Chronic Pain and Weight Loss
BunnyGirl1986
Posts: 1
Hello ladies & Gents,
I am 27 and have lived with chronic pain for 3 years, i have had bursitis bad for 4 months and sciatic pain for almost 1 year on top of the other stuff. I have gained 20 lbs in the past 2 years, i have been really struggling and trying to convince myself that the scales are lying to me. I have since lost 7 pounds in 2 months, I have struggled through each pound and am just trying to see if there are any ideas or advice?
I am 27 and have lived with chronic pain for 3 years, i have had bursitis bad for 4 months and sciatic pain for almost 1 year on top of the other stuff. I have gained 20 lbs in the past 2 years, i have been really struggling and trying to convince myself that the scales are lying to me. I have since lost 7 pounds in 2 months, I have struggled through each pound and am just trying to see if there are any ideas or advice?
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Replies
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Eat clean, work hard every day, log it and get a good network of friends to support you. Feel free to add me if you like0
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I am 21 and I have chronic illness as well! I suffer from Dysautonomia which causes me awful pain in my legs.My pain is muscular, tight and spasmodic. I have really got into walking and interval training because it actually oddly enough has started to help my pain. The endorphin's i get from working out can help increase my tolerance to the pain. I cant give you advice because pain is different for everyone but if you would like to add me for support i would love to have you on my friends list.
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I also have sciatic pain :sad: feel free to add me0
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Congratulations on your loss! Slow and steady...long term weight loss takes time and especially for those of us with chronic pain issues. I was dx with Fibromyalgia in 1998. I have to be sensitive to certain types of exercise so as to not instigate a flare. This journey isn't a "one size fits all" so experiment w/ different activities and be patient. Before long you will find a routine that is a great fit for you! In the meantime, eat healthy and keep moving. And celebrate your achievement!!0
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I suffer from chronic pain now for 7 years. I have Atypical neuralgia plus bursitis in my hip which sometimes leaves me walking with a cane .I take many medications which cause me to gain ,but since joining I have found exercising when possible, logging and the support of friends makes it possible to stay focussed and positive. If nothing else I am eating healthy and becoming a better me . Feel free to add!0
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I have dealt with sciatic pain in the past. It's a beast to deal with! I would suggest walking and some gentle stretching (tight hamstrings can irritate sciatica). Clean eating is also the way to go!
Don't give up. Take it easy and give your body time to heal. It will get better, I promise.:flowerforyou:0 -
I struggle with plantar fasciitis in my left foot (have had it for a YEAR straight!) and Achilles tendonitis now in my right ankle (from compensating for so long probably) for about 8 weeks.
I trudge thru it.
I still workout.
I am hoping that once a certain amount of weight comes off that both injuries will get better.
Good luck to you and everyone else
To everyone: feel free to add me for support.
Let's kick our *kitten* together :happy:0 -
I have Fibromyalgia and have had constant shoulder pain for over 2.5 years. I also have arthritis in both of my knees which makes life a bit difficult. the Fibro has also caused some tendonitis in my shoulder, as I sleep funny to try and ease the pain. So all around I'm a bit of a disaster area.
Bunnygirl, I highly recommend you read Manage Your Pain (3rd volume) by Michael Nicholas. It's a bit dry and boring but it has excellent chapters for pacing out exercises and also relaxing and desensitisation, so you can slowly build up your tolerance for working out and get the best results without getting discouraged.
It's helped me to the point where I can concentrate on my pain and it will go away for a while.0 -
I had joint pain for years, and then found that black cherry or tart cherry juice helped ALOT with the pain. Bad news is that it also has a good amount of calories. It also helps you sleep. A good nights sleep and less pain during the day might make it worth having to figure in the calories. Good luck to you.0
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Hi everyone! I'm 30 and have suffered from chronic pain from arthritis in my back diagnosed at age 22 when I stepped out of bed in the morning in college and fell to the floor because I could not stand straight. I always was an athlete for years and after slowing down all of my injuries from playing have caught up to me (bone spur in left knee, tendinitis left arm, weak ankles from multiple sprains, surgery right hand). On top of it I have chronic neck pain from having giant boobs (inherited sigh). I've wavered back and forth gaining, losing, gaining, losing. But most recently my gain weight is post baby (10 mos old now). It's been tough to fit in exercise and concentrate on logging food. But that's the ONLY way I lose weight, knowing what I put in, and what I put out! I'm such a numbers girl!0
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I'm in the same situation, trying to lose weight with chronic pain/illness. It definitely adds a whole new layer of difficult to the process.0
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Sorry to hear that :-( I've been dealing with back issues as well. Osteoarthritis and disk degeneration in my upper and lower back. I had 2 shots (steroid) placed in my spine last year to take down the inflammation and pain. I was lucky, it seemed to help right away. I also asked for physical therapy and I can't stress enough how much it helped! Turns out that I had been doing a lot of exercise and stretches that were actually making my injury worse :-/
Now I use Naproxen Sodium or ibuprofen and ice it when necessary. The thing that has helped me the most is exercise. I just do whatever I can to build the strength in my back and core. Walking has been a relief too. After I spend some time walking or taking a really minor jog, my back feels lubricated and strong. I have recently started lifting weights again too. I didn't think I could do it a year ago, I had only hoped!
Are you able to see a physical therapist or osteopath or some kind of sports med dr? Best wishes on feeling better soon.0 -
Hi! I have Fibromyalgia and a couple of compressed discs in my back and neck. The best thing in the world for me has been swimming. No impact, and I can do a lot of things in the water I could never do in "normal gravity". I started out just moving back and forth across the pool, and now I do backstroke, crawl and breast stroke - 24 laps in about 30 minutes, and then two additional "whatever" laps in 5 minutes as a break or a cooldown. As a result of the swimming, I can now do beginning yoga, and I'm looking into DDP yoga which is supposed to be no impact.
I joined LA Fitness to have access to a pool regardless of the weather or what part of town I'm in. I highly HIGHLY recommend trying swimming. Best of luck to you!0 -
Hello ladies & Gents,
I am 27 and have lived with chronic pain for 3 years, i have had bursitis bad for 4 months and sciatic pain for almost 1 year on top of the other stuff. I have gained 20 lbs in the past 2 years, i have been really struggling and trying to convince myself that the scales are lying to me. I have since lost 7 pounds in 2 months, I have struggled through each pound and am just trying to see if there are any ideas or advice?
I've had a lot of success in reducing sciatic pain with yoga. It did more for me than any painkiller or heating pad ever did. I just use it for the stretching and I started out very gently -- you don't want to get all crazy and end up hurting yourself. Your body will get more flexible as you do it, but don't push yourself past what you are comfortable with. The videos I used when I started:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsKHQ81Cbdk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f1Y4OV3QlA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO3racIlTcg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6netzXNlvAI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DavfjAoWdvE0 -
Like all the others who replied to your post, I understand where you're coming from. Chronic pain is such a bugaboo (yes, I just used that word) because it affects SO. VERY. MANY. ASPECTS. OF. OUR. LIVES. It's hard for others to understand and truly empathize with, although they can be supportive. I have a degenerative joint disorder and am currently recovering from a very major knee/tibia reconstruction. This means I'm on crutches, which makes exercise that much harder.
Building strength can be your biggest ally. The stronger you can get your muscles (safely, slowly, over time, with physical therapy and moderate exercise) the better you'll feel. It will help with the weight gain, too. It's hard because chronic pain so severely limits our functionality and mobility.
If you feel like you need to lose some weight first before you have less pain to exercise, then dieting smartly might be the way to go. I also do seated chair cardio and arm/upper body workouts almost every day. Look for Coach Nicole's seated exercise videos on SparkPeople!0 -
I also have sciatic pain :sad: feel free to add me0
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It can be done, I have chronic pain in my rt knee and chronic headaches r/t sinusitis..it is just more difficult...I always feel better after I work out though!! Always do0
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Sciatica, arthritis & 2 bulging dics in my lower back. Weight loss helped with none of these for me. I'll never work again unless it's a job where I'm walking all day without sitting at all. I walk all day to make sure I don't have to take painkillers & can only sit for a few mins a day. I still workout daily, Zumba, running, walk at home (not as easy as you think) HIIT on my bike, and anything else I can find that is cardio just cause I can't lift.
I'm only 38 & my life is basically reduced to walking, working out & losing weight. That's it. But I refuse to let the pain stop me. Sciatica is easy to deal with, I just move. Back pain is harder....I got to actually KEEP moving, the moment I stop or sit...the pain comes back. The arthritis is a bit harder, plays up in the cold, and in the heat. I just keep moving. Everything comes down to moving.... I believe that totally. Our bodies were made to move, not to sit down all the time. The more I move the less pain I am in, not cured...but not in as much pain.0 -
Thank you for these...I'm going to check them out next time I do yoga!0 -
Might want to try dropping gluten for a week or two to see if that helps the bursitis. Gluten can be inflammatory and ditching it might help.0
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bump0
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Gah, it seems my post on back pain wasn't as popular as this one
I've got the slipped dics/dics degerneration really bad and have since I was 14 (almost 10 years). I could barely walk for a few years without being in extreme sciatic pain. Physio and attempting to bike where ever I can has helped quite a bit, but I'm still nervous about doing any high-intensity workouts for fear of making the injury worse again.
It's sucks that some of us have to live with chronic pain, especially when we're still in our youth (I always thought chronic pain was for "old people" :laugh: ) But at the same time, it's very inspiring to see so many of us trying to overcome our difficulties and make the changes in our lives that we want!
Feel free to add me, anyone, if you like0 -
Hello ladies & Gents,
I am 27 and have lived with chronic pain for 3 years, i have had bursitis bad for 4 months and sciatic pain for almost 1 year on top of the other stuff. I have gained 20 lbs in the past 2 years, i have been really struggling and trying to convince myself that the scales are lying to me. I have since lost 7 pounds in 2 months, I have struggled through each pound and am just trying to see if there are any ideas or advice?
I've been told swimming is really good for the sciatic pain/protruding discs. Low impact on the back and legs but you can still do a lot of cardio in the water!0 -
The worst is a day like today when there is a low pressure system DUMPING rain and messing with my joints! Back is not happy today! Anyone else have increased pain with bad weather? Swimming has always been my go to, just so hard getting their working full time, and then being mommy and wife when I get home! One day I will have my own pool. I've been walking with pushing the baby on nice days and it's been so nice to exercise OUTSIDE!!!0
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Dx'd with fibro and MS and have some pretty horrid back injuries (I fell and landed on my feet and then my *kitten*, which resulted in heel to hip stress fractures and L1-L5 compression), along with hereditary arthritis and a left knee that hates me due to a bullet grazing.
I have one of those mini stepper/elliptical things with the resistance bands and hell, even if I can manage 5 minutes on that before or after each meal, that's 15 minutes a day of doing SOMETHING. She's occasionally perky to the point of nausea-inducing, but Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds videos are awesome when it's rainy/crappy (I'm in New England myself).0 -
The worst is a day like today when there is a low pressure system DUMPING rain and messing with my joints! Back is not happy today! Anyone else have increased pain with bad weather? Swimming has always been my go to, just so hard getting their working full time, and then being mommy and wife when I get home! One day I will have my own pool. I've been walking with pushing the baby on nice days and it's been so nice to exercise OUTSIDE!!!
Exactly. The weather messes with my Rheumatoid Arthritis and herniated discs.0 -
I have had Undiagnosed gluteal pain for two years. My best tip is to eat well you never know when you can't exercise0
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Most of my exercise is cleaning, house work, and playing with a 10 month old :-) Tomorrow will be a big cleaning day as I'm having a cookout Sunday for my college friends since I never see them (and their kids). I gotta clean/organize inside and out and I'm looking forward to it because it's forcing me to get he house back on track (and go through old clothes that don't fit/out of style)
Also another helpful thing, calcium and vitamin D supplements/vitamins I have found really helpful (I found out that I have a severe vitamin D deficiency about 3-4 years ago which effects the bones)0 -
I exercise nearly every day because it helps me with pain. I've had to change to lower impact exercise most of the time, however i don't see myself ever voluntarily stopping, even if the only thing I can do at some point is to swim.
Edit: swimming is great. Even if I'm having too much neck and shoulder pain to use my arms, I can do laps with a kick board.0 -
I feel for you! I have both the planters & Achilles in the same foot ( right). I have been told to stay off my foot. How do I do that and lose weight at the same time? I go to the pool when I can.0
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