Costco Connection - January 2012

Clinical Sleep Medicine reports that restless leg syndrome (RLS) is 10 times more common in people with fibromyalgia, and treating it can help with fibromyalgia symptoms. Evaluating iron levels is a good place to start; according to the National Institutes of Health, RLS may be caused by low levels of iron. When iron is low, consume such foods as clams, oysters, organ meats, beef, poultry and fish, recommends registered dietitian Pam Schoenfeld of Morristown, New Jersey.

Movement therapy

Exercise is a vital component of a fibromyalgia treatment plan: More than 70 studies prove its beneficial effects for fibromyalgia. Slow movements and deep breathing, emphasized in yoga and tai chi, seem to be particularly helpful. According to a new study published in the journal Pain, regular yoga practice relieves many fibromyalgia symptoms. Individuals in the

study cut their levels of depression by 42 percent, reduced pain by 24 percent and experienced 30 percent less fatigue.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported significant, prolonged benefits for tai chi, a form of martial arts that promotes a strong mind-body connection through gentle yet precise movements. Study participants improved their physical functioning and reduced their levels of pain, and sustained their results three months later.

Music therapy

Music’s therapeutic effects have proven benefits for a number of illnesses: Recent research shows that music alleviates stress in heart disease patients and anxiety in cancer patients. Now, researchers are probing music’s benefits for pain management, and their findings may offer relief to those suffering from fibromyalgia pain.

Researchers from the Uni-
versity of Granada found that
listening to music once a day
over a period of four weeks sig-
nificantly reduced pain and
depression symptoms. According
to Diamond, sensory stimula-
tion—such as music therapy—
helps the brain learn to process
sensory input in a healthy way.
“By stimulating the brain with
pleasant sounds, you can create
good thoughts that essentially
drown out the bad ones,” he says.