Diet and Exercise
A balanced plan for treating fibromyalgia should include both drug and nondrug therapies. Exercise, in particular, has been touted as a nondrug treatment for fibromyalgia. If approached the wrong way, however, exercise can cause pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia to flare. Be cautious of healthcare providers who tell you that exercise is the key to treating your fibromyalgia (they are not being realistic), but if done properly, exercise can help you stay fit and maintain a better quality of life. Similarly, a well-planned diet with the right nutritional supplements will help optimize your health.
Diet
Is
there a diet that will "cure" fibromyalgia? No. However, a diet
full of fruits and vegetables may supply your body with additional antioxidants
like malic acid found in apples, and calcium found in deep green vegetables.
Antioxidents are considered to be beneficial for minimizing oxidative stress
that can occur in tissues when the body generates certain reactive chemicals,
called free radicals. An excess of free radicals is harmful to the tissues,
which is likely why researchers have discovered that an antioxidant/oxidant
imbalance corresponds with lower pain thresholds, higher muscle pain levels,
and greater fatigue levels.
Doctors recommend that you try to minimize the amounts of preservatives or chemicals that you consume in your diet because your body will require more antioxidants to clear them from your system, and many patients are chemically sensitive. Moreover, there are certain chemicals in foods that tend to cause more problems or magnify fibromyalgia symptoms, such as aspartame, commonly known on the supermarket shelf as Equal or NutraSweet.
In addition to a healthy diet, several vitamins and nutritional supplements have been determined to be beneficial for a variety of chemical imbalances to help you improve the quality of your life. For example, melatonin is known to increase brain serotonin levels and has hypnotic effects that may aid sleep as well. Vinpocetine, a substance extracted from the periwinkle plant, has been known for years to improve brain function. Supplements also can help with gastrointestinal distress, muscle function, fibro-fog, and fatigue.
Exercise
Exercise
will help you stay functional while giving you that positive mental boost.
It is also known to decrease anxiety and depression, which can negatively
impact the way you cope with your symptoms. Doctors agree that aerobic exercise
increases blood flow and oxygen to the muscles and surrounding tissues to
help nourish them. It also improves circulation, regulates blood pressure
and body weight, and strengthens the heart, among other benefits. While this
is all well and good, how will you face the challenge of beginning an exercise
program without throwing your body into a flare up?
You need to take a mindful approach of what you are physically doing:
- Work with your doctor or physical therapist before starting any exercise program
- Avoid intense activity
- Think "moderate" exercise
- Understand your limitations
- Choose activities you can do and enjoy doing
- Start slowly in short increments of activity and build up slowly
- Stretch properly before activity
- Take steps to avoid negative post-exercise symptoms
In addition, there are several therapies involving massage, yoga, and self-help aids to ease soreness that may arise from exercise.
To provide fibromyalgia patients with important, unbiased dietary and exercise guidelines, Fibromyalgia Network has compiled a 24-page collection of articles that includes input from doctors, researchers, physical therapists, and fibromyalgia patients. Our Diet and Exercise Supplement covers such topics as:
- Nutritional supplements for increased function
- Dietary approaches to fibromyalgia
- Benefits and adverse effects of exercise
- Beginning an exercise program at your own pace
- Advice on managing post-exertional muscle soreness
- Types of exercise to consider and physical activities to avoid
- The benefits of strengthening muscles, along with diagrams to get you started
- A medication that will help you get the most out of exercise
- Q&A with one of the leading authorities on exercise for fibromyalgia
- Tips on managing hand and foot pain
- Yoga and massage for relaxation and pain relief, and more ...
Get this guide to diet and exercise in one handy supplement for only $10. To order, click here.
If you are looking for a balanced fibromyalgia treatment plan, a Membership to Fibromyalgia Network will keep you up to date on new research, medications, and nondrug therapies. To learn more about Membership benefits, click here.
For other treatment options, click here.
