How to manage pain and soreness

GiniN · March 2011

I am having a real problem managing the pain/soreness I have the next day after a workout. I have 100+ lbs to lose, and have been very sedentary due to painful osteoarthritis in my back and knees. My rheumatologist told me I could work out as much as I am able, and go up to the point of pain but not beyond. I am taking anti-inflammatory meds and have been doing things that are easy on my joints, like aquatics and posture exercises and a recumbant cycle.

The dilemma is that I don't perceive pain while I am exercising, but the next day my joints are very painful and muscles are sore all over, even the muscles that I don't think I used! This has been 3 weeks, and the only way I can comfortably move on the next day is by taking pretty powerful pain meds. My doctor is more than willing to prescribe these, and with the degree of joint damage I have it is probably necessary. I expect that as I lose weight and strengthen, the pain will decrease. But it is very discouraging to be going through this; it seems like I am not making progress and I don't know what to change.

Should I just tough it out?
Or alternate types of exercise?
Or decrease or increase my activity?
Or something else?

Any words of advice woud be appreciated...

skinnyb450 · March 2011

Hi - Have you thought about Aqua Aerobics - low impact aerobics done in water - swimming would be good too - Do you live near a beach? Walking on the edge of the water in the sand - stationery exercise bike ? or just walking around the neighbourhood or on a treadmill...just some suggestions

I think to stick with it you need to pick something you enjoy that doesnt cause pain - if you are in pain you will lose motivation to continue with that particular exercise

Good luck - keep trying different things until you find something you enjoy

:flowerforyou:

Raychillen · March 2011

Don't tough it out. The person who came up with "No pain no gain" is an idiot. What you probably need to do is cut back and do small bouts of exercises. Go slow add a little at a time and try to listen your body. As you do an exercise think about where you are feeling it, how does it feel (tight, burning, stabbing, sharp, etc). Pay attention to how you feel the next day and where you are feeling it. It maybe good to start a very specific diary of the type of exercise you do and how much/how long. Good luck.

Wolffeathers · March 2011

If your having joint pain on a regular basis, I would recommend talking to a doctor about it. The constant pain may be from an injury that at this point is unknown

patattheshire · March 2011

no matter what you can't give up or let the pain take charge i would suggest different exercises maybe just standing and moving arms or sitting and raising legs there are many ways to exercise as the body gets stronger the pain just changes to different types and soon will only be soreness i work out with bad knees and back and each day i fight through it my wife has become very adept at changing exercise's so as she can keep going please no matter what find a way to keep going
pat
(befriend if you like i'll post daily if you like)

gentlebreeze2 · March 2011

Are you getting enough potassium... when I don't I feel it big time. Also, my doctor had me try glucosamine chondroitin with omega 3 for my knees. I had to take it for more than a month before I noticed any difference. When I first started on the recumbant bike, I could only handle about 30 seconds before the pain stopped me. I stayed with it, and I am proud to say that today I did 2 1/2 hours on the bike ( not all at once), but still, what a big improvement. Good luck. I've lost 51 pounds so far.

jenbusick · March 2011

One thing I have done in the past when I do something that I think will make me sore the next day is to take my anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen is my drug of choice) right after my workout -- they can prevent the swelling and soreness more effectively than they can knock it back once it's already there. You might ask your doctor if that would be a helpful thing to do.

brandi16 · March 2011

I have the same issue. I am 32 years old and in need of a knee replacement. Although I do not have "all over" pain, I do have a ton of pain in the entire left leg...probably because of the knee and all the other joints compensating for the knee. I do my best in my workouts and if I am INJURED, I lay off what hurts it (which is usually some sort of jumping or running). If I am just SORE, I ignore it. I think with most joints, but definitely with the knee, I had to strengthen all the muscles around it (i.e. the hamstring and quad muscles). Between strengthening those and losing weight, I have finally gotten to a point where it rarely hurts. I have started running and jumping...but my body tells me when I need to stop and I listen. Nothing is worth long term pain, which we both already have. It may take us a bit longer to reach our goals, but we can still do it. I think you should find a workout that works best for YOU and you really need to listen to your body...and try to avoid pain meds whenever possible. Not taking them for SORENESS, but for true pain.

Hope this helps...

~Brandi

xraychick77 · March 2011

i know its tough, but you've only been at it 3 weeks. it'll take a long time to get over the soreness. when you start losing the weight, it'll get easier. i lift weights/strength train, and often i am sore the next day. its normal to me, and i work through it. the best way to heal DOMS is to do some LIGHT exercise, move those muscles helps relieve the pain. As far as the arthritis, again the more you move the better off you'll be in the long run. when i am sore, i use a heating pad. glucosamine is supposed to help with joints, but again its not an over night thing, and will take maybe months even of taking it before you'd see results. perhaps lowering your workout intensity a bit. and work your way up.

aflane · March 2011

There's "good pain" --- the type where your muscles are growing and getting stronger and are just achey and sore the next day. And then there's "bad pain" -- the type where you just wracked your knee. It sounds like you have bad pain. You need to stop what you're doing, rest, and let the abused body parts heal up. This can take a week or two (or three). Then start over with your workouts. Go SLOWLY, think baby steps. You haven't been working out in quite and while and your muscles and joints apparently aren't able to accomodate what you're asking of them. If using a treadmill for 30 minutes will give you significant pain the next day, then DON"T DO IT!!! Start with 10 minutes, you have to build up to longer periods of time. Same with weight lifting.... if lifting 30 lbs hurts you (the bad way) the next day, start with 2 lb dumbbells. Your muscles and joints have to learn what you're asking them to do. It's not inherently obvious.

You should be able to work out with minimal pain meds. Just go slow.... baby steps. If I'm really sore from a work-out, I'll take 2 ibuprofens... that's about it.

A suggestion would be to work with a trainer. Explain ALL of your medical conditions to the trainer, and let the trainer help you. And if the trainer forgets one of your medical conditions/injuries, remind him/her and say "Nope.... can't do that activity". I'm doing that right now. My trainer wants me to do lunges and squats, and I looked at him and said "Not with my knees and back" (crushed L4/L5 disc, and several severe knee injuries). The trainer's response was "Well I'll find you other things to do then, if you feel those exercises would injure you".

spcopps · March 2011

As for joint pain modify your workout and do low impact..this should help and also keep your knees loose, don't tighten them during your workout (keep your knees slightly bent at all times). As for sore muscles I drink P90X results and recovery formula after EVERY workout. I worked out a week before ordering this and I could barely walk the next morning after a workout. I ordered it (thinking I was wasting my money but willing to try anything) and I can honestly say since drinking this I am NOT sore the next day. I can tell my muscles worked out because they are a little tired the next day but NO pain. It's not "cheap" but I honestly would pay 3X the cost for the results I get. I only take 1/2 of a serving because I am still over weight and doing turbo jams but it's enough to keep the muscle pain away. You can only order this from Beachbody.com but I swear by it now and I don't promote products often!

Pebble321 · March 2011

That's a tough one isn't it, how do you exercise to help the painful joints without exercising and making the joints painful?

As your doctor has approved it, I would keep going but look at what you are doing and how long - perhaps you need to start with shorter workouts a few times a day and build up to longer amounts as you get stronger.

My understanding with osteoarthritis is that you really want to get the muscles around your joints stronger so they can help support your joints to work better with less pain. And of course, with less weight to carry, there is less stress on the joints.

Have you seen a physiotherapist or other specialist who can work with you to identify the best exercises to burn calories and strenghten your muscles without causing more pain than is necessary? It sounds like you are on the right track, but they might be able to suggest other exercises that are appropriate for you.

GiniN · March 2011

Thanks for all the notes posted! Reading these have given me some hope

I think I have been overdoing it; I am anxious to see results. But I have been almost immobile for over a year due to my arthritis, and I see that it is not realistic to expect I should be able to jump into a routine that may be reasonable for someone else. I can't even walk more than about 50 feet before having so much pain that I cannot continue.

I had already signed up for personal training and I joined a gym affiliated with a local hospital that has experience guiding people, like me, with substantial medical issues.

Thanks to all for the kind words, and I'll keep checking back!

Kkmama · March 2011

I too live with arthritic pain. I am sorry and unfortunately can relate to the agony you must be in. What I have been doing is adapting excercises. I mostly work out with EA Sports so I adapt a lot of stuff. IFor instance I jog (my style) in place when it asks me to run, skip, and do other things that are high impact in nature. I just finished the 9 week challenge and amazingly I can actually do a bit of a lunge now! It is important to strengthen the muscles around your joints, and it will happen. What got me really going was when I was told by my doc who assessed me for knee replacement told me that for every pound of weight lost it is 4 lbs less of pressure on your knee. I have almost lost 80 lbs of pressure off my knee.
I use a "magic" bag on my knees in the evening to help with pain. I also use Rub A535 just about daily too.
Good luck. Friend me if you would like more information or someone to feel your pain! :flowerforyou:
I don't want arthritis and pain to dictate my lifestyle, and I don't want it to stop you, you can do this!

callipygianchronicle · March 2011

Thanks for all the notes posted! Reading these have given me some hope

I think I have been overdoing it; I am anxious to see results. But I have been almost immobile for over a year due to my arthritis, and I see that it is not realistic to expect I should be able to jump into a routine that may be reasonable for someone else. I can't even walk more than about 50 feet before having so much pain that I cannot continue.

I had already signed up for personal training and I joined a gym affiliated with a local hospital that has experience guiding people, like me, with substantial medical issues.

Thanks to all for the kind words, and I'll keep checking back!

You’re local to me. If you belong to the gym I think you do, I’m jealous! Just remember that when you have a lot to lose (I started with 90) just managing your calorie deficit is enough to have good weight loss. After you have lost some weight (15 pounds made a big difference for me), some movement will get easier. But honor where you’re at. It’s okay if all you can do is 5 minutes on a recumbent bike right now. Just be gentle and forgiving to your body. Improvement will come, even if it’s slowly.

GiniN · March 2011

I really appreciate everyone who posted helpful notes! It got me through a period of pain and immobility and kept me on track with my food despite it all.

I am happy to report that I seem to have "interrupted" what seemed like an ever-worsening pain experience.

I took 2 days competely off, and started back with non-weight-bearing water exercise. Even with that, I think I did too much the first day, because I had trouble walking. But then I backed off to 30 minutes of mildly aerobic exercises (suggested by my personal trainer) and I felt GOOD the next day! Better than I have in months! So I am going to gradually increase the length and intensity, and pay attention to the pain. I think this will make me successful in the long run, even though I am somewhat impatient with myself.

And I feel optimistic for a change!!!

backinthenines · March 2011

Don't tough it out. The person who came up with "No pain no gain" is an idiot.

I totally agree.
I was an idiot and toughed it out for too long and ended up with serious problems last year that took a long time to fix.

The crucial thing is to see a specialist to see what is actually causing your hip pain, as weight isn't always to blame. I didn't have 100lb to lose and still ended up with serious misalignment on my hip.

Which didn't help was that my physiotherapist, osteopath and podiatrist all came up with three different diagnoses :grumble: but we eventually worked it out.

Maybe google some of the common hip problems such as trochanteric bursitis, sacroilliac joint disfunction, piriformis etc and see if any of the symptoms ring true with your experience, and then talk to your practitioners about it.

backinthenines · March 2011

And I feel optimistic for a change!!!

:drinker:

Great. Sometimes rest is all that's needed.

koosdel · March 2011

Holy smokes! I would be asking for a referral to a doc specializing in sports medicine.
I don't know you or your doc, so please pardon my ignorance of your circumstances but one should never workout while taking pain killers. How are you supposed to know if you are hurting yourself if you can't feel?

Pain and soreness is perceived differently by different people. What might be a good tight pump to one person may be excruciating pain to another, especially if they are new to working out.

All I can safely say, is to re-evaluate your workout schedule. Make sure you are getting plenty of rest. Not popping on the couch, but active rest; house work, a nice mild paced walk, or what ever you find fun. Set up a camera to video your workout so that later you can check your form. Bad form= injury.

Good luck, and take it easy.

jenbusick · March 2011

I really appreciate everyone who posted helpful notes! It got me through a period of pain and immobility and kept me on track with my food despite it all.

I am happy to report that I seem to have "interrupted" what seemed like an ever-worsening pain experience.

I took 2 days competely off, and started back with non-weight-bearing water exercise. Even with that, I think I did too much the first day, because I had trouble walking. But then I backed off to 30 minutes of mildly aerobic exercises (suggested by my personal trainer) and I felt GOOD the next day! Better than I have in months! So I am going to gradually increase the length and intensity, and pay attention to the pain. I think this will make me successful in the long run, even though I am somewhat impatient with myself.

And I feel optimistic for a change!!!

Terrific! Good for you!

How to manage pain and soreness

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