Exercise and physical activity are commonly avoided like the plague in the chronic pain community because it is thought that working out and being active will increase pain, decrease function, promote flareups or create further problems than are already being dealt with. Further, because we have these fears and therefore do not exercise, we tend to struggle with our inactivity, bad fitness, and sometimes weight issues as well. But we think to ourselves, “at least we aren’t causing more pain”!!! This fear is not baseless, as some activities can cause harm depending on the condition that you are suffering from. However, what we are learning through scientific research findings is that some types of exercise are extremely beneficial in:

·     Reducing the experience of pain

·     Improving physical function

·     Increasing sleep quality

·     Lowering the inflammation in our joints

·     Reduce depression

·     Reducing anxiety and

·     Improving overall quality of life

         According to Ambrose and Golightly, 2015, several recent studies have found that activities such as aerobic, resistance and flexibility exercises have a significant effect on the reduction of pain within the population of those who suffer from osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic lower back pain. This exciting research suggests that while improvements can be seen immediately the benefits of exercise are consistent and increasing over time as well (Ambrose, &Golightly, 2015). The authors suggest that exercises such as yoga and Tai Chi are extremely effective in increasing strength, balance and mobility and that the same exercises that assist in managing the pain actually increase physical function as well (Ambrose, & Golightly, 2015). Interestingly, exercise is not only helpful in just decreasing pain and improving the physical function in the chronic pain population, it also assists in sleep quality. Ambrose and Golightly suggest that findings of a study completed with 372 subjects suffering from fibromyalgia, movement therapies created significant improvements in sleep quality (2015).

        We in the chronic pain community deeply understand how much our mental health can be and is effected by our pain experience. Depression, anger and stress are rampant within our population.Research shows that consistent exercise is highly effective in elevating our mood and those effects can be seen even 6 months after discontinuing the exercise routine (Ambrose, & Golightly, 2015). This finding serves to underline the dramatic benefit that we receive from engaging in physical activity. According to Ambrose and Golightly, the best exercises for relieving depression are aerobics, muscle training and movement therapies (2015). Many of us struggle with conditions that cause complications like inflammation which creates pain and stiffness in our joints. An interesting finding from Ambrose and Golightly is that the frequency (number of days) which an individual works out is actually a higher predictor of decreased inflammation than the duration of the workouts over the course of a week(2015). What I am telling you is that even 10 minutes of walking a day will help!!!

        Prior to making a complete lifestyle shift I remember avoiding exercise whenever I could because I wasn’t sure if I could handle more pain than I was already managing. I was unhappy with my health and fitness. I had more difficulty than ever moving around. Once i started exercising again, it was really difficult to get back in shape and not have sore muscles. It was also hard to find ways to exercise that didn’t harm my knee. Once this became a routine I had a striking realization. I work out5-6 days a week on average. Over time my pain had become so much more manageable and my ability to engage in certain exercises and activities was vastly different than it had been during my non-active phase. I actually tend to become more inflamed on days that I don’t exercise! The science speaks clearly and I personally can attest to how impactful exercise has been in helping me break the barriers of chronic pain.

        My hope is that this knowledge can create even a small positive shift in your life and that you will decide to join me and others in the journey to defeat the real nemesis: feeling like chronic pain controls your entire life.

3 steps to take:

1.     CONSULT with your doctor before attempting to begin any exercise routine as they are familiar and knowledgeable regarding your condition and will likely have the best recommendations for how you can start.

2.     Meet with a physical therapist who can aid you in the beginning of your fitness journey and help insure that you do not harm yourself unneccesarily.

3.     Consider finding a personal trainer that has a background in exercising with chronic conditions.

Ambrose,K. R., & Golightly, Y. M. (2015). Physical exercise as non-pharmacological treatment of chronic pain: Why and when. Best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology, 29(1), 120–130. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2015.04.022

‍