December 9, 2010 – An exercise program combining aerobics, strength training and flexibility is believed to help decrease pain and other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, according to a Spanish study.
The study was conducted on 64 women with fibromyalgia. During the 6-month trial, the patients were placed, for 2 weekly sessions of 45 to 60 minutes each, either in an aerobic dance program or in a program combining aerobics, strength training and exercises. easing. A third group received only conventional pharmacological treatment.
According to the results, all the participants who exercised noted a decrease in their symptoms of the order of 14% to 15%, i.e. pain relief, improved mobility, general feeling of vitality and decrease in their depression. No noticeable improvement was observed in the control group participants.
The researchers also compared the results of the 2 exercise groups. Women in the aerobic, strength and flexibility program performed better than those who did only aerobics.
According to the study’s authors, these results indicate that it may be beneficial for people with fibromyalgia to reduce aerobic exercise to include weight training and flexibility. They believe that these last 2 types of physical activity would help to further counter the joint stiffness and muscle fatigue associated with fibromyalgia.
It was already known that the practice of physical exercise helped to relieve the pain and psychological distress associated with this disease. Aerobic dance is the most widely used for this purpose. The results of several clinical trials indicate that this form of physical activity provides greater relief than various pharmacological treatments.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
1. Sañudo B, Galiano D et al. Aerobic exercise versus combined exercise therapy in women with fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2010 Dec; 91 (12): 1838-43.
