BEST EXERCISES FOR REDUCING CHRONIC PAIN

Presented By:

Sports Appeal, Supplements, Training & Equipment

Best Exercises For Reducing Chronic Pain

In this article we will talk about common health issues and how exercises can help with chronic pain, however this article should not be viewed as sound medical advice for your specific condition.

You should always consult with a licensed medical practitioner prior to following any suggestions outlined in this article or adopting any treatment protocol based on the contents of this article.

It is no surprise that exercise can bring about some drastic change in your life, provided you make it a habit rather than a part-time hobby.

Researchers had proven that exercise facilitates better and faster improvement of health worldwide, and that implementing exercise into the daily routine of people suffering from various chronic afflictions greatly improve their condition.

When exercise routines are implemented in the daily life of a patient with pain, they improve bone and muscular strength, movement, flexibility, and agility making their quality of life increase greatly.

Common causes of chronic or long term, constant pain include rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, endometriosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, obesity, injuries, and many more.

For sure, exercising with chronic pain can be challenging in itself, but in other hand, inactivity is far worse, as it has been prove to weaken and damage muscles and joints over time.

How does exercise lessen pain?

Besides the physical development, exercise increases the secretion of endorphins and dopamine. The feel-good hormones that support good mental health and thus make you feel better emotionally.

Research shows that exercise lessens pain in many ways, such as:

  • Brain: Releases natural analgesics in your spinal cord and brain to turn off pain signals. These analgesics have no risks or side effects.

  • Muscle: Exercising muscles release chemicals that block pain signals from being sent to your brain.

  • Immune System: Immune cells release natural chemicals that block pain signals and heal injured tissue.

Moreover, exercise helps to reduce inflammation, increase the flow of blood and oxygen to inflamed muscle and increase mobility, all without the use of additional medication.

Some Exercises To Help People With Chronic Pain:

1-Stretching:

Stretching is an essential introduction of any exercise routine. Done properly, helps to loosen the stiff muscles, and increases flexibility.

Stretching helps to increase the range of motion in muscles and thus improves flexibility, mobility and agility, reducing the chances of exercise-related injuries, and it’s especially useful in handling muscular pain.

If you have chronic pain in your low back or neck, try these equipment-free stretches for the back and neck to improve overall mobility and facilitate proper movement.

Low back and glute stretch:

1. Lie on your back on the floor.

2. Bring your knees towards your chest, then wrap your arms around your knees and give yourself a gentle hug.

3. Rock side to side, feeling a stretch through your hips and low back.

4. Try crossing one leg over the other for an added glute and piriformis stretch.

5. Stand or sit beside a door.

6. Raise your elbow above the shoulder on the side you want to stretch.

7. Rest your elbow against the door jam. This will rotate the outside of the shoulder blade up. 

8. Next, turn your head away from that side and bring your head to look down. 

9. Gently deepen the stretch by placing your free hand on top of your head and applying slight pressure.

2-Swimming:

Swimming and water aerobics are great forms of exercise It prevents undue stress on joints and keeps you moving while being pain-free. It is a great form of low-impact cardio that is therapeutic for people with chronic pain.

Since over 85% of the body is buoyant during swimming, the pressure on the joints are almost zero.

This makes it a perfect exercise in case of lower and upper extremities related pain ailments.

Swimming also helps to strengthen the neck and back musculature.

Regular swimming reducing spondylitis and related pain conditions.

3-Relaxation exercise:

Relaxation exercises like meditation, deep breathing and visualization require no equipment and can be done anywhere.

This exercise not only decreases pain in people with chronic issues but also reduces their stress level.

Deep breathing and visualization:

1. Lie on your back or another comfortable position on the bed or floor.

2. Place your hands on your belly and relax your shoulders and feet.

3. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose. Exhale through your mouth, being sure to release all of the air.

4. Continue breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, feeling your belly rise under your fingertips with each breath.

5. Continue this pattern and visualize pain leaving your body with every breath.

6. Repeat every evening before bed or throughout the day as needed

4-Core build-up exercises:

Core build-up exercises generally include a lot of weightlifting exercises. Weightlifting is a subject that many people mistake as being exclusive to bodybuilders as weightlifting is more about strengthening the muscles and bones rather than building up muscles.

Weight lifting or weight training is helpful in the management of certain types of body pains like post-surgical rehabilitation as lifting weight can strengthen the muscles.

This type of strengthening can combat chronic joint pains by building up the muscle around the affected joint.

5-Walking:

Walking is another form of cardio, which can benefit people with chronic pain.

This is a light exercise that boosts energy and decreases pain by increasing oxygen flow to the muscles.

Walking is also one of the easiest ways to shed calories without needing to spend lots of money on a gym membership.

It has been noted walking early in the morning improves your mood and calms your mind quickly.

Besides being a great source of mood elevator, walking also helps in boosting the energy of the body.

This occurs due to increased oxygen flow to various parts of the brain and muscles.

Walking is effective in reducing pain in areas like back, neck, and joints. Since walking is classified as a low-impact aerobic exercise, it has been very effective in lowering fibromyalgia-related anxiety.

6-Strengthening exercises:

Building strength is important for stabilizing the joints and preventing future injuries.

For people living with chronic pain, adequate core strength is especially important.

It helps you maintain proper posture and balance and reduces the risk of injuries that could lead to more pain.

Working the muscles of the abdomen, hips, and back can help improve core strength and stability.

Strengthening exercises like Pilates can help strengthen not only the abdominal muscles but also the back muscles.

The focus of Pilates is on alignment, and thus this simple exercise can help people with chronic back pains.

Pilates is classified as low-impact endurance movement-based regime that promotes muscular strength, tonality and flexibility, therefore is one of those exercises that require proper guidance and expert help.

On observing for the first time, it looks like a simple stretching and movement. But Pilates is a great exercise that focuses on exact and proper posture alignment that should be done correctly.

If done correctly, Pilates effectively improves chronic back pain a great deal.

6-Strengthening exercises:

Building strength is important for stabilizing the joints and preventing future injuries.

For people living with chronic pain, adequate core strength is especially important.

It helps you maintain proper posture and balance and reduces the risk of injuries that could lead to more pain.

Working the muscles of the abdomen, hips, and back can help improve core strength and stability.

Strengthening exercises like Pilates can help strengthen not only the abdominal muscles but also the back muscles.

The focus of Pilates is on alignment, and thus this simple exercise can help people with chronic back pains.

Pilates is classified as low-impact endurance movement-based regime that promotes muscular strength, tonality and flexibility, therefore is one of those exercises that require proper guidance and expert help.

On observing for the first time, it looks like a simple stretching and movement.

But Pilates is a great exercise that focuses on exact and proper posture alignment that should be done correctly.

If done correctly, Pilates effectively improves chronic back pain a great deal.

7-Yoga:

One of the ancient most forms of exercise originating in India is yoga. Believed to be the cure of hundreds of ailments.

Yoga is a simple combination of posture, breathing, and meditation.

Traditional yoga has over 1000 variations and regimes that all follow the basic principle.

Every yogic posture concentrates on a specific area and helps in improving that zone.

Often referred to as a very gentle and fluid form of exercise, yoga is currently considered as a treatment option by many branches of medicine due to its holistic approach to healing.

Yoga has been proven to reduce psychological as well as physical symptoms of chronic pain.

8-Water Aerobics:

At first notice, water aerobics seems more like a fun routine than exercise. However, it is regarded as one of the best and most intense workout routines with tremendous health benefits.

Often practiced at pools where the water temperature is slightly warmer than usual, water aerobics helps in stretching and conditioning the musculature of the entire body at a single instance.

Since water acts as a buffer, there is little strain on the joints. This makes it a useful exercise for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of joint pains related to chronic ailments.

Other exercise benefits for people with chronic pain

As we learn above, exercise is a common treatment for chronic pain.

Depending on your current state of health, it may help decrease inflammation, increase mobility, and decrease overall pain levels, no additional medication required.

Exercise can also:

  • Increase Energy.

  • Increase Strength.

  • Improve Mental Health.

  • Balance Physical Functions.

  • Lower Depression.

  • Lower Anxiety.

  • Improve Sleep.

  • Helps Losing Body Weight.

  • Lower Blood Pressure.

  • Helps Balancing Blood Glucose Levels.

  • Improve Quality Of Life.

Many people need to work slowly toward exercise goals. The important thing is not what you do, but rather that you stay active.

The good news is you will see improvements quickly with even small amounts of exercise.

More importantly, exercise can help you do activities you enjoy like spending time with family and friends, working in the garden or yard, or sports.

That’s why it is most important to be more active than you are right now.

Many people need to work slowly toward exercise goals. The important thing is not what you do, but rather that you stay active.

The good news is you will see improvements quickly with even small amounts of exercise.

More importantly, exercise can help you do activities you enjoy like spending time with family and friends, working in the garden or yard, or sports.

That’s why it is most important to be more active than you are right now.

How much should people exercise?

There is no set limit on the amount of exercise you do.

Set goals that you are able to reach.

Add to the number of minutes slowly at each session.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week for a total of 150 minutes each week to see health benefits.

People with chronic pain will see benefits with less than 150 minutes of activity each week.

Start it with as little as 5 to 10 minutes each day.

Add to that time with a goal of reaching 30 minutes or more each day.

It is best to do moderate intensity exercise for the best results.

For strengthening exercises, start with as little as 1 set of repetitions with the goal of reaching 3 sets.

Hold stretching exercises for 30 seconds and repeat them 3 times.

Can my condition worsen with exercise?

People often feel anxious about starting and continuing an exercise program.

You may be afraid it will cause more pain and be uncomfortable. You might be concerned you do not have enough time.

You might worry that you do not know how to exercise the right way or that you cannot meet your goals, or yet that exercise will not help you with your chronic pain.

In fact, most people who exercise regularly feel or think this way at one time or another.

The true is that pain with exercise is normal. You may have some muscle soreness when you start an exercise routine.

Your pain may get worse while you are exercising, especially when you first start a program.

This is not a warning sign that you are causing injury.

The good news is that you will not make your chronic pain condition worse by exercising, instead your pain will start to get better with regular exercise, and you will be able to do more activities that you enjoy.

Exercising does not need to be exhausting to be of benefit. If pain is stopping you from finishing your exercise routine, lower the intensity (how hard you are working).

If your pain is worse for more than 2 hours after you finish exercising, lower the intensity or amount of time you exercise at the next session.

Remember, pain with exercise is normal for some people with chronic pain, and is not a warning sign that you are causing injury.

Regular exercise will lessen your pain. It is very hard to make chronic pain better without exercise.

What are some warning signs I should look for while exercising?

Talk with your care provider if you have any of the below signs during or after exercise:

  • Nausea and vomiting.

  • Dizziness.

  • Not able to catch your breath.

  • Feeling faint.

  • Chest pain.

  • A new pain or injury.

  • Lightheadedness.

What is the best time of day to exercise?

Choose a time of day that best fits your daily routine.

Some people find it harder to go to sleep after they exercise and need to do it earlier in the day, but others do not.

You will need to find out what works best for you.

Conclusion

When exercise is included in your day-to-day lifestyle, chronic pain tends to reduce to a large extent.

Exercise, in general, tends to have immense health benefits like reducing chances of cardiovascular disease and obesity, improving sleep and mood, increasing core body strength and stamina, improving posture and bowel movements, and more.

While inactivity leads to stiff muscles, decreased mobility, and decreased strength.

These effects can worsen the symptoms of chronic pain.

Engaging in a regular exercise routine can help you manage your symptoms and improve your overall health.