Fibromyalgia, Pain, and Exercise

According to one physician quoted in the following article, medication by itself may not be enough for the proper treatment of fibromyalgia. This particular doctor is a rheumatologist and, as he puts it, though no one is really sure why it is that exercise seems to help with this condition, it nonetheless does, perhaps by prodding the body to produce a pain mollifying substance.

A few stats and factoids from the article:

1. Four percent of the population may have fibromyalgia.

2. The majority of these individuals are female, being first diagnosed between their mid 20's and mid 40's.

3. People with fibromyalgia should gradually build up their physical activity levels as opposed to going crazy with a new exercise regiment (as so many of us do).

Number 3, of course, makes a lot of sense if you have any kind of medical condition that can result in "good days and bad days". However, I find it interesting to note that exercise in moderate amounts, while not a cureall, seems to be borne out in recent years (pretty much in all the news you read) as one of the best ameliorators of certain impairments.

For type 2 diabetes, for example, regular exercise is one of the best investments you can make in your personal health. It helps you reduce weight, increase circulation, build muscle tissue and increase muscle tone. Evidence seems to suggest that regular exercise for a type 2 diabetic can assist your body in getting back on course with regard to insulin sensitivity and how your body handles glucose (though, make no mistake, if you have diabetes, you should never develop the attitude that exercise and diet are a complete replacement for medical monitoring--not having regular medical checks is something you do at your own risk, and possibly at your own peril).

Exercise may prompt the body to produce an analgesic-type substance, similar to a natural form of aspirin






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