"Have Doctors Gone Too Far on Exercise For Fibromyalgia?" By Cort Johnson

[Dolphin]

Have Doctors Gone Too Far on Exercise For Fibromyalgia?

Exercise has become a kind of universal treatment for fibromyalgia. It's now considered a "first-line" treatment for the disease and dozens and dozens of studies (with more on the way) and millions of dollars of research funding have been devoted to it.

Moderate exercise is good for most FM patients but does it deserve this kind of focus? Tell us about your experience with exercise and symptom relief in

http://www.healthrising.org/forums/...ne-too-far-on-exercise-for-fibromyalgia.4457/

 

[Vanessa_M]

NO - I Don't think this is the answer at all. If anything, when I was in the worst stages of the condition, any activity would just make me feel worse. There is absolutely no way I could have exercised my way out of it. But I did recover successfully, thanks to the help of a very knowledgeable sleep disorder specialist. He had advised me to always function within MY OWN energy envelop and not 'push' past this with exercise. Very often there would be a sort of rebound a few days after exercise, where I'd really pay the price for it. But as I gradually recovered over several months, I was able to incorporate more and more physical activity. But I never pushed it.

 

[Vanessa_M]

I personally think this is just one of those medical myths, that doctors want to believe is the solution. Does not take into consideration the people who are so severely debilitated that this would be out of the question.

 

[TigerLilea]

I personally think this is just one of those medical myths, that doctors want to believe is the solution. Does not take into consideration the people who are so severely debilitated that this would be out of the question.

The only time that my sister-in-law gets any sign of improvement is when she is exercising. She recently moved and doesn't have a back yard for her dogs to run around in so now she is forced to get out a couple of times a day to walk the dogs. And guess what? She is doing so much better. She isn't cured but can do more than she could a couple of months ago. And she is so much happier.

 

[Vanessa_M]

@TigerLilea
Great story, happy your sister is recovering I guess I was commenting because I know that pushing with exercise would have been out of the question for me and had absolutely no energy for it, but I should not assume that is everyone. Maybe it is different for those who have fibro co-morbid with an autoimmune condition? I know there seems to be a lot of people on here with both autoimmune and fibro - I think the recommended strategies used should take things like that into account.

 

[lansbergen]

The only time that my sister-in-law gets any sign of improvement is when she is exercising. She recently moved and doesn't have a back yard for her dogs to run around in so now she is forced to get out a couple of times a day to walk the dogs. And guess what? She is doing so much better. She isn't cured but can do more than she could a couple of months ago. And she is so much happier.

That only tells she is good enough to walk. Does not prove others are good enough to exercose.