| I recently came across two research studies | | | | management course to follow and the last |
| which you may find interesting if you have | | | | group combined all four of these elements. |
| fibromyalgia. One suggests that those with | | | | |
| fibromyalgia have a disconnect between their | | | | The fourth group got the best overall |
| ability to sense and feel proper movement, | | | | results, combining exercise with education. |
| and the other study showed a program of | | | | The key with this population would be gradual |
| walking, stretching, and strengthening | | | | increase in exercise intensity, as it would |
| offered positive results. | | | | be for everyone. |
| | | | |
| The first study is quite interesting, as the | | | | These results were still present at a six |
| authors showed that often these sufferers | | | | month followup. |
| have a mismatch between the sensory and motor | | | | |
| systems, basically a lack of proper | | | | Obviously, massage therapy would be of great |
| communication. Your sensory system would | | | | help in reducing pain and dysfunction. |
| consist of your eyes and ears, and your joint | | | | Specific stretches that involve gentle |
| and muscle receptors. | | | | movement would definitely help most people. |
| | | | Joint mobility movements would fit this |
| Your sensory system, which is sometimes | | | | description, as they involve slow, controlled |
| referred to as proprioception, senses joint | | | | movements of the joints. |
| position and force going through your joints, | | | | |
| as well as the length of your muscles. It | | | | Another thing that joint mobility works on is |
| then provides this information to your | | | | the mind/body connection, consciously feeling |
| nervous system, which then relays this | | | | what is going on as you move. These type of |
| information to your muscles. | | | | movements can also help reestablish the |
| | | | proper connection between the sensory and |
| Apparently, people with fibromyalgia have a | | | | motor systems. Often times after injury, |
| disconnect between these systems. For | | | | this connection is interrupted and needs to |
| example, researchers asked 19 patients to do | | | | be retrained. Dr. Thomas Hanna refers to |
| a movement with one arm, which was hidden | | | | this interruption as sensory-motor amnesia. |
| from view, while watching the reflection of | | | | |
| their other arm in a mirror. In 16 of the | | | | Whole body vibration can also help as it |
| patients this caused a flare up of symptoms. | | | | provides a large endorphin release to help |
| | | | with pain reduction. It can also help |
| In their eyes this adds to the growing body | | | | restore proper connection between the sensors |
| of evidence of the communication problems | | | | and muscles. Whole body vibration platforms |
| between sensory and motor systems. I'll show | | | | cause reflex contractions of the muscles to |
| you some ways to work on this later. | | | | occur from 25-50 times per second. |
| | | | |
| Study number two looked at the effects of | | | | The vibration also stimulates your receptors, |
| exercise on fibromyalgia patients. One group | | | | sending a lot of information to your nervous |
| was asked to follow a program of walking and | | | | system - information which competes with the |
| stretching. Another added in simple strength | | | | pain signals, possibly blocking some of them. |
| training movements to the walking and | | | | One study on WBV at Ohio State showed |
| stretching. A third was given a self | | | | positive results with fibromyalgia patients. |