I have also wondered about exercise but I do know about the stretching. To stretch your arms put one arm to your other elbow and then put your arm to your other shoulder. Hold that for about 10 sec or more then repeat with the other arm. To stretch your back seat on the floor with your legs extended. Extend your arms and try to touch your toes. This also helps stretch your calves. Another way to stretch thighs is by pulling your foot in your hand as high as you can. To do your hips keep your lower half still then turn your left upper half to your right for 10 sec or so then change and do the right side.
I do a lot of stretching, whether I exercise or not. I have no idea how to release the trigger points, tho, I never heard of that before without a massage therapist or someone like that releasing them for you. I took ballet and Tai-Chi before I got my fibro, so stretching comes natural to me. My only exercise is walking--I started slow, going for very short walks (5 minutes or less) and worked my way up. I can now hike (with rests) up to 2 hours, even on very steep slopes, with only a bit of pain the next day, but it took years to get here.
Look up stretching exercises if you don't already stretch. As for the trigger points, hopefully someone else here will know.
After crushing the nerves in my foot 8 years ago, I knew I wouldn't be able to walk outside on the cement for any length of time. First, we lived in a very hilly area, and second, the cement was to hard on my foot. I had made a commitment to try and start to exercise. I found a exercise video created by Leslie Sansone, 1-5 mile walks. I figured what the heck, I couldn't hurt So, I started, the first week I got up to one mile. Same the second week. Third week I increased by half a mile, and so forth. The pain starting getting better almost immediately. After 30 days I was pain free. I had made a habit of exercising 6 days a week. Most days I did 3 miles. I had also read that once that something is done everyday for 30 days a habit is created. After being pain free for sometime and feeling so much better, I had to continue. I was about 60 at that time. I continued until a couple of years ago when we moved into our kids downstairs basement apartment. (My husband and I) It's much colder in the winter in Utah and it's been ---- on my body. My husband swears that I had just as bad times in Calif when I wasn't exercising. I KNOW that exercising does more for FMS than any medication I've ever taken. I've tried exercising while in Utah, but just can't get going for more than a partial mile at a time. I think part of it has to do with underlying depression. I'm already on Cymbalta, but I don't think that the Cymbalta just can't repair the feelings now of being "useless" most of the time. Exercise also does a lot to assist in the "power of positive thinking!" Why, when I KNOW that exercise makes me feel better, can't I get the umph enough, to try again. Our weather is wet and rainy and has been for a week. Starting tomorrow and next week it's going to be nice, 70's plus! A NEW HABIT is going to be born! And if I get through the entire week I will have Liz to thank for it. Because she brought up this topic and made me think about it. Thanks Liz, and Happy Mother's Day! Hugs, Susan D. BTW, I'll report back in a week-----if I'm still alive---and I will stretch first! Feel free to ask questions! I also agree that yoga is wonderful!
LOL! YOU WILL BE ALIVE!! Keep telling yourself this! Besides, we need the report. Well, I'm very curious about this Leslie Sansone recording. I live in AZ and the weather is too severe on the other end of the spectrum for a good half the year....this summer is supposed to be the hottest ever with "Iraq-like" temps. Ooh, can't wait! (sarcasm) WAY too hot!! I also moved here from California, and I also feel pretty useless. And you're right, the antidepressants can do a lot of things but that ain't one of them! (I couldn't handle Cymbalta made me nauseated for months till I couldn't take it anymore!)
One thing I do when it's too hot is mall walk. Do you have a mall near you?They are big and climate controlled. Even my ex and I went to Walmart once in a crunch and walked the inside perimeter of the store....hey it's air conditioned and HUGE, had to do some good, right?
I used to do yoga and LOVED it, but bc of my many spine issues, my rheumatologist warned against the twisting motions, and any with extending your head up & back. I tried it a couple years ago anyway, and got instant massive migraines. I guess my stenosis didn't like it.
Happy Mother's Days to ALL, especially us FMS/CFS sufferers, it's gotta be at least 10 times harder, so we really deserve the day, in my humble opinion!
I love yoga, and the stretching seems good for FM, but when I asked my rheumatologist he said not to do it. I have several spine issues and twisting does hurt, which is why I thought I should do more, like maybe I was too stiff, but apparently it's a bit more than just stiff. :( I also had to give up my lifelong passion which was horseback riding.
I do restorative yoga. Basically, altered yoga positions with straps and bolsters. Not sure where you live but most cities will have arthritis pools. Check the web for this by going to the arthritis foundation site. Warm water therapy helps. You can find restorative yoga online too. Gentle stretching is good too.
Hi Liz, I too have difficulty with any heat/cold extremes! Believe me I got the sarcasm!! What part of Arizona do you live in? If you are serious about Leslie Sansone I'd try a used cd of her through Amazon. I may even have an extra I can send you. The 1-5 miles can be started or stopped at any spot. I'm really anxious to start, maybe even a quarter of a mile this afternoon..who knows??? It's already low impact, walking in place,or walking front and back, or side to side. Leslie reminds you throughout that you can make lifting your legs lower or higher depending on how you feel. Hope you have a great day!! :-)
How much did you do? You have to start very slow and very low impact. I use, I'm restarting, thanks to Liz's thought's today. I use Leslie Sansone's Walking CD. I have several, but my favorite is the 1-5 Mile. As I become stronger, I will increase my exercise. Since I have made the commitment, I'll report back to you and let you know how I do. Now, if I can care enough to follow through. It's up to me! :-)
I certainly do agree that getting some form of exercise is helpful when you have Fibro. Whatever you can do and works for you is great! My doctor recommended some gentle yoga movements and Tai Chi along with massage therapy. I never got the hang of the Tai Chi but do some gentle stretching everyday before exercising. No twisting either for me it hurts too much. I wish I could walk, I used to but with Peripheral Neuropathy and arthritis in my feet that is just a distant pleasant memory. I ride my bike every morning weather permitting and use an eliptical in the winter and on rainy days. I also see a massage therapist who is trained in Trigger Point release therapy. She puts pressure on painful trigger points until they actually relax. It can hurt like heck for a minute but feels so good afterwards. I wish I could do it to myself but can't reach those spots myself! I love the pool idea, I will have to see if there is one around here.
Yoga at home works better for me...most DVD's give you options for the poses which helps. I would also suggest you look into purchasing a foam roller. I have lots of pain in my back and thighs...the foam roller really helps me focus on specific muscles and trigger points. The best is walking..but only in a pool. I found a pool that keeps the temperature warm enough that my muscles don't seize just getting into the water. That took some time, and it is more expensive than the local park district, but is well worth it for me. Good luck!!
Hi Susan, I'm just outside of Phoenix. I will check out the CD online. I hope you got some walking done! I myself got up and out of the house today so I felt pretty good about that!
I have started the gym myself a month ago I go twice a week I go on bike, treadmill and have just started on weights. I feel great when I have done it. And find it is helping me during the week to.
Hi to all of you! Hope your Mothers Day was a good pain free day! I do restorative yoga and love it, it’s gentle and feels so good when I leave there. I also do water aerobics and tai chi. It’s the best thing ever for me, much better than any meds I’ve tried. I have totally weened myself off of all and just take natural supplements. Makes a difference in my daily routine. I’m not loopy and feeling like a zombie anymore. I drink lots of water and have changed my diet according to my blood type. You can google to find that out.
I’m very tired right now until next time.
Love and prayers to all
I don't know how to do that but I did download an exercise program this week that is supposed to help people with pain. I would be happy to forward you the documents if you email ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ They are a stretches for your hip flexer, and other stretches that help. I haven't started using the program but I hope to start this week. I hate exercising so I'm working myself up to doing it. (mentally) And all you need is a tennis ball.
Hi. Any kind of stretching before or after exercising is helpful. Even small stretches throughout the day help whenever you start to feel stiff : good just to pause for a second and stretch out whatever is bothering you at the moment so you can keep moving. I also do yoga. I think a good one to try is Rodney Yee's Yoga for Beginners. The work outs are fairly simple stretches. It has two 15 min. workouts on the video. One designed for getting an energizing morning start and the other to wind down your day.
Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome - A Survival Manual
by Devin Starlanyl, MD
It has diagrams of showing where to press (trigger point release) for the particular pain area. Lots of other info in it, too.
It's actually a great resource for pain even if it's not from fibro. My hubby refers to it at least once a week for his pains from working two jobs. My college age son has used it.
It's a great resource and one that I think should be in every fibromite's home. I have the first edition. I have not looked at the 2nd edition to see what changes may have been made to it.
And stop eating sugar..... it really does add to pain levels..... but don't replace with artificial sweeteners, they are terrible for you, too.
Thanks, Hope! I know you are right about suger it's inflammatory (so are other foods), and I recently read "The 10 Day Detox Diet" by Dr. Mark Hyman. It's so inspiring. This is meant to get all the things that may be adding to or causing pain, weight gain and mental stuff like depression out of your diet. After you're clean you can add back 1 of the common offenders at a time and see if you have a reaction or not. I have heard for years food may contribute or even cause these problems, so that wasn't news to me, although there is more and worse stuff than I knew. I've also heard eating right can do a lot to help. I never had any guidance in what to do or how to do it, though, and this book does all that. Medicare only pays a nutritionist if you are full blown diabetic, and I can't afford private consults. Anyway, sugar is a big one, it's very addicting too ... I already know that one from personal experience!
I went to a Fibro support group where the woman showed us a roller you can get at any sports store, Wlamart, Target, etc. (or buy from her) and roll out your trigger points to release them. I got one. The catch is, she charges for it showing you HOW. It really irritates me that someone runs a fibro support group with making money off of us as an end goal, when we are suffering and many of us broke BC of fibro/disability can't work etc. I think she's a nice woman and will tell you some things to help but when it comes down to it, she is in business.
Anyhow I wanted to know how to use the roller properly, though it was worth th $15 just to roll it under my back!!!