Fibromyalgia and warm water exercise

Weak muscle groups with extensive muscle pain is a reality for Fibromyalgia sufferers. Moreover it appears that muscle mass strength is considerably less in people suffering from Fibromyalgia. Some research studies have established that if you have Fibromyalgia the optimum isometric and dynamic muscle strength is much lower when compared to healthy men and women. In other words, those being affected by Fibromyalgia tend to have weaker knees and the muscles that support the knee tend to be weaker and much less stable.

Other studies, which focused on resistance have revealed lower outcomes in functional assessments relating to daily living, which includes sitting down and getting up from a chair, where decreased optimum muscle strength of knee extensors is seen. This type of weakness can lead to loss of mobility. You may have experienced this yourself, when getting up is difficult. Your knees feel as though they're going to buckle, and they may be unable to support the weight of your whole body while moving down to a sitting position, or returning up to a standing position. A great number of people with Fibromyalgia find it next to impossible, or at least very difficult to crouch down with knees bent and then make an attempt to stand up.

Being involved with low impact physical exercise including yoga, Tai Chi, walking, water aerobics, and low impact aerobics are commonly recommended for treating Fibromyalgia. Balneotherapy and/or warm baths have shown to manage muscle pain effectively. The trouble is warm water exercise is more challenging to locate than land based exercise, and therefore many Fibromyalgia sufferers may not have warm water exercise classes locally. However, it may be well worth the effort to try and attend them if at all possible.

Studies have shown that Fibromyalgia patients achieved positive results from reduced pain and weakness by using a combination of land based exercise programs with warm water pool workouts. These types of exercises also helped boost cardiovascular capacity and mental wellness. The goal of one scientific study was to assess the short- and long-term effectiveness of exercise therapy inside of a warm, waist-high pool for women with Fibromyalgia. The study observed exercisers who participated in 34 water workouts. Individuals did not change any of their other habits. 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 recognized considerable improvements in the amount of pain, with a 29% decrease in pain. Follow up data showed that this gain was lost after 12 weeks of stopping water exercises. Knee strengthening throughout this scientific study was significant, with knee extensors showing a 20% improvement, and knee flexors seeing a 33% improvement. Translated this indicates that individuals who suffer from Fibromyalgia can use warm water exercise to strengthen their knees and strengthen mobility and stability, all of which are areas of concern in Fibromyalgia patients.

This study clearly indicated that warm water exercise will benefit Fibromyalgia patients. It leads to noteworthy benefits in strength of the knee extensors, which is a major predictor in mobility 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. Based on the final results of this study it appears that if you are afflicted by Fibromyalgia warm water exercise may be very useful to you. The key is that the exercises have to be ongoing as the benefits are lost over time.