Fibromyalgia and warm water exercise

By Vivienne Clark


Weak muscle tissues together with extensive muscle pain is undoubtedly a inescapable fact for Fibromyalgia sufferers. Moreover it appears that muscle mass strength is considerably less in individuals affected by Fibromyalgia. Numerous research studies have demostrated that if you have Fibromyalgia the optimum isometric and dynamic muscle power is significantly lower in comparison to healthy individuals. In other words, those suffering from Fibromyalgia are apt to have weaker knees and the surrounding muscle groups that support the knee are usually weaker and less stable.

Various other studies, which focused on resistance have revealed lower outcomes in functional assessments relating to everyday living, such as sitting yourself down and getting up from a chair, where reduced optimum muscle strength of knee extensors is observed. This kind of weakness can result in loss of mobility. Maybe you have experienced this yourself, when getting up is difficult. Your knees feel like they may buckle, and they may be unable to support the weight of your entire body while going down to a sitting down position, or coming up to a standing position. Many people with Fibromyalgia find it almost impossible, or at least extremely difficult to crouch down with knees bent and then make an attempt to stand up.

Becoming involved with low impact physical exercise such as yoga, Tai Chi, walking, water aerobics, and low impact aerobics will often be recommended for battling Fibromyalgia. Balneotherapy and/or warm baths have shown to manage muscle pain effectively. The trouble is warm water exercise is more difficult to locate than land based exercise, therefore many Fibromyalgia sufferers may not be able to access warm water exercise classes locally. However, it may be well worth the efforts to try to attend them if at all possible.

Research has shown that Fibromyalgia patients benefited from reduced pain and fatigue by using a combination of land based exercise programs with warm water pool workout routines. These forms of exercises also helped to boost cardiovascular capacity and emotional wellness. The goal of one study was to assess the short- and long-term effectiveness of exercise therapy in a warm, waist-high pool for women with Fibromyalgia. The study looked at exercisers who participated in 34 water sessions. Individuals did not alter any of their other routines. At the end of the program, the number of tender points had not changed in both the control group or the intervention group. However, the intervention group experienced considerable improvements in amounts of pain, with a 29% decrease in pain. Follow up statistics indicated that this gain was lost after 12 weeks of no water exercises. Knee strengthening while participating in this study was significant, with knee extensors showing a 20% improvement, and knee flexors gaining a 33% improvement. Translated this means that those who are afflicted by Fibromyalgia can make use of warm water exercise to strengthen their knees and improve mobility and stability, all of which are areas of concern in Fibromyalgia patients.

This study clearly showed that therapeutic water exercise may benefit Fibromyalgia patients. It brings about noteworthy benefits in strength of the knee extensors, which is a important predictor in independence as it relates directly to your day to day life. It has long been recognized that low impact water exercises were beneficial to those recovering from injuries or surgeries. Depending on outcomes of this study it appears that if you experience Fibromyalgia warm water exercise may be very beneficial to you. The key is that the exercises have to be ongoing as the benefits are lost over time.




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