Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition. Sufferers experience muscle stiffness, sleep disturbance, digestive discomfort, anxiety, and depression. Anything that can reduce levels of pain will significantly improve quality of life for people with fibromyalgia and it seems that yoga may be an answer.
It has been previously established that people with fibromyalgia have lower than average levels of cortisol in their body. This low level of cortisol contributes to pain as well as fatigue and sensitivity to stress.
Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by your adrenal glands in response to hormonal signals from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. In a “healthy†state, cortisol levels peak about half an hour after getting up in the morning and decline throughout the day until you are ready to go to sleep. In women, in particular, with fibromyalgia this daily rhythm is not properly controlled and levels of cortisol remain low.
In a new study women with fibromyalgia completed questionnaires to establish their levels of pain intensity. They were then asked to take part in Hatha yoga classes of 75 minutes duration twice weekly for a period of eight weeks. After the eight weeks questionnaires were again given to assess pain levels. Before and after the eight week yoga course, levels of cortisol were also tested.
The women reported significant reductions in pain, improved psychological symptoms, and their tests showed elevated levels of cortisol.
Hatha yoga promotes physical relaxation and lowers heart rate, increases breath volume, and decreases activity in the sympathetic nervous system. All of this in turn apparently impacts the hormonal link between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands leading to higher cortisol levels in women with fibromyalgia.
The researchers observed that the women were also able to better detach from the sensation of their physical pain. They attribute this to the mindfulness taught by Hatha yoga, wherein attention is brought to the present moment with a non-judgemental awareness of inner and outer experiences.
Yoga also promotes the idea that you are not your experiences, your body, or your pain. All of this helps on many levels in relieving fibromyalgia and other ailments. You could try to find all of that in a pill, but it may be a bit of a stretch.
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