I just got a news alert from Google for this article from the Cincinnati Enquirer about the benefits of exercise and other conservative measures for fibromyalgia sufferers.
The patient in the story tells an all-too-common tale of cocktails of painkillers and multiple diagnoses, who experienced a turnaround with pool-based exercising. This meshes exactly with my own experience. I find the deepest flareups need rest at first, but for everyday pain and the milder flareups, if I can get moving in a gentle, easy way (walking, restorative yoga, easy stretches, Pilates) the pain does diminish. This, I think, is due to a couple of responses within the body. First, the endorphin rush of exercise acts as a natural painkiller. Second, the act of moving the muscles and joints produces a lubricating effect which eases movement and lessens both inflammation and resistance, two key factors in pain.
That’s my totally unscientific theory, but it backs up my experience.
How about you? What sorts of exercise can you do? What’s beyond you? Do you find exercise makes the pain better? Or does it just trigger flareups in your case?
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exercise and fibromyalgia
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