How do you work out an already painful area without making it worse?

Longtime personal trainer (and new Baton Rouge resident) Nickie Jordan answers your questions about training, fitness and feeling good. (Photo by Marie Constantin)

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A: Elaine, I am so sorry to hear about your issues relating to Fibromyalgia, but I’d like to reassure you that you can still work out without contributing to the syndrome itself.

I currently work with a few clients that suffer with fibromyalgia, and we work around what their bodies allow us to do to challenge it on any given day. The key is to read your body and capitalize on the times you can safely challenge it. With these clients I typically end with a gentle neck and shoulder massage to help relax and stretch those areas to minimize the aftereffect pain, and this has helped tremendously!
The exercises I would recommend, and that have worked well with my clients in the past, are shoulder shrugs, shoulder rolls, and some light traction and stretching. Without knowing how severe your fibromyalgia is, it is hard for me to know exactly what to do to help you, but I would start with shrugs and rolls holding 5 lb. weights, one in each hand. Standing, shrug your shoulders up (like you are gesturing to someone, “I don’t know”) and let your shoulders drop back down to rest, then shrug up again. Repeat about 10 times for 2-3 sets. Shoulder rolls: Still holding those 5 lb. weights, roll your shoulders forward while keeping your hands to your sides not swinging them, for about 5 reps, then reverse and roll your shoulders backwards for about 5 reps. Repeat for 2-3 sets depending on how your body is tolerating these moves.

After you finish these lifts, stand with the weights, letting the gravity of the weight contribute to traction for some stretches in the trapezius area (at the base of the neck). Tilt your head gently to one side and then slowly and gently to the other side, holding for 5-10 seconds. Now let your chin gently drop toward your chest and hold for 5-10 seconds to stretch the base of the neck. (If there is someone available to do some light massage and a little upward traction, engage them.) You can also do a little rub out yourself. I typically like to use a little mineral ice or China-Gel to help relax the muscles. Good luck and keep pushing!!