You know the feeling you get when you learn something new about a health problem you've been

trying to reverse, maybe high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease. Well, there's nothing I like

better than bringing you the information that will help you do just that. Welcome to the Nutrition

Facts Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger. Today, we did with pain chronic debilitating

pain and we look at our anti-inflammatory diets can be effective in alleviating chronic pain syndrome.

Fibromyalgia is a common disorder whose cardinal manifestation is chronic widespread pain.

Well, not so common affecting 2 to 4 percent of the population, probably more like 2 percent,

and especially women. For decades, some medical professionals dismissed fibromyalgia as all

in people's heads, but this outdated view has been refuted by more recent research characterizing

it as a disorder of pain regulation and sensitization. Brain imaging studies have shown several

perturbations of pain processing and regulation that amplify pain in people with a condition.

Twin studies have shown that about half of fibromyalgia is genetic, but the other half we can do

something about. There are lots of drugs with lots of side effects to help with some of the symptoms,

but what about lifestyle approaches? Engagement in regular physical activity is considered

imperative for effective management of fibromyalgia. A systematic review meta-analysis of randomized

clinical trials on the effectiveness of therapeutic exercise in fibromyalgia found that both aerobic

and resistance exercises are effective ways of reducing pain and improving global well-being in

people with fibromyalgia. Patients may worry and perceive that exercise will worsen their pain

and fatigue, and so you have to start slow, work your way up as tolerated, with the goal of eventually

achieving 30 to 16 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise in addition to muscle strengthening

exercises, one to three sets of 8 to 11 exercises, 8 to 10 repetitions, with a load of about 7 pounds

or 45% of the max you can lift. But what about dietary interventions in terms of dialing down

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