How well does exercise work for treating fibromyalgia syndrome?
What is fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and how can exercise help? Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a syndrome of widespread body pain. People with FMS often feel tired, stiff, anxious, and cannot get a good night’s sleep. Research has shown that many people with FMS have less physical endurance than others. These low levels of fitness may be due to the pain, fatigue and depression of FMS, but research suggests that people with FMS are able to exercise and that exercise may improve overall fitness, as well as help reduce pain and improve symptoms. How did the scientists find the information and analyse it? The scientists working with the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group searched scientific journals for studies testing exercise in people with FMS. Not all studies found were of a high quality and so only those studies that met the high standards of the Cochrane Collaboration were selected. The studies selected to include in this summary had to meet the following scientific standards: * studies had to
