For people living with chronic pain, exercise is often the last thing they want to do. But physical activity could be a key component of some treatment plans, new studies suggest, especially with conditions such as fibromyalgia and arthritis.
"The pain doesn't go away completely. It's not a cure. But it's a way to improve how you feel and your ability to function in daily life," says Daniel S. Rooks, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a researcher for Novartis Pharmaceutical in Cambridge, Mass. He was the lead author of a study, published in the Nov. 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, suggesting that regular, moderately intense exercise can benefit many fibromyalgia sufferers.
The study of 135 women found that those participants who did a combination of walking, strength training and stretching three times a week for four months reported a significant easing of symptoms. (The workouts started at 30 minutes and gradually increased to 60 minutes per session.) In one group measurement, the degree of bodily pain was reduced by 45% after 16 weeks of exercise.
In fibromyalgia, the brain incorrectly processes sensations, resulting in widespread pain throughout the body. Other earmarks of the condition include depression and problems with sleep and concentration.
"This is a disorder that has good days and bad days. The bad days are really bad," says Dr. Stuart Silverman, a UCLA clinical professor and medical director of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Fibromyalgia Rehabilitation Program.
FDA validation
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved pregabalin (brand name Lyrica) as the first drug to treat fibromyalgia. For many patients, the Pfizer drug is validation that they have a real medical condition, an acknowledgment they've long fought to obtain. But Lyrica can cause side effects -- dizziness, drowsiness, weight gain and swelling -- and experts do not consider it to be a panacea.
About 30% of people taking Lyrica will see a 50% reduction in pain, Silverman says. He cautions: "Even if you take Lyrica, you still need to combine it with non-pharmaceutical approaches, like exercise."
But when even getting out of bed sometimes is a challenge, the thought of exercising can seem daunting.
"You must listen to the symptoms," says Jessie Jones, director of the Fibromyalgia Research and Education Center at Cal State Fullerton.
