Fibromyalgia is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. It is characterized by chronic widespread pain and heightened and painful response to pressure. Its exact cause is unknown but is believed to involve psychological, genetic, neurobiological and environmental factors.  Fibromyalgia symptoms are not restricted to just pain.   Other symptoms include debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. Fibromyalgia is frequently co-morbid with psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety and stress-related disorders such as post traumatic stress disorder.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.

Causative Factors: Evidence points to environmental factors and certain genes that increase the risk of developing fibromyalgia – these same genes are also associated with other functional somatic syndromes and major depressive disorder. The central symptom of fibromyalgia, namely widespread pain, appears to result from neuro-chemical imbalances including activation of inflammatory pathways in the brain which results in abnormalities in pain processing.

Exercise Can Help: Exercise is commonly recommended in the management of Fibromyalgia and has become a cornerstone of treatment. Research and imaging studies support the theory that exercise benefits those with the syndrome and also finds that aerobic and strength training improve physical capacity, reduce fibromyalgia symptoms, and improve overall function.

When looking at exercise in treatment, it is important to determine the most appropriate type of exercise, intensity, and duration. All physical activity should be monitored to prevent adverse effects.  Aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce pain, fatigue, depressive episodes and improve related health factors, and physical fitness.   Strength training was associated with large improvements in well being and physical function.  Combined strength and aerobic exercise was shown to produce large improvements in pain and physical function. Aquatic activity was shown to be similar in results to land based aerobic activities, but not superior.

Effectiveness: Clinically, researchers found that exercise delivered in conjunction with other treatments designed to manage symptoms of fibromyalgia were the most effective and had higher patient adherence. Researchers noted that appropriate physical activity has the capacity to reduce pain and depressive episodes, improve overall function, and quality of life.

For more information on how appropriate and correct choices of physical activity improves quality of life, call 713-408-4819.