Exploring
Fibromyalgia: The Puzzling Pain-Fatigue Syndrome
By:
Guilermo G. Martinez and Len Kravitz
IDEA
Fitness Journal April 2013
Why
Aerobic Exercise Helps in Treating Fibromyalgia
Pain caused by fibromyalgia can be
debilitating. Chronic stress seen in
fibromyalgia patients can reduce vasodilation, capillary permeability, and
capillary density, thereby restricting blood flow to the skin and muscles at
rest; this cluster of problems is referred to as cardiovascular
dysregulation. Body areas affected by
this compromised blood flow may become hypersensitive to pain, and tissues
affect may be easily impaired or harmed.
Temperature regulation may also be weakened, creating even more
discomfort and or pain. Regular aerobic
exercise has been shown to minimize cardiovascular dysregulation.
Why
Exercise is so hard for Fibromyalgia Sufferers
Even though the benefits of
long-term consistent exercise are good for fibromyalgia clients, many people
with the syndrome cannot keep up an exercise regime. This is because fibromyalgia is a multisymptom
disorder that includes widespread pain, sleep disruption, chronic fatigue,
depression, and stress. Since these
symptoms affect people with fibromyalgia so greatly, exercise professionals
have to recognize that engaging in exercise is very difficult for these clients. The buildup of metabolic byproducts from
exercise can cause an increase in pain and discomfort during and after
exercise. This is why mild workouts with
gradual progressions are key.
Exercise
Recommendations from the Research
The benefits of aquatic exercise
make it an attractive option for fibromyalgia patients. Cycling is another aerobic activity that has
been successfully tested to reduce pain and symptoms in fibromyalgia patients.
Potential
of Resistance Training
Properly performed resistance
training regiments are safe and have been shown to improve fibromyalgia
patients’ pain tolerance. A study shows
that resistance training 2-3 days per week at intensities corresponding to 8-12
repetitions to fatigue can reduce pain by up to 49 points on a 0-100 scale and
effectively reduce the number of active fibromyalgia tender points.
Other
Helpful Exercises
Another helpful exercises include
tai chi, yoga, Pilates, breathing exercises, whole-body vibration training and
Nordic walking.
Mixing
Exercises
It appears that combination of
cardiovascular exercise, resistance training and other exercise modes help to
manage fibromyalgia symptoms. Sixteen weeks
of self-determined, moderate-intensity walking combined with twice-weekly
strength training-progressing to 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions of multijoint
resistance movements and some stretching reduced fatigue in women with
fibromyalgia.
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