A breakthrough study suggests that exercise may help in improving memory function of Fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia is a disorder spotted by prevalent, fatigue, pain, sleep and cognitive problems. The condition has no evident cause and the pain is real. The condition typically affects women more in comparison to men.
In a small study, patients suffering Fibromyalgia stopped taking medications and exercised regularly for six weeks, they found significant improvement in their memory function and severity of pain. Exercise has long been suggested to fibromyalgia patients, and some patients find it improves their sense of well-being.
In a study trail a team led by Senior author Dr. Brian Walitt, director of the Fibromyalgia Evaluation and Research Center at Georgetown University Medical Center conscripted nine women, those received a baseline brain image called a functional MRI test. The study participants were also given tests to evaluate their working memory and asked about their health and pain while on medication.
The memory tests involved reading back a sequence of letters at various times after learning them. Subsequently, the study participants stopped their medication for a six-week. Then they had a second round of fMRIs and tests. Then they started a six-week supervised aerobic exercise program, consisting of three thirty minute sessions a week.
The study finding suggests that six week exercise program leads to improvement in the network of brain areas that are conscripted for working memory to function. According Dr Walitt, when they took people off the medicine they performed worse on the tests. But as they stayed off the medications for a period of time and exercised, their cognitive performance returned to the normal levels.
In some ways it is worrying because one would have hoped that exercise would have made them better. Dr Wallitt said more study is needed and he is not sure what the findings might mean for real-life conditions. In general, exercise appears to be a beneficial thing for fibromyalgia patients, in terms of overall well-being.
There have been many reasons to believe that aerobic exercise is good for patients. This study gives some support to that idea. However, it should not over-interpret that exercise is the answer. If patients can and do exercise, it is likely they will experience additional benefits, explained Dr. I. Jon Russell, a San Antonio fibromyalgia researcher and retired professor from the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Video : Exercise for Fibromyalgia and CFS
source : http://health.msn.com