Osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia (2 conditions)

[ladybob1]

I suffer from osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. Do any other members have this too ?

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I don't have Fibro myself, but I know plenty who do. Friends of mine have RA, OA, Fibro, and many other similar diseases. I have RA, OA, Vasculitis and OP among other things. You are not alone ladybob. XXX

[kirstenra Administrator]

Hi ladybob - thanks for your question! Poemsgalore1 is right, fibro, OA, and many other chronic conditions often travel together, which presents a challenge to both the people who live with these conditions every day and their healthcare providers in trying to explore treatments that don't get in the way of each other. One management strategy that nearly always prevails is physical activity. Of any kind. The name of the game is "moving more than before". Whether you start with simple stretching, Tai Chi for Arthritis, certain forms of yoga, walking around your house, walking on a trail or treadmill, pool-based exercise - it is totally up to you how you move based on any physical limitations, access to opportunities, time, interest, etc. All activities described can be done for free or reasonably inexpensively and all can be done in and around your home (except for pool-based activities unless you have a pool and don't mind breaking through the ice in winter. Some people think cooler water helps reduce pain and inflammation [it does, but kidding about winter]).

Why physical activity? It benefits BOTH fibro and OA. For fibro, specifically, physical activity has been shown to improve sleep, mental acuity or cognitive function, pain, and fatigue. For OA it improves joint pain and stiffness and mobility. For both? It improves physical function, anxiety and depression, and quality of life. That's a tall order for one thing called physical activity, but it is the best thing since sliced bread if you ask me (and research pretty much backs me up). The key is to start low and go slow (go at your own pace), do more than you did before, and be active regularly, as in daily or at least 3 times per week.

What happens when you have a fibro flare or your OA pain is acting up? Scale back on your activity while you are feeling the intensity of the flare. Perhaps reduce your activity by half of what you normally do (half the time or intensity). As soon as your flare subsides, return to normal activity slowly. Check out this link from the Arthritis Foundation (US) about exercising with both fibro and OA: arthritis.org/living-with-a...

Weight management also helps. Losing excess weight or maintaining a healthy weight is a major benefit for knee and hip OA by reducing the extra joint load and, therefore, reducing pain. Overweight and obesity are also associated with higher inflammation in joints so reducing weight will help alleviate inflammation. I don't know if weight is an issue for you but it is something to learn and know as you travel through life with these conditions. Want to learn more? Our web page on weight management has a bunch of free resources (our own and links to our member organizations' free resources): oaaction.unc.edu/resource-l...