Fibromyalgia Exercise Rehabilitation

Wehri Li^*
*Correspondence: Wehri Li, Department of Physical Therapy and Motion Analysis, University of South Alabama, 307 N University Blvd, Mobile, AL 36688, USA, Email:

Introduction

Fibromyalgia syndrome, a chronic condition marked by widespread pain, nonrestorative sleep, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and other somatic symptoms, impairs physical and emotional function and lowers quality of life. Exercise is commonly recommended in the treatment of people with fibromyalgia, and research into the benefits of exercise for those with the syndrome has grown significantly over the last 25 years. Aerobic and strength training have been shown in studies to improve physical fitness and function, reduce fibromyalgia symptoms, and improve quality of life. Other forms of exercise and lifestyle physical activity, on the other hand, have been studied to determine their effects. This paper summarises findings from recent randomised controlled trials and reviews of exercise for people with fibromyalgia, as well as information about factors that influence response and adherence to exercise, to help clinicians make exercise and physical activity prescription decisions that optimise health and well-being [1]. Widespread pain, cognitive symptoms, nonrestorative sleep, fatigue, and a number of somatic symptoms are all symptoms of fibromyalgia, which is a common chronic condition. It also has a lower quality of life. Nearly 5 million people in the United States suffer from fibromyalgia, or about 2% (95% CI, 1.4–2.7). Prevalence is higher among women (3.4%) than among men (0.5%), increases in middle age, and reaches its highest level of 7.4% among those aged 70 to 79. Women with fibromyalgia are less physically active as measured by accelerometers, have a significantly lower perceived functional ability, and exhibit impaired physical performance when compared to age-matched control patients. In contrast, a recent study found that about 2% of athletes participating in competitive sports suffer from fibromyalgia, indicating that people with this condition can be extremely active. Even though one of the most important aspects of managing fibromyalgia is regular exercise, there are still many unanswered questions. For instance, it is essential to choose the type of exercise that works best (aerobic, strength, flexibility, or another); the prescribed intensities, durations, and frequency; and the kind and frequency of any related negative effects. The literature on this subject is steadily expanding, and there is a lot of interest in finding answers to these questions [2-4].

Discussion

“Planned, structured, and repetitive bodily movements that are performed to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness” is the definition of exercise. A subset of physical activity is exercise; the latter typically refers to unstructured, unplanned bodily movement, but in the context of this review, it refers to routine workouts with the goals of improving function and possibly some aspect of physical fitness. Over the past three decades, a number of exercise studies have shown that people with fibromyalgia can do moderate to vigorous exercise; However, due to their increased fibromyalgia symptoms, many participants in numerous studies had difficulty completing and maintaining regimens of vigorous or even moderate intensity. The effects of exercise and physical activity on people with fibromyalgia are reviewed in this paper, which summarizes recent reviews and describes new research on progressive exercise regimens (aerobic, strengthening, and flexibility interventions), more general lifestyle physical activity programs (self-selected, self-paced programs), and other forms of physical activity that have recently been applied to fibromyalgia (tai chi, yoga, Pilates, and Nordic walking, for example) [5,6].

Conclusion

Recent high-quality paper and meta-analyses provide ample evidence of the benefits of exercise training for people with fibromyalgia, including a reduction in pain and depression as well as an improvement in global health and physical function. The number and quality of RCTs examining the effects of exercise on fibromyalgia symptoms, function, fitness, and quality of life have increased. Tai chi, chi gong, yoga, Nordic walking, vibration, and lifestyle physical activity are among the exercise options that have recently been investigated. Fibromyalgia sufferers can exercise vigorously or moderately, according to research; However, participants' increased fibromyalgia symptoms have made it difficult for them to perform and maintain routines of a vigorous or even moderate intensity. The art of exercise prescription is unquestionably necessary for success. Exercise-related pain, fatigue, and musculoskeletal injury must be avoided to maximize benefits and ensure long-term adherence. When developing programs, individual characteristics like physical fitness, function and symptom severity, goals, and preferences should be taken into consideration.

One must question the widespread practise of giving young athletes various chemicals so they can have a potential ergo lytic and/or aesthetic advantage so they can "win at all costs" and look good at the same time. This is important when considering the overall problem of sport doping for our children and adolescents. The social fixation with sporting success shouldn't have a negative impact on our kids' mental and physical wellbeing.

Numerous gastrointestinal problems, diseases, and disorders have been studied in relation to physical activity and sports. Athletes might be encouraged to abide by a number of guidelines to enhance their GI function and lessen GI distress while participating in sports and exercise.

Acknowledgement

None.

Conflicts of Interest

None.

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