It's not exactly a state secret: The best way to win the battle against fibromyalgia is to win the battle against your own waistline.
Obesity has been linked to the chronic pain condition before, and a new study finds even more evidence that extra pounds can bring extra hurt.
Researchers ran 215 fibromyalgia patients through a battery of tests, from physical exams to endurance tests to sleep assessments. And the half of the patients in the study who were obese did worse in nearly every category.
They were more likely to feel pain in the "tender points" on the lower half of the body, and more likely to suffer from reduced strength and flexibility.
And, of course, they were lousy sleepers--but since obesity on its own has been linked to restlessness, snoring, and even deadly sleep apnea, it's hard to say if the fibromyalgia had anything to do with that one.
The researchers wrote in the journal Pain that the body's joints and bones appear to have a hard time coping with the extra pounds, and that can cause the fibromyalgia pain to shoot up.
Since obesity has been linked to other forms of joint pain--especially arthritis--that's not exactly a stretch.
That extra weight won't just put you at risk for more pain if you already have fibromyalgia--it can put you at a much higher risk of getting the condition in the first place.
A study last year found that overweight and obese women were up to 70 percent more likely to suffer from fibromyalgia, while women who exercised at least four times a week were 29 percent less likely to get it than women who didn't exercise at all.
And that means the first and best coping strategy for fibromyalgia is simple weight loss.
For a little more relief, turn to yoga. In one recent study, 77 percent of fibromyalgia patients who tried yoga felt at least a little better, with 50 percent of them reporting at least a 30 percent reduction in pain.
That may not sound like a lot--but that actually makes yoga about as effective as the drugs commonly used to treat the condition... with none of the side effects.
On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
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