Fibromyalgia is a frustrating medical syndrome in which people experience chronic pain, especially in their muscles; profound fatigue; depression; and other symptoms, but it is unclear what the cause is and is difficult to diagnose. Encouraging studies show that regular exercise can help reduce the pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia.
Symptoms
Diagnosing fibromyalgia is difficult for both doctors and patients. Fibromyalgia is called a syndrome, or collection of symptoms, instead of an illness because the exact cause of fibromyalgia is not yet known, and the symptoms do not fall into neat categories.
Typically, a patient will complain to a doctor about lots of muscle and joint pain, great fatigue, depression, muscle stiffness on awakening and sometimes trouble thinking and remembering (also known as the "fibro fog").
Diagnosis
A doctor will generally make a finding of fibromyalgia if tests show that other similar illnesses are not present and the patient's symptoms match a set of criteria set out by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and discussed by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) in "Questions and Answers about Fibromyalgia."
These symptoms include pain that has lasted for more than three months, appears on both the left and right sides of the body and exists in 11 or more specific "tender points" mapped out by the ACR on a sample body diagram.
Although an estimated 80 to 90 percent of all fibromyalgia patients are women, men can also have the syndrome. Fibromyalgia is generally diagnosed in middle age, but children have also been diagnosed.
Treatments
Decades ago, before fibromyalgia was recognized as a medical condition, doctors sometimes told patients that their feelings of illness were "all in their head" or that little could be done for them. But today fibromyalgia is an accepted medical diagnosis. NIAMS gives a comprehensive overview of currently available drug treatments and suggestions for helpful sleep habits, diet and exercise.
Exercise
A pamphlet from the Arthritis Foundation, "Exercise and Education for Fibromyalgia," describes the results of a study done by several Boston medical centers to examine whether learning about managing fibromyalgia symptoms or exercise would be most helpful to patients.
The results of the study showed that the patients who learned various self-management techniques and participated in various forms of exercise showed the most improvement in symptoms. Patients who only attended classes in self-management of symptoms but did not exercise showed the least improvement. Other studies have shown similar results.
Realistic
The relationship of fibromyalgia fatigue and exercise is continuing to be studied. No single exercise regimen is recommended for every fibromyalgia patient. Exercises that have helped fibromyalgia patients include aerobic exercises, strength training and flexibility exercises. Scientists have also experimented with having fibromyalgia patients exercise in swimming pools. It is recommended that each patient consult a physician and physical therapist and create a gentle regimen that is best for that particular patient's condition.
