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Fibromyalgia and Exercise: An Overview for Program Design

By Michael P. Keenan

Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disorder that conventional medicine states has an unknown cause and tends to treat with powerfully toxic medications. It is characterized by pain, tenderness and stiffness of muscles and connective tissue structures. Its symptoms are classified into three categories:

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are very similar, and some medical authorities consider them to be different manifestations of the same disease. Over 75% of the symptoms of FM and CFS are the same, but fatigue rather than pain is the primary symptom of CFS.

There are many theories as to the cause of FM, but let us examine 2 possible causes. The first raises from the potential reduction of blood to three parts of the brain, which causes the physical manifestations of depression. The second and possibly more probable cause is named Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS). LGS is characterized by undigested food or partially digested food particles crossing the gut wall, initiating an immune response. The particles that pass through the gut wall become antigens which invoke specific immune antibodies. The mucus membranes that line our digestive system become compromised, and the antigens damage the gut wall. Eventually the antigens overrun the antibodies, and once the number of immune complexes entering the blood stream reaches a certain level, the immune system shuts down. With this shutdown, the number of phagocytes and macrophages reduces, and the immune complexes spread throughout the body. These immune complexes settle in the muscle and connective tissue, which sets up local inflammatory responses. With this chronic inflammation, chronic pain and stiffness become the primary symptoms.

There are ways to avoid leaky gut syndrome. The most important of these is diet. Eating a diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables is the first step. Avoid a diet high in saturated fats, lean free range chicken, turkey and wild caught fish are better protein choices. Processed foods are the cause of much health issue, and FM is no exception. These man made food additives are foreign to our bodies, and strongly contribute to leaky gut syndrome. Water consumption is paramount to a healthy digestive system. The average person should be consuming no less than 1 gallon of water daily. The challenge with consuming less than this optimal amount is the slowing of the digestive system, which further builds up the toxins in the gut. The body will steal water back from the large intestine, causing constipation. Most fibromyalgia clients do not experience daily bowel movements, and this accumulation of fecal matter increases the toxins in the digestive system. Another symptom of this syndrome is gastric reflux, again due to a slowing digestive system, which can be traced back to less than optimal water consumption.

Exercise is crucial in helping the FM client. Exercise will aid in:

An exercise program should begin with low levels of exercise, with as few as 5 minutes of continuous exercise, progressing to 50 to 60 minutes of intermittent exercise. A mild to moderate cardiovascular program is recommended. Full body stretching is key to the prevention of FM symptoms. All resistance exercises should be pain free, using a 12 to 15 rep count with mild resistance. Overtraining will rob an already stressed body of blood and nutrients it desperately requires. Keep exercising consistently and you will find that the pain following the workout will lessen, as will your FM symptoms.

About the Author:

Michael Keenan is the owner/director of Fitness Together in Manasquan and Lake Como New Jersey. Michael is a Certified Fitness Therapist, and can be reached at www.ftmanasquan.com.

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