All questions about Fibromyalgia
Why exercise, if it hurts?
Because regular, gentle, gradually increased exercise is the treatment with the strongest evidence. It may hurt a little more at first, before it helps; it should be adjusted, not abandoned.
The full answer, with the sources, is in the guide.
Sources
- EULAR revised recommendations for the management of fibromyalgia (Macfarlane et al., Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases)
- University of Aberdeen: EULAR recommendations for the management of fibromyalgia, patient version
- Haute Autorité de Santé (France): Fibromyalgie de l'adulte, conduite diagnostique et stratégie thérapeutique. Recommendations based on expert agreement
- NHS: Fibromyalgia, treatment
- Healthtalk.org (University of Oxford): Fibromyalgia, physical and talking therapies
- US National Institutes of Health (NIAMS): Fibromyalgia
- American College of Rheumatology: Fibromyalgia (patient fact sheet)
- Arthritis UK (formerly Versus Arthritis): Fibromyalgia
Reviewed 2026-11-07 · next review 2027-11-07