I've always been a person who moves really fast. My mother is the same way, so I'm sure I learned this from her. I've always been annoyed with people who move slowly. However, being a person with fibromyalgia, I discovered that I only have so much energy available each day, each hour, and sometimes even each minute.
To conserve energy, much the same way as driving a car at 80 MPH vs. 60 MPH conserves fuel, I've had to learn how to slow down.
I've also had to change the way I move. For instance, if I bend forward at the waist, I experience debilitating lower back spasms which radiate down my legs causing me to have to stand up and hold onto a wall, or sit down on the floor until the spasms subside. The simple act of bending over the dog food bag to scoop out a cup of dog food can put me into spasms for several minutes. So, I have taught myself not to bend forward at the waist anymore. Instead, I kneel down on one knee, or I sit on the floor, or I put the bag of dog food up on the counter.
At work, many of my movements dictate how well I will function. If I move around carelessly and haphazardly without thinking first, I can end up in pain or spasms which can ruin my functionality for the rest of the day. If I've really moved poorly, it can put me into so much pain or fatigue that I have to go home and rest.
This web site is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not promote medical advice nor substitute for treatment by a licensed physician. Readers should not try any of the methods described here themselves without consulting a professional.
