Fibromyalgia can be managed

Exercise is one of the ways to improve your physical well-being and it aids in great measure to get rid of ailments, aches and pains. Follow the exercise programme provided by the biokineticists at Anine van der Westhuizen Biokineticist in George and feel the difference. This week biokineticist Megan van Huyssteen discusses a central nervous system disorder called fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a common and chronic disorder associated with patients experiencing pain with the slightest pressure. It is characterised by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points at specific spots on the body such as the neck, shoulders, back, hips, and upper and lower extremities.

Fibromyalgia is considered to be a rheumatic, arthritis-related condition that affects the joints in the body, but does not cause inflammation or damage to the joints, muscles, or other tissues of the body. Similarly to arthritis, fibromyalgia can cause excessive pain and fatigue and it impairs the person's ability to perform basic daily activities. Fibromyalgia affects between three and six million people, mostly in their middle ages. For unknown reasons, between 80 and 90 percent of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia are women; however, men and children can also be affected.

Can biokineticists help?

Biokineticists teach self-management skills to people with all types of conditions, including fibromyalgia. They show people how to relieve symptoms of pain and stiffness in everyday life and teach patients how to build strength and improve their range of motion. They show them ways to get relief from deep muscle pain. And they can help people learn to make sensible decisions about daily activities to prevent painful flare-ups.

Why is exercise important?

Exercise is essential for keeping muscles strong and flexible, controlling weight, and helping you stay active in other areas of life. In fact, exercise and activity allow patients to have some control over fibromyalgia and the amount of pain they feel. In the past it was thought that exercise might worsen fibromyalgia symptoms or accelerate the disease, so doctors encouraged patients to seek rest rather than be active. Recent scientific studies, however, have shown that for most patients, range of motion, strengthening, and aerobic conditioning exercises are safe and necessary.

Fibromyalgia, exercise and endorphins

Studies show that exercise can help restore the body's neurochemical balance and that it triggers a positive emotional state. Not only does regular exercise slow down the heartracing adrenaline associated with stress, it also boosts levels of natural endorphins, pain-fighting molecules that may be responsible for the well-known "high" feeling.