Hi karen, wishing you a New Year with less painful days and hopes for new science that will help us with FMS move forward even more.
Re: MBSR. I have been using these two modalities for my chronic pain, muscle spasms, and other over lapping condittions for close to 12 yrs now. Although the reduction in pain is not anything meaningful the increase in coping skills makes it worth it.
Using mindfullness and yoga for stretching has been part of routine in for so many years now I don't think twice about anymore. I was very skeptical in the begining but realized right away that I was in the very least empowered by mere fact I was doing something proactive.
I am not able to do more aerobic excersises and hard impact excersises so finding a way to move my muscles and joints in such a gentle way has kept me moving.
The one constant positive in my ability to cope is powered by my ability to be mindful of somewhere or something other than my pain on days, hours or even minutes when the pain is unbearable and when nothing else would seem to help, except being knocked out.
I am going on 56 in March and yoga has helped to keep me moving. After 4 yrs of being bed and couch bound in the 90's I am most grateful for both instructors in these two philosphies.
I'm really surprised at the results.
I've been using meditation & some tai chi with a bit of yoga thrown in, with excellent results, in the past 5 years. It truly helps me with relaxing tense muscles which reduces the pain.
Another huge benefit is the focused breathing. I have a tendency to hold my breathe when the pain levels are high and this is how I broke the habit.
Love, light & laughter,
Dana
I have found if you lay down in a room bu yourself and listen to music and read that the pain will ease off and taking nerve pills along with the medicine you take for the fibromyalgia that pain will ease off a whole lot relaxing helps for some people and a heating pad will help to were ever the pain is the most ,I have type 2 diabetic to and the nerve endings are messed up plus have back problems with nerve problems so relaxing and listen to music and read helps me out alot it might help other's if they was to try it.
I have tried yoga several times over the past 15 years because it make sense to me that it should help my fibro and TMJ. I do think it helps loosen up some of the tight muscles, but I have not found any reduction in pain -and I think a slight increase. I'm taking yoga classses again this year as foot pain keeps me from walking and I know my muscles need to be stretched. I agree with the comment that it empowers me -in that I am doing something -doing nothing is too depressing, and I am assuming that there is a long term gain, but in the short term it does not improve pain levels.
I have been learning mindfulness for a year now. For stress it is a good technique, and relieving stress can reduce pain. I don't believe there is a direct connection between MSBR and pain. Someone with FM may have difficulty focusing on being mindful...and that might have influenced the study results. I have trouble focusing on being mindful, meditating, etc.
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I'm surprised at the results of the study. I've used mindfulness on and off for several years and have found it a terrific help in terms of coping with pain, wrapping my head around limitations and how to work around them and just in terms of it being much easier to connect to joy. Which I suppose are all indicators of a higher quality of life. I hope they'll be more research into this topic see if the results can be replicated or if there's something specific about fibromyalgia that impacts the outcome.