Fibromyalgia is a disease characterised by chronic widespread pain and hypersensitivity to pain. Today we know that fibromyalgia deserves a multidisciplinary approach where physical exercise and water-mineral supplementation can help reduce the discomfort caused by the disease.
Although not everything has scientific evidence, there is practically unanimous agreement among professionals that fibromyalgia patients improve with exercise, although not all exercises are suitable. As a general rule, exercise should not cause pain, so it will depend on the sensations of each person.
Fibromyalgia patients tend to rest, which favours muscle atrophy. To avoid this, as a rule, when starting physical activity, we will tell the patient to do moderate exercise and to adapt the intensity of the exercise to their sensations. All of this requires us to have a good and clear therapeutic guide to help the patient to start this new lifestyle habit, which will be the inclusion of the different exercises in their daily life activities.
Here is a series of exercises to do at home and start with these habits that will help you to improve your sensations.
RESPIRATORY
Supine position, legs bent. Start the exercise with both hands on the abdomen, breathing in through the nose, slowly, and raise both arms in semi-flexion above the head (photo 1). Once we have taken the maximum inspiration, we will return to the initial position, breathing out through the mouth very slowly and squeezing the abdomen with both hands at the end of the exercise (photo 2).
STRETCH
(photo 1) Starting position in the supine position with both legs bent. Start the exercise (photo 2) by raising one leg flexed towards the trunk and, once it has reached its maximum flexion (photo 3), raise the foot in order to achieve maximum extension of the limb with maximum dorsiflexion of the foot. Return to the starting position with the same positions as for the ascent but in reverse.
SLIDE OUT
(photo 1) Starting position in the supine decubitus position. Start the exercise by lifting the gluteal region off the mat without lifting the lumbar region off the mat (photo 2); hold this position for 3 seconds, then return to the starting position.
QUADRUPEDY
Starting position on quadruped with shoulders and hips at a neutral 90 degree angle. Begin the exercise by hyperextending the lumbar region (abdomen towards the mat) (photo 1). Once the maximum lumbar extension has been achieved without pain, we move on to raising the dorsal region as far as possible, at the same time as we introduce the abdomen (photo 2).
POTENTIATION
Starting position, supine, hands behind the back of the neck, legs bent with one foot on the knee of the opposite side (photo 1). Start the exercise by directing the elbow of the opposite side towards the bent knee with the foot on the knee (photo 2). We must try to keep the elbows perpendicular to the axis of the body so that the exercise is performed correctly, the exercise ends with the return to the initial position.
Starting position, prone position with a pillow under the abdomen, upper and lower limbs in relaxed extension (photo 3). Start the exercise by extending and lifting one arm and the opposite leg, stretching them as far as possible (photo 4). This exercise should be performed alternately on one side and the other.
RELAXATION
Starting position in the supine position, hands in the ventral position (photo 1). Breathe in slowly and deeply, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth as if blowing out a candle without blowing it out.
