Yoga and Core Strength Helped Me

by Rachel
(Columbia, MD)

I have fibromyalgia which causes my muscles to be constantly tense and painful. The constant tension also causes knots to form right next to my sciatic nerve, occasionally causing sciatica. I have found certain yoga poses and core strength building exercises to help loosen up my muscles and keep my back from shifting. Of course due to my fibromyalgia I have to be careful to not overextend myself, and I think that's good advice to anyone with back pain.
The yoga poses that help me the most are: the child pose, a low cobra, the cat flow, sun salutations, and half torso twists. You have to go slow and build up over time, but after a while you realize that you can turn at the waist without shooting pain (at least for me). I also do standard stretches like the knee to chest. Sometimes I am so tense that when I lay down my muscles spasm when they finally have the opportunity to relax. If I feel myself close to that point, I drape myself on a medium sized exercise ball with my back on the ball and my legs a little bit less than hip width apart. It hurts a lot for about 15 or 30 seconds and I can feel my back begin to stretch and open up.
The core building exercises that I do involve my abs, obliques and back muscles. I do planks, but for a much shorter time than other people. I gradually worked up to about 25 seconds for 2 reps of 15 with a rest and then again. The exercise ball is wonderful for me because I can do the equivalent of crunches without all the strain on my neck and upper back. I hope this helps people!