Chronic Pain and Exercise
JavaDream
Posts: 7
I had shingles a few years back and have beed suffering with the pain ever since. I've grown used to it and am managing my life around it. But - when I first got shingles I was a size 10, now, three years later, I'm a size 18.
Are there any other pain suffers out there? What are your stories? Have you had success losing weight? How have you managed to exercise?
Are there any other pain suffers out there? What are your stories? Have you had success losing weight? How have you managed to exercise?
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Replies
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If you're concerned about pain, just eat at a caloric deficit.
Calorie deficit = weight loss
Exercise = fitness
I have plantar fasciitis... which is pain on the foot right where the arch and heel meet. I've got it mostly under control now and I'm back to exercising, but it had no affect on my ability to maintain a calorie deficit, other than the fact I couldn't eat my exercise calories back since I wasn't exercising.0 -
You don't need to exercise to lose weight, you need to eat less than what you burn. Set your activity level to sedentary and stick to the budget you are given. If you have pain, work around it if you want to exercise. I have chronic knee pain from an accident 30 years ago. You either learn to deal with it and get on with your life or you can sit on the couch and feel bad about it. Your choice.0
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First, anyone with a chronic disease can chose to let the illness control their life - or you can take control over your life. It sounds you have told your chronic pain if it is going to be part of you - it is on your terms, and that is a powerful statement.
Second, don't look at this as a diet, or weight loss program. This is really a change in lifestyle. There are simple thing to do - such as walking 30 min per day. Modify what you put in your mouth to an appropriate amount of calories. (Make sure some of it is calorie dense - so you feel full longer).
Walking is not only good for your physical well being, but also the emotional well being. And as you learn more and more about exercise and modification of what you eat - you will make progress.0 -
I lost weight because I was in pain. I couldn't do much, I was home on the couch a lot and taking painkillers. Nothing was fun because I was in pain all the time. It was a short term pain ( about six months) and I made a decision: if I'm going to be miserable for a while I may as well lose those pesky 10 pounds I've been thinking about for years. I ate at a calorie deficit, and it worked.0
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I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and hypothyroid but have manag3d to lose 115 in the last 3 yrs so it is possible.not easy but possible. When I first started I did about 10 mins of swimming or walked 1/2 a block I just kept increasing and adding to my exercise very slowly.just try to do a little bit.good luck and yes you can lose weight without exercing though it does help. Feel free to add me0
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Don't believe anyone who says you don't need to exercise to lose weight and be healthy. The only way to lose fat and not lean body mass in the process is to do exercise, cardio and strength training. If you don't exercise you will end up flabby and in larger size than someone who preserved their lean body mass with exercise.
Exercise can actually reduce some types of pain. I had knee and hip pain until I started exercise. Now I am pain free. It was sitting on my backside that was causing the pain.0 -
That sounds awful! Sorry you are dealing with that! Have you spoken to a doctor and tried any medications, either traditional or alternative, to help with the symptoms?0
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I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at 19, so in a way, i get it. i've never felt pain quite like chronic fibro pain, and it impacts EVERYTHING. energy to shower, hang out with friends, sitting comfortably on the couch... EVERYTHING. so i get it.
my suggestions, if i may be so bold? treat yourself with gentleness. i started struggling with emotional eating when i got diagnosed, and gained 60lbs. every time i push myself too hard physically, i pay for it pain-wise, which creates a viscious cycle with emotional eating. exercise in a way that makes you feel better, or at least, less painful. walking is good! it really can be all you need. as you get more physically fit, you might be able to do more. but most importantly? just love yourself and be gentle with yourself. weight loss really comes from keeping muscles engaged and eating healthfully in a way that supports your caloric needs. build up gently and don't push yourself too hard. you are already carrying so much on your shoulders.0 -
Don't believe anyone who says you don't need to exercise to lose weight and be healthy. The only way to lose fat and not lean body mass in the process is to do exercise, cardio and strength training. If you don't exercise you will end up flabby and in larger size than someone who preserved their lean body mass with exercise.
Exercise can actually reduce some types of pain. I had knee and hip pain until I started exercise. Now I am pain free. It was sitting on my backside that was causing the pain.
I respectfully disagree. If you lose weight TOO FAST, you will lose lean mass as well as fat. If you lose weight at a sensible pace, you will lose mostly fat. For losing weight, what you put in your mouth is what is important. If you are physically able to exercise, great. If not, that's OK too.0 -
I too suffer from chronic pain. I have Fibromyalgia, Degenerative Arthritis, I had Knee replacement in May. I found a DVD on Stretching and Strength exercises done from a sitting position and started there along with my medications. I just decided I had to work through the pain Doubt I'll ever run a marathon or anything but I am more active than I was. Also taking my dog for a walk everyday has gotten me off the sofa. Is the pain gone? No I just choose to be more active in spite of it. Do the best you can even small changes make you feel better about yourself!!0
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I have arthritis. I do strength training 3 days a week and light cardio on rest days. When I was sedentary I had aches and pains all day long every day. Now that I have a regular exercise routine the pains are few and far between.
I have days when I don't feel up to exercising - typically I exercise anyway. In my mind I'm trading an hour of discomfort (during exercise) for a week of pain free living. That's a fair trade off in my opinion.0 -
I use to take tramadol daily till I started my diet, lost weight and pain..its gone0
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Don't believe anyone who says you don't need to exercise to lose weight and be healthy. The only way to lose fat and not lean body mass in the process is to do exercise, cardio and strength training. If you don't exercise you will end up flabby and in larger size than someone who preserved their lean body mass with exercise.
Exercise can actually reduce some types of pain. I had knee and hip pain until I started exercise. Now I am pain free. It was sitting on my backside that was causing the pain.
I respectfully disagree. If you lose weight TOO FAST, you will lose lean mass as well as fat. If you lose weight at a sensible pace, you will lose mostly fat. For losing weight, what you put in your mouth is what is important. If you are physically able to exercise, great. If not, that's OK too.
Plus IMHO and experience, I ate higher protein so didn't lose a lot of lean muscle mass. Grant you, I like the look of lifting weights and doing squats, but there are times it is near to impossible.
I lost 35 the first time around and 15 or so this time. This time in deficit only. Now that my pain level is down, I will be adding back in light lifting, squats, wall push ups and walking.
Good luck OP I know you can do this!0 -
Don't believe anyone who says you don't need to exercise to lose weight and be healthy. The only way to lose fat and not lean body mass in the process is to do exercise, cardio and strength training. If you don't exercise you will end up flabby and in larger size than someone who preserved their lean body mass with exercise.
Exercise can actually reduce some types of pain. I had knee and hip pain until I started exercise. Now I am pain free. It was sitting on my backside that was causing the pain.
Everyone's pain experience and activity potential is different.
Shingles is an extremely painful disease that can cause permanent nerve damage, weakness and paralysis.
OP you can lose weight by eating at a deficit.
I would encourage you to participate in activity as you are able.
Any weight bearing activity, even walking, will help to maintain bone density and muscular strength.0 -
Everyone's pain experience and activity potential is different.
So true. I have fibromyalgia and subluxing patellas (my kneecaps pop out). My exercise tends to be a bit of a win-lose situation, haha. Exercising helps ease the fibro, but once I get excited about not having much fibro pain, it always ends in me having to back off again due to my knees acting up. Some days I limp around in pain because I squatted once the previous day, and sometimes I'm fine. I never know day to day.
OP: do what you're comfortable with. See what you can manage without going too far. Don't worry if you can't do what everyone else can. I'd love to run a marathon, but until I have my knees replaced I can only do the occasional 5k if I'm feeling up to it. At this point, your competition needs to be yourself, not anyone else
Walking and swimming are great low-impact forms of exercise that I've had a lot of success with. Find what works for you and keep at it. Don't let your pain discourage you. Learn your limits and work within them while pushing them when you can 0 -
Thank you all. It is good to see I have a connection with others who understand chronic pain. I do what I can in regards to being less sedentary. In a past life (15 years ago) I used to teach yoga. I can tell you I miss the yoga more than I dislike the weight.
I began yoga at a time when I had undiagnosed muscle pain. I went for many years with the default diagnosis of Fibromayalgia. The stretching and strength building of yoga was the only comfort I could find. I later found out that I had a rare genetic condition that was the cause of my muscle pain.
So now, when I feel pain, my habit and instinct is to stretch into it. After all, that's how I've been able to manage pain for so many years in the past. But now - with nerve damage along my right side - stretching increases the pain - so much so I can't sleep at night.
I have to watch myself - sometimes I find myself stretching into the nerve pain without even being aware that I started to! To think, a habit I strived so hard to create is now no longer a comfort but a pain in the side (literally:-)!0 -
It is great that you are reaching out. As many have said, the good news is you can lose weight with a caloric deficit using MFP to log all your food.
If and when you feel you can, then you can walk or add some sort of exercise.
Hope you're having a painfree day:flowerforyou:0 -
Everyone is so nice! Thank you:flowerforyou:0
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I feel your type of pain also. I have CRPS/RSD in my right arm and hand due to surgery complications. Confused nerve pain signals that are really hard to keep under control. My father suffered horribly with post herpatic nueralgia (PHN) and for several years was basically incapacitated. Try doing some resistance band therapy.
You might also look at the medication - the lyrica - pregambilin and neurotin also are big gainers. I am taking Lyrica and it does tend to make one hold onto weight. Log your foods and stay as active as possible!
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I too am learning to live with chronic pain from damage to the nerve root at L4L5, L5S1. I was doing great getting rid of the extra weight when the last epidural wore off and left me in level 10 pain not giving a care about anything. Lyrica and Tramadol have been added to my regime, but even in the water (my goto exercise) the pain is there and when I get back onto terra firma I can hardly walk.
I started logging food again today hoping to get back on the plan drop the regained weight and lose more. I look forward to exchanging with this group.
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I had painful feet, turns out i needed to find the right shoe. Nike feels best vs New Balance which sucks for my feet.
Swimming is virtually pain free. Advil or Aleve for pain. Orthotics can help in the shoe. Also for knee pain and feet pain and other assorted pains - velcro wraps - for some reason velcro wraps you can buy at your drug store help better than Ace bandage, it sort of hugs you where it hurts and is adjustable.
Losing weight which will take the weight off your jones and bones will help and the more you lose the easier it becomes to do anything.
last year when i was so fat, i got back spasms and i learned how to get up and down off a seat, so far they haven't come back.. i was totally a couch potato and this is what i think caused it.
weekly or daily jacuzzi is fabulous for stress relief, and comfort and a treat.
those are all things that have helped me.0 -
I'm another who is an ex instructor - fitness and boxercise mainly. I know what you mean about missing the movement more than hating the wait.
Your post shingles pain will react one of two ways to increasing exercise and weight loss, you know that I am guessing. If you want a happy story to reassure you... I had a client who came to my Baggy T classes. She was post shingles and had lived for years with that debilitating pain level that drugs didn't touch much. Well, she winced and ooched her way through a few weeks of class, then started to enjoy herself. After about a year she left me for a spin class!! As far as I know she continues to increase her activity levels until she felt that any more may have had a negative impact.
Start slowly and be prepared to up and down your exercise dosage and good luck, cyber hugs and all best wishes xxx0 -
You need regular exercise even more if you suffer from chronic pain! At least, that's my experience. I feel better, not worse, when I exercise.0
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Have you looked for gentle exercising you can do in bed? If you google for 'bedridden exercise" you'll find lots of videos and other such stuff. It might help you feel a little better if you could find exercises for the parts of your body shingles hasn't totally knocked out. I had a minor, localized case of shingles brought on by statins. I say minor, well, it was certainly minor comparied to yours, but it was indeed totally miserable and I'm still alternatively numb or tingling on my right thigh several years later.0
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I have chronic pain after a badly herniated L4L5 which left me with nerve damage then fracturing my foot. When I decided to lose some weight with a combination of counting calories and exercise I was afraid I wouldnt be able to complete the 'workouts' as prescribed, and I couldn't, even with strong painkillers. I kind of felt like I had failed if I couldn't do what others could do.
Then I read a post on here which basically said that anything I do extra to what I was doing before (walking, light weights, swimming) even in small amount was more than I was doing before and therefore contributing. I went from having difficulty walking to slowly jogging on a tradmill. It took me almost 3 months to do week 1 of C25K but I did it and I can still do it today. To me, that is a major acheivement after being told only 2 years ago I may never walk again.
With that and a little bit of strength exercises and sensible eating I lost 30lb, I am still losing but I have changed my exercise to walking at the moment.
I realised that it all relative, someone else might be pleased with their 30 day shred or insanity and I love reading about their achievements, but for me working within my health limit and succeeding, and still losing weight, makes me feel ecstatic.
Good luck, do what you can x0 -
I have chronic pain after a badly herniated L4L5 which left me with nerve damage then fracturing my foot. When I decided to lose some weight with a combination of counting calories and exercise I was afraid I wouldnt be able to complete the 'workouts' as prescribed, and I couldn't, even with strong painkillers. I kind of felt like I had failed if I couldn't do what others could do.
Then I read a post on here which basically said that anything I do extra to what I was doing before (walking, light weights, swimming) even in small amount was more than I was doing before and therefore contributing. I went from having difficulty walking to slowly jogging on a tradmill. It took me almost 3 months to do week 1 of C25K but I did it and I can still do it today. To me, that is a major acheivement after being told only 2 years ago I may never walk again.
With that and a little bit of strength exercises and sensible eating I lost 30lb, I am still losing but I have changed my exercise to walking at the moment.
I realised that it all relative, someone else might be pleased with their 30 day shred or insanity and I love reading about their achievements, but for me working within my health limit and succeeding, and still losing weight, makes me feel ecstatic.
Good luck, do what you can x
Thank you for sharing
Life is about being honest and genuine.
So many people would benefit from your post.
Be the best YOU that you can be, do what works for YOU and don't compare yourself to anyone else.0 -
I suffer from long term severe chronic pain. The rule I've made for myself is I go to the gym every single day no matter how I'm feeling and do what I can. Today I was able to use the rowing machine, do three sets on each of my usual weight machines, and (for me) miracle of miracles walk 45 minutes on the treadmill (in 15 min increments between weight sets). Last Wednesday, I went in, did one partial set on one weight machine and left. I was there less than five minutes. And that's okay. I think that's been the hardest thing to accept is it's okay to not be able to do much and it's okay not to push myself.
When you have chronic pain, gritting your teeth and sucking it up is not a good idea. In my case, it will lead to being bedridden for the next two weeks. So I've learned to listen to my body and do what's possible. So what if I only do three leg curls? That's three more leg curls than if I had stayed home. Every little bit counts and adds up over time.0 -
I've had postherpatic neuropathy in my foot, hip, leg, and back since I was 12, I am 21 now. Exercise wise- all my doctors have recommended swimming since it is the lowest impact. I personally don't like putting my hair in the chlorine every day so I only swim once in a while and choose to use an elliptical trainer. My advice is this - only exercise when you know you have the energy for it. If you're having a bad pain day take it easy and don't ever put yourself down for not being able to exercise or do other tasks because of it - it is not in your control.0
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My advice is this - only exercise when you know you have the energy for it. If you're having a bad pain day take it easy and don't ever put yourself down for not being able to exercise or do other tasks because of it - it is not in your control.
It is true that feeling good when dealing with pain is often out of your control. I compromise. If I only exercised when I had the energy for it, it wouldn't happen very often. Fortunately, doing a little often makes me feel well enough to do more. I try to get good rest and recovery, by eating well, sleeping enough, doing rehab exercises that help reduce pain, and taking plenty of easy days in between strenuous days.0 -
If you're concerned about pain, just eat at a caloric deficit.
Calorie deficit = weight loss
Exercise = fitness
I have plantar fasciitis... which is pain on the foot right where the arch and heel meet. I've got it mostly under control now and I'm back to exercising, but it had no affect on my ability to maintain a calorie deficit, other than the fact I couldn't eat my exercise calories back since I wasn't exercising.
I've had that in both feet, painful to say the least. All your body weight pushes down when you stand or walk. But next to Shingles Plantar is nothihggggggggggg... lol... I'd go with Plantar in both feet at the same time before Shingles/\... I'm sorry your body is in pain right now, hopefully you can get it managed soon.....0
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