Exercise May Ease Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Walking and Strength Training May Improve Fibromyalgia
Symptoms and Quality of Life
Nov. 12, 2007 -- A simple exercise program that includes walking, stretching,
and basic strength
training may help control fibromyalgia
symptoms.
Researchers found that women who followed the exercise program for four
months experienced improvement of fibromyalgia symptoms
and improved physical function for up to six months after the exercise
program.
"Social function, mental health, fatigue,
depression, and
self-efficacy also improved," write Daniel S. Rooks, ScD, and colleagues in the
Archives of Internal Medicine.
Those physical and psychological benefits were further enhanced when the
women participated in an educational program about managing
fibromyalgia symptoms.
Fibromyalgia affects about 3.4% of women and 0.5% of men in the U.S., which
causes chronic pain throughout the
body for at least three months along with muscle tenderness.
Researchers say it's a complex and poorly understood condition for which
there is no cure and few treatments.
New Treatment for Fibromyalgia Symptoms
In the study, 207 women with fibromyalgia were randomly assigned to one of
the following four treatment groups for 16 weeks:
- Aerobic exercise and flexibility only
- Aerobic exercise and stretching plus strength training
- No exercise and a self-help course on managing fibromyalgia symptoms
- All of the exercises and the education course
The exercise groups met twice a week and gradually increased the length and
intensity of their workouts and were instructed to exercise on their own one day
a week as well.
The women filled out questionnaires about their physical and mental
well-being, and researchers measured their fibromyalgia symptoms and physical
function at the start of the study and again six months later.
The results showed the largest improvements in physical function, mental
health, fatigue, and self-sufficiency were found among the groups that included
exercise. The researchers note that the group that did all three exercises plus
the educational course had the best self-reported scores from the
questionnaires.
Researchers say the results suggest that a simple exercise plan including
walking, stretching, and basic strength training movements can improve the
symptoms of fibromyalgia and complement other forms of treatment of the
disease.