Chronic Pain & Working Out

fitplease

Please answer only if you suffer from chronic pain. Thank you. :-)


My doctor tells me that I should stretch. That's the easiest part. She also tells me to exercise. The purpose of this is to keep my muscles from getting tense and to strengthen them so they support my spine better and "pull in" my discs so they can heal (Radiculopathy).

What kind(s) of exercise has helped you manage your pain?

How do you motivate yourself to exercise when you are in a flare up? How do you ease yourself into it?

Thank you for your suggestions!

hphurley

Walking is just about the only thing I do when I'm flared up - first thing in the morning I drink a lot of water (about 500 mL/16 oz) and then walk the dog for about an hour. It really helps loosen out my back. Be sure to wear good supportive shoes though or you will feel it.

bregalad5

I have fibro. Not quite the same, but I'm in pain about 90% of my life.

I just remind myself that I feel better after I exercise, and that the stronger and more fit I get, the better I'll feel. Try reminding yourself of the end goal, and push through the soreness. Obviously, if you're in debilitating pain one day, don't hurt yourself, but if it's just soreness and you can still move, try doing something. You'll likely feel better in the long run.

loriannmartin

the best is walking... i do exercises that i did in therapy. i get injections in my back that help for a little bit., i had failed back surgery :-( I HAD LAMECTOMY ON L4L5 . but i have had other problems as well that have made the back go wonkers again.. i see pain management on the 12th so i will be setting up another injection. you can add me as a friend if you would like. the mornings are the worst till it loosens. but there are stretches and exercises you can do that would help or if you belong to gym or have access to a pool there are those exercises as well... i had hydrotherapy as well which was wonderful.

bayles1

Hi,

I walk a lot every day,this helps my chronic condition.
I also do p90x,this wouldnt be for everyone though,but the stretching part of the programme and the core synergistic which helps to strengthen the core area ,help tremendously.
You could also include any pool based exercise , I have done many of these in the past and again felt great benefit from them.

Matiara

I have a pinched nerve along my spine. I forget what the nerve is called, but it runs all the way down to my right foot. It manifests itself mostly as pain in my right side. At best, I have a dull throbbing in my side at all times. At it's worse, my side, lower back, and right leg get severe muscle spasms and my big toe hurts. I take two medications for it and I always make sure to take my meds at least 30 minutes before working out.

Exercise doesn't cure my pain, but it does alleviate it. The endorphin rush that I have the first hour after I've completed a workout is literally the only time of day when I don't feel any pain. Stretching also helps tremendously. If I'm in too much pain to workout, which hasn't happened lately, I have a basic yoga DVD that I do.

What keeps me going is that if I give in to my pain, I would just lie down all day in the fetal position and feel sorry for myself. I have to live my life.

What I do find funny is that I can kickbox and do aerobics and walk with a tolerable level of pain, but if I stand without moving for more than five or ten minutes, my side starts screaming at me. Go figure.

cdposa

I have severe arthritis, fibromyalgia and herniated discs. But, I exercise every day and am also a spinning instructor. I suggest taking MSM, you can find it at Vitamin World or any health store. You won't see results overnight but, if you are consistent in taking it, either capsule or powder form, within a month you will definitely have more energy and less pain. I also suggest Pilates. If you don't want the expense or bother of going to a class, there are several very effective, easy to do DVD's. I suggest "Ellen Barret" (The Studio). You can find them on Amazon.

engineman312

try dynamic stretching, like windmills, jumping jacks, and arm cross overs. get the muscles moving in a good stretchy way.


and as for working out, why don't you try low impact things like swimming and biking?

KimberlySchafer

I have lived with chronic pain since 1992.My pain is disk related also. I do aerobic and strength training and walking. When I work out i am in a whole lot less pain then if I don't. I know my limits and am cautious about that. One really important thing here is a heat cream, use it before you work out and after your shower in the problem area, it will help tremendously. It is true you need to strengthen your muscles around your spine.

januadiaboli

I agree that it's far easier, at least physically, to stretch than it is to exercise. I often have to force myself to exercise, especially if it's been a bad day. I know that the exercise helps, and that taking off weight will help even more, but it's often hard to force yourself to do something when you know that it's going to hurt. Usually, after I've gotten moving, it's not too bad.

I think that easing into things is definitely the key, at least for me. I can't just jump in and start doing something, but some stretching and a good warmup are things that help.

As for exercise, I do a *lot* of walking, either outside or on the treadmill. I also do Zumba several times a week, but avoid what my instructor calls the "jumpy-jumpy" bits, as those tend to aggravate my back something fierce. I also go biking when I can, do yoga once a week or so, and use the elliptical at my gym. I usually do strength training several times a week, adding or eliminating certain exercises depending on how I'm feeling. I've been living with pain for so long that I've now got a pretty good idea of how far I can push myself on a given day, so intensity of some things can vary quite a bit from day to day. What I am finding, though, is that the more I do, the easier it becomes ... and having developed the habit of exercising every day, it's a bit more difficult to *not* do it ;-)

haileemou

I have tendonitis on and off in all my joints and a problem in my lower back! Walking defo helps, acupuncture for persitant pain and just resting and not over doing it!