Fibromyalgia, Triggerpoints, & Exercise
Yesterday I posted on how to gradually exercise as your body heals. Today are some more tips on easy stretches. Once your body gets to the point where it can stretch, you will know. I forgot what it was like (!) but I gratefully remembered that feeling when I felt it again!
First one is to GET OFF YOUR PILLOW! Yes it’s true. The muscles become used to the same pillow everynight and start to freeze into that shape. So change pillows every so often, or even rotate in the middle of the night if you’re awake. The best is to lie on your side and let your head hang down to the mattress without a pillow. Do this on both sides, and on your back, even your stomach if you’re not too stiff. You can cradle your head with your arm as a pillow if you have too, just don’t force anything. Hold for one minute to five minutes, then move again. This really loosens up the trigger points in the shoulders and neck. Another neck loosen-er, believe it or not, is to stretch out the lower back.
Second is to lie on your side and curl your knees up to your chest–only as far as they will go–don’t force. The goal is to curve the spine along the back and neck and to flatten out the curve in the lower back.
Thirdly, after these stretches, or anytime really—wiggle. Yes, I said wiggle. Now I know your Momma told you never to do that, but times change. Wiggling, or slightly shifting frequently, every few minutes (5,10,15–whatever you need) will keep your muscles from freezing and starting a pain feedback loop. Pain feedback loops lead to triggerpoint pain, and then another triggerpoint pain, and another……..and soon it’s worked it’s way up to your head. If you don’t get it stopped it’ll go into a migraine headache!
Wiggling, or shifting, is hardest to do when you have a migraine, but it will make healing faster. Along with triggerpoint massage and a hot pad. Massage with fingers, or a “question mark cane”. I have found the cane to be indispensable for several years now. I have gone from 3 week migraines, with 2 days off, then back into another one, down to weekly migraines. Weekly migraine headaches lasted 3 days. Then the duration cut down to 2 days, then 1 and the frequency extended out to months between them. Now I can use my muscles and never go into a migraine cycle. That’s none, none! woohoo! If I would have know about the WholeApproach program, and eating raw food, Ann Wigmore style, this all would have been over with a lot sooner! You are benefiting from sixteen years of trial and error experience. I look back on those years, and wonder how I lived through it. I really do. I know what you are going through and that’s why I post this information!
Massage and a hot pad and these stretches will stop the pain cycle before it gets locked in and turns into a migraine headache. And know your limits. Don’t be a Weekend Warrior and overuse your muscles to clean the house or do some gardening. As you heal, your muscles will loosen up on their own and your limits will expand all by themselves. It’s exciting to see real healing occurring!
Take this information and run with it. Yes, it’s a figure of speech but soon you will be running if you want to, with no consequences. Your body will recover overnight from using your muscles, like it’s supposed to do!
Check out Lucas’s site for great, gentle stretches in the YOGABODY Handbook when you are ready for more! Click HERE!
Once on his site, click the link at the top of the page that says “Store”. You will easily find the YOGABODY Handbook on the first page.
Here’s to your recovering health and a Bountiful Life! Cheers, Mate!
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