Thanks for reminding me that I needed to update my profile about my certification level.
Fibromyalgia is a neuromuscular disease that is difficult to explain, and difficult to diagnose. It is not very well understood, either. It causes extreme fatigue and muscle pain. People with Fibromyalgia always have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, too, but people with CFIDS don't always have Fibromyalgia. FMS sufferers cannot benefit from aerobic exercise the way normal people do, because our muscles don't get enough oxygen from the red blood cells. So, where a normal person would get increased oxygen from exercise, and strengthen the muscles, an person with FMS could actually damage the muscles from the same amount of exercise. We do, however, need some exercise, just not as intense and not as much. We just don't get the benefit from aerobic activity the same way. That's where the pain and fatigue comes in. Our muscles feel like twisted rope when you run your fingers over them, because the fascia becomes tight and stuck together. Fascia is the stuff that holds the muscle groups together and becomes the tendons that hold the muscle to the bone. It's the thin, transparent stuff you see on a chicken breast when you pull the skin off. FMS also causes symptoms of short term memory problems, concentration problems, and other cognitive problems. Is this more info than you wanted? You can go to
http://www.fibromyalgiasupport.com/
and get more information. To give you an example of the fatigue associated with FMS, I can tell you this: You may be a little tired from a day a diving, but I need about 4 or 5 days to get over a day consisting of 3 dives. I just had to have a cortisone shot in my right knee from walking around carrying the equipment on my last day of diving. I have injured that knee in the past, though. Most people in my condition wouldn't attempt to do something like scuba diving. I already had to quit most of the athletic pursuits that I love, like long distance bicycle riding and racing. I hope this helps. People with FMS also have problems with depression because of the constant, and chronic pain. It gets pretty rough being in pain day in and day out. It can be really intense pain, too. Everyone with FMS is different, but mine was caused by a bad car accident, and I have it pretty bad. If you have any further questions you may e-mail me personally.