Don’t make any changes suddenly. Instead transition into each change over a period of time. Don’t expect perfection and try not to be too disheartened by setbacks. But if you keep fighting and struggling to figure out what you need you may wind up in a better place than you were expecting.

Good luck!