Live Web chat Monday: A doctor with fibromyalgia helps others with the condition

Dr. Ginevra Liptan was nearing the end of her first year in medical school when she felt a muscle tear in her neck while exercising at the gym. The injury began a frustrating odyssey of fatigue and chronic pain that was eventually diagnosed as fibromyalgia.

She went on to obtain her medical degree and has emerged as a leading authority on the illness. Liptan recently opened a clinic dedicated to research and treatment of fibromyalgia, called the Frida Center. The clinic in Portland, Ore., is named after Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist who is thought to have suffered from the disorder.

To find out how exercise and fibromyalgia are linked, join a live Web chat Monday at 11 a.m. Pacific time (1 p.m. Central, 2 p.m. Eastern) with Dr. Liptan.

We asked Liptan what the best exercises can do to help people with fibromyalgia.

“The best exercises for fibromyalgia include slow rhythmic movements combined with deep breathing, like tai chi, yoga, or even walking,” she said. “These types of exercise help calm the nervous system and help the muscles relax, and have been shown to be very helpful in reducing symptoms of fibromyalgia in several studies.”

Do you have a question for Liptan? Email shari.roan@latimes.com and join the chat at latimes.com/health to see the answer.

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