Self-Management Tools
STAGE 1: STARTING
ACTIVITY (OR FLARE
RECOVERY) Breath, Posture,
Flexibility and Relaxation
T
he fascia running throughout
muscles surrounding FM tender-points become tight and short
with lack of movement. When muscles stay short the body eventually
shifts into abnormal posture. Over
time, these postures can produce
pain from positional imbalances.
Typical FM ‘pain’ postures include
shoulders held high and rounded
forward, which constricts the chest
and leads to restricted breathing.
Likewise, a forward sliding head
posture (neck shortened and ears
not centered directly over the
shoulders) puts great pressure
on the neck muscles and radiates
down to the upper back, which can
increase tenderpoint pain in that
area. Other postural imbalances
can cause pain in knees, hips and
back. One example includes unconsciously resting on one foot and
locking out the knee when standing, leading to leg and hip pain.
H
ow to overcome these pain
postures? Research at Oregon Health & Sciences University
shows that using proper breathing, posture, flexibility and
relaxation has significant beneficits for people with fibromyaigla
and chronic pain conditions.
A. WARM UP 5+ minutes
4.
Change to marching forward
and backward, 4 steps up and
4 steps back
FM Modifications:
Room temperature should be about
70 degrees - warmer than a typical
fitness studio. Avoid overhead arm
work and movements that keep
limbs away from the body’s centerline for extended periods. Modify
the movements to accommodate
areas of pain on any given day. On
flare day ̰