When you live with chronic pain, it’s natural to be cautious about exercise as you don’t want to worsen your pain. But the truth is, avoiding exercise is doing the opposite of protecting yourself. Being active and exercising really does help your chronic pain. Exercise is the miracle cure we’ve always had, but for too long we’ve neglected to take our recommended dose.
Fear Avoidance
Many people with chronic pain stay away from movements that they find painful and gradually drop more and more activities. This is known as “Fear Avoidance” because the person is worried that increasing movement or trying to exercise will cause further injury or damage (harm). Therefore, they avoid it altogether. Fear avoidance is a major contributor to the continuation of chronic pain because people become gradually more and more deconditioned and it gradually takes smaller and smaller amounts of activity to cause pain. This is the “Pain Spiral”.
Hurt is not equal to Harm
But hurt is not the same as harm. Pain, by itself, will not cause damage. As long as the exercises you are performing are not excessively vigorous you will not damage your body. Even people with “bone on bone” arthritis will benefit from exercise.
How to Re-engage with Health Movement
It would be unfair to expect someone who has had chronic pain for years to jump right back into an exercise regimen. If you are unsure you can see a physical therapist, kinesiologist, or personal trainer. The cheaper, and often better option, is to simply start with more motion. There are many ways to move more in our everyday lives:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Get up from whatever you are doing at the top of each hour and walk around for a few minutes
- Park a little farther from the front door of your workplace or stores
But I can’t walk / stand
If you can’t walk for one reason or another, you can look for arm and chair exercises. You may need some help from a physical therapist, kinesiologist or trainer to get started. There are many people with severe physical limitations who go on to perform very high-level athletics (have a look at the Paralympics for example).
Next steps
When you are ready to start a more regular, regimented exercise program, it’s good to start with a structured walking program where you start walking for only 3-5 minutes and gradually increase by a few minutes each week. Other options include:
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Tai chi
- Spin classes
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Pool walking
Cautions
Most people start too aggressively and end up in pain. Start slow. One or two exercises for a few minutes only. You can gradually increase the number and duration of exercises over time. Starting slow reduces the risk of developing “Fear-Avoidance”
Follow the -10% rule for stretching exercises – stop and hold the stretch at 10% less than you think you can do.