In years past, many doctors believed that exercise for fibromyalgia patients in Chicago, instead of being able to help, would exacerbate their condition further so they tend to discourage overly active lifestyles. In recent years, however, many medical experts have begun to see that exercise may be a key factor in keeping a fibromyalgia patient’s muscles strong, effectively controlling their weight, reducing pain and helping them stay active.
When you have fibromyalgia, exercise is probably the last thing you want to think about engaging in. But many health care experts are finding that prescribing such activities as daily walks, swimming, Pilates, yoga and tai chi-low impact exercises can not only keep you fit but help control your symptoms. We all know that exercise is necessary for strong, healthy and flexible muscles and joints as well as overall good health that is why many Chicago Fibromyalgia health care providers who specialize in the treatment of fibromyalgia are now encouraging the majority of their patients to start a low impact exercise program. Activities that work on muscle strengthening , range of motion and aerobic conditioning are generally the type of programs prescribed.
Medical research shows that exercise can help to restore your body’s neurochemical balance which, in turn, boosts your positive emotional state. Basically what happens when you exercise is you decrease adrenaline levels that the body tends to interpret as stress and you also increase your levels of endorphins which are natural pain fighters. Increased levels of endorphins help decrease stress, anxiety and depression. Doctors also discovered that serotonin levels are related to fibromyalgia symptoms. Serotonin plays an important role in mood levels and it is believed that too much stress can cause extremely low levels of this important chemical in our bodies. Studies show that lowered levels of serotonin can create not only stress but aggression as well. Increased levels of serotonin calm and relax us as well as induce drowsiness. With a stable routine of exercise, sunlight, and certain carbohydrate foods, you can increase your levels of serotonin. Exercise is also known to boost the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine hormones in your body. These are natural alertness boosters and can help keep the fibromyalgia patient’s mind active and reduce levels of depression.
In conclusion, not only is exercise good for keeping your body active and helping to relieve some of the joint and muscle pain associated with fibromyalgia, but you can also help increase your overall feelings of wellbeing and mental alertness. By learning to desensitize your body to pain, decreasing your stress levels and boosting the general feeling of wellbeing, you can learn to control your condition and let your condition have less control over you. If you are currently not involved in an exercise routine, talk to your fibromyalgia health care provider and ask about starting one.
