Exercise, Yoga & Massage Therapy
Activities and therapies that enhance a person’s overall health can also be helpful for people with Fibromyalgia. They can help reduce stress and boost both physical and mental health as well.
This is just a taster of some alternative things you could try instead of just relying on medication to help you.
Yoga
If you have Fibromyalgia, light and gentle yoga exercises can be excellent for you. It helps you to understand what your body is capable of and how much your body can take.
Gentle yoga can be a good way to stretch your body and can help loosen up your tight muscles and joints. It can also help you relax, calm, and focus your mind, and deal with emotional turmoil.
There are many different types of yoga. Some focus on slow, controlled movements, others are more intense:
- Hatha yoga is the most common type taught in classes
- Restorative yoga is a low intense rejuvenating yoga using items to assist you such as blankets, bolsters, and blocks
- Ashtanga yoga is an intense and challenging style that involves practising a specific series of poses in the same order
- Bikram yoga involves progressing through 26 poses in a heated room
- Vinyasa yoga is a continuous, flowing type of yoga that can be physically challenging
Yoga poses
The following poses are recommended for Fibro sufferers, although most Yoga poses can be used remember to stop when your body tells you too:
Standing forward bend or Uttanasana
- Stand with the feet hip-width apart
- Bend forward from the hip joints
- If possible, place the fingertips or palms on the floor. People who cannot reach the floor with their hands can place the palms on the tops of the thighs or calves instead
- After staying in this position for 30–60 seconds, slowly roll the body up until standing straight. Anyone with a bad back may prefer to keep a bend in the knees
Bridge pose, or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
- Anyone with a history of neck injury should avoid this pose
- Lie on the floor on the back
- Bend the knees, putting both feet flat on the floor
- Straighten the arms and, if possible, clasp them together beneath the body while exhaling and lifting the tailbone off the floor, keeping the buttocks tightened
- Hold this pose for 30–60 seconds
- Exhale while slowly rolling the lower back and spine toward the floor
- To protect the neck and reduce discomfort while lying face-up on the floor, place a rolled-up blanket under the shoulders
- Anyone with a history of neck injury should avoid this pose
Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana
- People should not do this pose during pregnancy or if they suffer from headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, or a back injury
- Lie face-down on the floor with the hands under the shoulders and the palms on the floor
- Pull the elbows back toward the body
- Inhale and push into the palms, straightening the arms until the upper body lifts off the floor. Do not lift the feet or pelvis off the floor
- Feel the stretch across the chest and in the lower back
- Hold the position for 15–30 seconds, then release the pose and return to the starting position
- People should not do this pose during pregnancy or if they suffer from headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, or a back injury
Corpse pose or Savasana
- Lie flat on the back
- Breathe slowly in and out and visualize healing breath filling the body
- On breathing in, imagine the energy coming in to refresh the body
- When exhaling, feel the tension and pain flowing away
- Remain in the pose until ready to stop
- Practising these poses daily may enhance a sense of well-being
Remember before undertaking any exercise even something as gentle as yoga check with your doctor first.
Aerobic exercise
- Aerobic exercises may improve your Fibro pain, it can help you function better, and improve your quality of life. A lot of doctors may recommend gentle aerobic exercises as the first line of treatment for you before considering prescribing medication or they may suggest it is something you do as well as using your Meds.
Walking
This is something you can do yourself
- Start with a short easy walk around your block and over time you can make it two blocks. All you need is a decent pair of shoes and motivation. A good goal is to work up to at least 30 minutes of walking three times per week.
Pool exercises
Whether you join a pool aerobics class or go swimming, the warm water and the gentle exercise can really help to ease your pain. Being supported by the water means less stress on the body and therefore is a great way for Fibro sufferers to stay active.
Stretching
You don’t have to overdo it but stretching those stiff muscles and joints can really help. Just remember to:
- Only do gentle stretching
- Maintaining good posture to ensure you don’t injury yourself
- Move gently and slowly. Do everything at a pace you are comfortable with
- Never stretch to the point of pain
- Hold light stretches for up to a minute to get the best benefits
Remember
Even if you are not able to do any of the above, any physical activity will benefit your health so all those household chores you struggle with count as exercise and are keeping you active as well.
Alongside the gentle exercise you may find massage therapy can also help.
Not something you would think would be beneficial for someone with Fibromyalgia, but it can:
- Reduce Stress
- Reduce pain
- Reduce muscle soreness and tension
- Improve circulation
- Improve energy levels
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower heart rate
- Improve alertness
- Help with headaches
- Improve sleep
Different types of massage can target different muscles and joints and can help to restore some kind of balance to the body. The best ones to look at for Fibromyalgia are:
Swedish massage
- This is generally used for relaxation, it is not as intense as a deep tissue massage, but it may relieve you of some of your pain. It helps to treat mood imbalances and improves circulation, which increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients necessary for muscle repair.
Sports massage
- Stiff muscles are one symptom for someone with Fibromyalgia, and sports massages can be a good idea, however deep pressure which is often used should be avoided as it can increase pain levels. Instead, the massage should focus on assisted stretching to improve the patient’s flexibility.
Myofascial release
- Fascia is a thin tissue that wraps around every muscle in the body and the structures inside those muscles. It can also be found in other structures in your body, including organs, nerves, and blood vessels and forms a body-wide system of connective tissue that our body needs in to be able to function.
- Just like muscles, fascia can also get injured, swollen and tender. Myofascial release can help with those tender spots and the muscle tissue.
Heat therapy
- By using hot packs, warmed towelettes, or hot stones this will increase the blood flow to painful areas making heat therapy an effective and relaxing treatment for someone with Fibromyalgia.
Remember to always check when making an appointment for a massage that the therapist understands Fibromyalgia otherwise you could find you actually make you symptoms worse, defeating the whole point of trying this therapy out.
Hopefully this has given you a small insight into other things you can do to help you deal with your Fibro the way you want and will give you the confidence to look further afield and find out what else is out there for you to try.
THE LINKS TO OUR RESEARCH
https://www.humantouch.com/blog/all-things-considered-how-does-massage-affect-fibromyalgia.html
https://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/ss/slideshow-fibromyalgia-friendly-exercises
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315142#other-health-benefits
https://www.verywellhealth.com/yoga-for-fibromyalgia-715782
THE LINK TO OUR SOURCES
THE REASON FOR USING THESE RESOURCES
To be able to show you alternative ways to manage your Fibromyalgia either alongside or without medication that you may find works for you.