Exercising in Warm Water Decreases Pain and Improves Brain Function in Fibromyalgia
Even if you're too weak to walk, this study shows that mild 3x a week swimnastics in a warm, shallow pool results in big health benefits!
In this study, 60 middle-aged women with FMS were randomly assigned to either an exercise training group (n = 35) to perform 3 sessions per week of aquatic training (in a 90 degrees farenheit pool) including mobility, aerobic, strengthening, and relaxation exercises for 16 weeks, or a control group (n = 25). The exercise group significantly improved their pain threshold, tender point count, self-reported pain, severity of FMS, and cognitive function, while in the control group the differences were not significant.
The study concluded that warm water exercise three times per week for 16 weeks effectively decreases the pain and severity of FMS while improving mental clarity.
Reference:
Exercise in warm water decreases pain and improves cognitive function in middle-aged women with fibromyalgia.
D Munguia-Izquierdo and A Legaz-Arrese
Clin Exp Rheumatol, November 1, 2007; 25(6): 823-30. PMID: 18173915
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. His newest book (June 10, 2024) is You Can Heal From Long COVID. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.
