Launch of the New Team Fibro T-Shirts

Details

Category: General

Created on Friday, 09 July 2010 05:13

Published on Friday, 09 July 2010 05:13

Hits: 8253

Below is a report from Sue Strafford-Binks the RC and Group leader for Merseyside and Wirral Fibromyalgia group. Please contact Sue for more information.

Dr Andrew Logan was our guest speaker at our June meeting.

I would like to thank Dr Andrew Logan for attending our meeting and launching our new “Team Fibro” tee shirts and giving an informal presentation on pain and fibromyalgia. We work closely and we thought it would make a change from formal presentations.

Dr Logan talked about the development of pain management services in the UK, with The Walton Centre in Liverpool playing an important role in both the introduction and its development. In the early days pain management began as an extension of the duties of the anaesthetists who focused on nerve blocks and injections. Whilst injections still play a role for some patients, pain management has moved on taking a more holistic approach, looking at the whole person and how the patient’s quality of life can be improved.

The Walton Centre offers a world renowned pain management course. They have moved away from the more traditional treatments by taking a multi disciplinary approach including not just pain specialists but also psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. The focus is not on curing pain but on accepting it and how to get on with increasing activity and quality of life with the patient taking more control. Dr Logan also talked about some of the difficulties and constraints that are faced by the doctors delivering pain services, including the treatments and therapies available and their likelihood of benefit.

I hope that we answered all the questions that were asked from members.

I have worked with Dr Logan for over 8 years and he has always been impressed at the work at Merseyside & Wirral Fibromyalgia Group where we take the holistic approach as there is so little medical intervention and as Dr Logan explained there is only so much clinic time for Fibromyalgia patients to see consultants so it is frustrating for both patients and doctors

We offer subsidised complementary therapy to all members with a team of experts using Acupuncture, a range of massages from aromatherapy to sports massage, Indian Head Massage, Reiki, Bowen Technique, Reflexology, Emotional Freedom Technique and many more treatments to suit the individual client.

We also have UK’s only Personal Trainer Dave Cooper who I work with every Tuesday morning to train “Team Fibro” members in many different exercise techniques depending on how we are all feeling on the day. As Dr Logan recommends, we also have social contact with each other and group members making friends and they are also able to go to the gym a couple of times a week and meet up for a pilates class do a little bit of exercise with each other rather than stay at home and do nothing. We help with a full range of disabilities. I had a new lady who used a walking stick and I took her to a pilates class but worried how she would cope as there some getting down to the floor for some exercises. She amazed me as not only did she cope she has been to 2 classes every week ever since and now sees the gym in a different light as it had given her more mobility and a better quality of life. This has always been my aim to support members in ways that they have never been supported before and make life just a little easier.

We again all thank Dr Andrew Logan for his continued support and his excellent work with this group.
Sue Strafford-Binks Group Leader

Success Stories from some of the “Team Fibro”

Gemma’s Story:
I became a member of the Merseyside and Wirral Fibromyalgia group in March/April 2009.

I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in October 2008 and was forced to take 7 months off work because of the condition. It was a lady from our Human Resources department who suggested to me to contact Sue. The main aspect of being part of this group is attending the meetings; it’s so nice to be around people who actually understand how you feel and what you’re going through!

Since becoming a full member of this group I’ve joined the gym. I am disappointed as I work and can’t always make the gym sessions. However, when I do manage to attend Dave the trainer 'pushes' us just far enough to feel the benefits. I am often wary of exercising as I worry I will make myself worse but Dave shows me what I can do and I come away from these sessions feeling energised.

Cheryl’s story:
I joined Sue’s support group in May last year and learned about the group’s links with Total Fitness and Dave, the personal trainer.  Like many of you I didn’t know if I would be able to use a gym but I had my week’s free trial then joined. We now have Team Fibro who meet in the gym café every Tuesday morning. We have a coffee and a chat first and then Dave joins us (even on his day off)! Dave always asks us how we all are first and tailors the session around that and what we feel like doing without being too soft on us.

Sometimes we use the gym ball, which is great fun.  Other times we might do circuits, which can be easy one week, but a bit more challenging if Dave feels we are capable (he always seems to know how far to push us). Some of us also meet up on Tuesday and Friday mornings for a Pilates class. We all enjoy this and even if we are tired we turn up so as not to let the others down and all feel much better afterwards. The hydrotherapy pool is great for tired and aching muscles after a session in the gym.

We are in pain anyway so why not do something which may cause us to ache but is ultimately doing us good by strengthening our muscles, releasing the bodies own pain relieving endorphins and best of all we get one of the best medicines we all have a good laugh!

Joining Sue’s support group has been very beneficial to me.  Not only do I learn new things about Fibro at meetings and have the opportunity to try out different therapies I have also made lots of new friends whom I have a great time with at our Team Fibro classes. I hope more of you join us and see the benefits for yourselves!

Barbara’s story:
I joined Total Fitness 2 years ago after a doctor told me that I would be in a wheelchair within 5 years unless I improved my mobility.

I had always been very active before FM

I had always done some type of exercise Aerobics, Yoga, Step and I cycled 100 miles a week and I was also manager of a Body Building Gym for some time.

For the past 2 yrs I have mainly used the gym for swimming and I would go every evening Mon - Fri with a friend who was recovering from breast cancer at about 8 o'clock as this meant I could go into the children's pool which is much warmer I would then have 10 minutes in the hydro pool and 5-10 minutes in the sauna.

It is only since the beginning of this year that I decided to join Team Fibro on a Tuesday morning.

The group is very supportive and Dave puts us through a range of exercises from treadmill, Swiss ball, light weights or circuit (not all on the same day) and he decides his session on what we are capable of on the day.  Although he does push us he doesn't over do it.

We have a good laugh while exercising and it also gives us time to discuss other things that may be bothering us.

I have just renewed my membership for another 12 months and have used the discount available through FMA UK Northwest.  Although it is a struggle, it is worth it as if you use the gym at least 3 times a week as I do it is less than £2 per session.  It also means you are making a commitment to yourself to improve your condition.

I am on a mission as my son is getting married next year I have 12 months to loose weight and to be fitter for the day and I am sure with the support of Dave and Team Fibro I will reach my goal.

Thanks to members Gemma Cheryl and Barbara for their “Team Fibro” report.