Yoga for ME/CFS & Fibromyalgia

While I was enduring the worst of my ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and Fibromyalgia, I could barely lift my arms to get something off a shelf, never-mind, even contemplate exercise.  I listened to many people attempt to enlighten me with tales of a friend, sister or cousin who had cured themselves of Fibromyalgia through exercise, by pushing through the pain. 

The emotional torment comments like this caused can hardly be described and I'm sure if you suffer from these diseases as well, you've experience this phenomenon countless times.  I did, on occasion, lash out after hearing this well-meaning advice by trying to explain that I was practically unable to walk up a flight of stairs, and that pain had absolutely nothing to do with it.  Desperately, I tried to convey the debilitating shortness of breath, shaky muscles and all-over weakness that consumed me, but I quickly realized that if the person I was taking my frustration out on hadn't experienced this sickness, they simply wouldn't understand.  I learned to put up an emotional wall, attempt to let the comments bounce off it and dredge the depths of my sickened soul for a reply. 

"Wow, that's really great that your [friend, sister, cousin, etc] was able to get better." I found myself saying through clenched teeth. 

I've always had, what I admit at times, has been a stubborn need to feel and appear "strong".  Self-sufficiency was something I had prided myself on until the unwelcomed arrival of these mysterious diseases in my life.  I'd recently become sober, exercised regularly and ate fairly well.  I didn't smoke, eat meat or even drink caffeinated beverages.  I couldn't understand how my body, that I took pretty good care of, was turning on me.

My diagnosis of Fibromyalgia was augmented with ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) in December of 2011.  I began to realize that it was probably the ME/CFS piece of my illness that caused the sometimes paralyzing exhaustion and prevented me from being able to exercise.  Any attempts I made at exercise were rewarded by even more profound weakness that lasted days after my foolhardy attempts to be normal. 

I'd read several blogs and articles about Yoga and how it had helped many through the pain of Fibromyalgia.  I'd practiced Yoga sporadically throughout my adult life so I was familiar with the basics.  On one of my grueling trips to the mainland, I somehow managed to shuffle my way to the exercise equipment department at Target and picked up a DVD, Yoga for Beginners, by Rodney Yee.  I looked at the image on the cover and laughed at the thought of myself practicing even the simplest of poses.  A few days later, I popped the DVD in the player, tried the first pose and fell to the floor exhausted.  The DVD went back into the box where it stayed for another year and a half. 

Floor Yoga Stretches I do that Help My  Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms

For a time after this experience, I gave up any attempts at exercise and stayed in my bed or on my couch where, if I rested and took my naps every day, I could muster enough strength to do some of the things I needed to do.  Any diversion from this routine left me bed-bound for days or even weeks. 


I did, later, discover a way that Yoga could be of help to me.  During the holidays last year, I began experiencing unusually strong back pain.  The only thing that seemed to help was to lay on the floor and stretch it out.  It was then that I remembered the Yoga stretches that are typically done at the end of a Yoga workout.  Every morning I sat on the floor and gently stretched my muscles, holding the poses for as long as it felt comfortable.  I actually began to notice a considerable reduction of back pain.  Of course, it should go without saying that you should always check with your doctor (of which I am not one) before starting any new exercise regimen, especially if you have Fibromyalgia and/or ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).


A few of the stretches I do are pictured above but any book with yoga poses or a Yoga DVD should have instructions on how to properly and safely perform the poses.  My philosophy was to do the stretches I felt comfortable with and skip all the rest.  The most important factor when it comes to exercising with ME/CFS and/ or Fibromyalgia is to NOT push yourself.  The moment you begin pushing yourself beyond what is comfortable will be the moment you set yourself back in your recovery.  I don't care what ANYONE says about other people having "pushed through the pain".  If you have any issues with chronic fatigue and exhaustion, this strategy simply WON'T work.

Insidentally, the following post in Psychology Today on April 24, 2012, had the same effect on me (and countless others) as the stories well-meaning aquantences tell of others "being cured" of Fibromyalgia.  I'm only passing this insulting article on so you can add your own comments.  I already wrote mine as have many other sufferers.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/owning-pink/201204/the-secret-healing-chronic-fatigue-syndrome

Autoimmune Syndrome and Pesticides in our Food Supply

Pesticides Being Sprayed on Food Crops (image source: nmorganics.net)



I recently read an article in "Natural Awakenings" the Central New Jersey version, June 2012 issue, that I wanted to share.  I've written about this subject before but felt it was time for a re-visit.

The title of the article is "Is Your Body Allergic to Itself? - The Plight of Autoimmune Syndrome" and is written by Dr. Nikki Conte (unfortunately the article is available only in print or PDF format which is where the above link will take you).

Dr. Conte's article focuses on, what I agree is, the real cause (or one of the main causes) of autoimmune diseases such as ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and Fibromyalgia.  I don't understand how the presence of staggering amounts of chemicals, including pesticides and synthetic bovine growth hormone, injested by the average American every day in their food can be all but disregarded by our government, medical establishment and the general public.  Our food supply has become inexcusably poisoned and the presence of these chemicals is routine and completely legal. 

image source:  http://www.lowdensitylifestyle.com/obesity-can-be-caused-by-chemicals-in-foods/

Pesticides are created to kill insects, fungus or any other living thing that may endanger the particular crop they are applied to.  Although I realize human beings are quite a bit larger, therefore less vulnerable to the fatal effects of these chemicals, this daily ingestion must have some cumulative effect.  I think it's naive to think that chemicals who's sole purpose is to kill, will have no negative impact on human beings as a whole.  I've often thought (and I know I'm not alone) that these chemicals must have some part in the increase of autism cases and many other diseases, such as obesity, that the medical and scientific communities seem baffled by. (For more information about obesity and pesticides click on the source link under the above image) 

Our immune systems simply don't know how to react to the onslaught of these relatively new agents and in some people, have become so confused that they wage a full autoimmune attack on benign substances in our food or environment that have been in existence for many generations, or in the case of wheat, since human beings began an agrarian existence around ten thousand years ago.

As the mother of a two-and-a-half year old, this whole notion scares the heck out of me.  I buy as many organic foods as I can reasonably afford and my daughter has yet to taste beef, chicken, pork or any other land animal, though she has had fish on occasion.  I feel desperate to protect her from pesticides, synthetic bovine growth hormone and chemical preservatives but these substances are so prevalent in our food supply that I wonder if this is even remotely possible.

Cold Viruses & ME/CFS & Fibromyalgia

Before delving into the oh, so, uplifting subjects of illness, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia, I just have to celebrate for a moment, this,...

MY 100TH POST IN "FIBROMYALGIA???"!!

I can hardly believe it!  I started writing this blog on Jan 13, 2011 in the midst of feeling so sick and recently having been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (the ME/CFS diagnosis came later).  I'm so thankful for the progress that I've made since then and I hope that some of my experiences were helpful to others who face a similar plight.  Of course, I realize that at any time, I could be right back where I started which is why I will never take my health for granted again.

In celebration of this momentus occasion, I'm having a sale in my Etsy shop, Catalina Inspired, for all of you who've read my blog and let's face it, really deserve something for going through the hell that is ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia (or what ever other challenges you face in life).  Please use the coupon code - 100THPOST - to enjoy 20% off your entire order in my shop through 7/16/2012.


Here's a sampling of what you'll find at

Catalina Inspired on Etsy:

Ok, enough celebrating and back to the topic at hand.

My two and a half year old daughter brought a lovely cold virus back home from pre-school earlier this week.  My entire family has been suffering with a horrible cough, sinus congestion and just feeling super crappy since then.  Before I fell ill on Tuesday, I had a reaction that reminded me that although my ME/CFS & Fibromyalgia are somewhat under control at the moment, what ever it is that caused them in the first place is still thriving in my body. 

I woke up Monday with a scratchy throat which didn't surprise me since I'd been constantly wiping my daughters runny nose the previous day.  What did surprise me however, was what happened later in the afternoon. I started feeling those all too familiar jabbing pains throughout my entire body. In an hour or two I was in bed with a heating pad, moving it from my back, to my legs, to my hips, etc and had strong, throbbing, stabbing pain throughout my whole body and was not able to get out of bed. I couldn't sleep because the pain was too strong. It was like I'd been transported back two years and I was in the middle of Fibromyalgia hell again.

Fortunately, I was finally able to fall asleep that evening and when I woke up on Tuesday, I felt as though I was getting the cold my daughter had but the jabbing pain had diminished to a tolerable level.

It makes me so curious to know why, when attacked with this common cold virus, my immune system revolted into a full autoimmune attack. It makes me think back to those theories about viral causes to ME/CFS & Fibromyalgia and wonder if there isn't something more to it.