Fibromyalgia is an often difficult-to-diagnose condition that causes muscle pain, fatigue and tender areas of the body. According to the Mayo Clinic health website, fibromyalgia affects about 2 percent of the U.S. population and is more likely to develop in women. While the cause isn't known, some contributing factors can be genetics, physical or emotional trauma, infections or rheumatic disease.
Treatments
While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, managing the condition improves health and well-being. Medication is sometimes prescribed, such as over-the-counter pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs and antidepressants. General advice is to reduce stress, eat and sleep well, and exercise regularly.
Effects
Common characteristics of fibromyalgia include chronic headaches, sleep disorders, depression and difficulty breathing. A 2001 study in the "Journal of Muscoskeletal Pain" reported that 50 percent of fibromyalgia patients experienced shortness of breath and disordered breathing patterns.
A study conducted at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix shows that breathing slowly reduces pain in those suffering from fibromyalgia.
Deep Breathing Benefits
Even those without fibromyalgia could benefit from breathing slowly and deeply. More breath awareness can help reduce shortness of breath, relax muscles, calm your mind and clear air passages. Diaphragmatic breathing, using the abdominal muscles, offsets the tendency to breath only with the chest, which heightens anxiety and tension and may add to sleeping disorders. Using your diaphragm brings in more oxygen and releases more carbon dioxide and other wastes your body no longer needs.
Longer Exhalations
An article on the National Fibromyalgia Association website lists conscious breath control as the first of five ways to increase and conserve your energy. The other four are a healthy diet, gentle exercise, visualization and plenty of rest. The breath technique described requires exhaling longer and inhaling shorter. A longer exhalation effectively empties out lungs to eliminate over-breathing. The key is to maintain awareness of your breath as much as possible. Don't ever strain in your breathing.
Exercise
A gentle yoga or tai-chi practice could help reduce stress with deep-breathing techniques, meditation, stretching exercises and good alignment instruction. A 2010 study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" reported that tai chi's slow exercises, breathing and meditation may be effective therapy for fibromyalgia, specifically for dealing with pain, fatigue, sleeplessness and depression.
Check with our physician before starting any of this practice and make sure you don't overdo.
References
- Fibromyalgia Symptoms: Trouble breathing?
- MayoClinic.com: Fibromyalgia
- National Fibromyalgia Association: 5 Tips for Increasing, Managing, and Conserving Your Energy
- My Yoga Online: Yoga Breathing for Health
- The New York Tmes: Tai Chi Reported to Ease Fibromyalgia
- Science Daily: Slow Breathing Reduces Pain
