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Tips for poling with fibromyalgia
So here’s the deal. I have a student with fibromyalgia. She has been taking lessons with me for nearly a year, but has been thinking of giving up because of her chronic pain issues. I really don’t want to see her give up poling as I have seen her strength and flexibility improve so much throughout the year. One of the things that frustrates her is that her hands go numb.
I know there are many polers here who suffer from chronic pain diseases and I am wondering what I can do to help her. I have some ideas; extended warmups and cooldowns, as well as changing the focus of our classes away from tricks and moving towards more dancing. I am also wondering if a pair of mighty grip gloves might help her out with her hands? I also think that she has some self-confidence issues and is comparing her progress to another younger, smaller, healthier girl in class. Which we all know is unfair to herself, but difficult not to do.
She is a great dancer, but just needs some help to see it. Please help me to help her! -
3 Replies
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I have fibro too and I often get what I call "stupid fingers" – my hands will get so stiff and sore, sometimes I can't turn off a lamp or unbutton my own pants. I wish I had better advice or better solutions, but I think extended warmups and cooldowns are a good idea, and I definitely suggest more stretching for the upper body, focusing on the neck, trapezius, between the shoulderblades, triceps, biceps, and forearms, because that's where fibromyalgiacs often have limited mobility. It'll help her most if she does it on her own on a regular basis (4-5 days a week), even on days that she doesn't pole. Also, she should do the same stretches periodically during pole class, and if something starts to hurt, stretch it out, ease off or try something different.
As far as her hands, some grip aid would probably help her to take off the extra strain. Personally, I'd recommend Mighty Grip or iTac on bare hands instead of gloves – from my own experience, sometimes gloves get in the way and hurt more than they help; however, you should ask her thoughts on the idea because everyone is different and she may prefer gloves over grip aid alone. Stretching the fingers also helps, but they're easy to hyperextend, so be careful about overstretching which can make them hurt worse. She may also benefit from Aspercreme or Capzaicin rubbed into the back of her hands and fingers (avoid the palms and inside of the fingers while poling, obviously). The hands are a tough thing to deal with, though – a lot of the time when I get Stupid Fingers, there isn't much I can do except wait it out, even with stretching, medication, etc.
Poling is actually really good for fibro because it promotes flexibility and lean muscle tone. Maybe it'll help to let her know that she's doing a really good thing for her condition, even though some days will be harder than others, and even if there's some days when she can hardly do anything at all, even an attempt is beneficial and she's not doing herself any harm if she listens to her body and goes at her own pace.
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I’m a poler with fybro too and I agree 100%!
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You have been given great feedback here. In addition I would suggest asking if she was available to talk a few minutes after class. Let her know in private that you want to see her to continue to excel and you are impressed with her progress and determination. Then ask her if there is anything you can offer to make her class experience more enjoyable and beneficial for her. She if she responds and gives you a way in to help her in reaching her goals.
I hope she continues classes and kudos to you for reaching out!
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