Or, at least as active as you can tolerate. Living with chronic pain means managing your chronic pain every single day and part of that management includes eating right, sleeping well, and exercising to stay limber, control your weight, and to strengthen key muscle groups. Additionally, exercise can improve your outlook on life and bolster your immune system.
Use It or Lose It
Regardless of the type of chronic pain you’re living with, it’s easy to fall into leading a sedentary lifestyle. The constant pain is exhausting and you just don’t feel well enough mentally to tackle even the simplest of tasks let alone perform any type of meaningful exercise. However, staying in bed or on the couch all day long can weaken and decrease the size of your muscles, which ultimately can increase your pain episodes or the severity of pain. Think of it this way: Exercise is good, healthy medicine. So, use it or lose it.
For Example:
- In the musculoskeletal system, inactivity can rapidly lead to atrophy and muscle wasting. If you have ever had an arm or a leg in a cast, you may have noticed that the diameter of either your arm or leg was smaller after being restrained and unmovable for a period of time.
- Inactivity decreases oxygen uptake causing a rise in systolic blood pressure and an overall blood plasma volume decrease of 10 to 15 percent with extended bed rest.
- Physical inactivity also leads to nervous system changes, including slower mental processing, problems with memory and concentration, depression, and anxiety.
Furthermore, inactivity can increase the likelihood of a chronic pain syndrome developing or becoming worse as well as increasing the perception of your pain. Again, exercise is good, healthy medicine. So use it or lose it.
It’s Time to Get Mobile
If you’re wondering what you can do about getting started or which exercises may be best for you, speak with your doctor or the physicians at Michigan Pain Consultants. They know and understand how overwhelming it can be for some people living with chronic pain to consider becoming more active.
Start with short bursts of exercise, not long periods. It’s best to modify your routine at a certain point before a flare up begins. Stretch at least once a day to increase your flexibility, loosen tight/stiff muscles, and improve your range of motion. Walking, swimming or bike riding provide light aerobic exercise which provides a host of healing benefits. Swimming in warm water is another excellent exercise that can relax your muscles. In fact, the weightlessness helps with movement and minimizes the load on your joints.
Contact Michigan Pain Consultants Today
Talk with the professionals at Michigan Pain Consultants today about starting your new, active lifestyle to combat your everyday pain. We can help you with various exercise, dietary, and other wellness programs to fit your lifestyle.
Make an appointment for a new patient consultation with one of our board certified pain physicians. All of Michigan Pain Consultant’s physicians are Board Certified in Anesthesiology or Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and have advanced training and experience in Pain Medicine. You can begin first by visiting online at MyLifeBeyondPain.com, MichiganPain.com, or by calling them at (800)281-3237.
With six locations throughout West Michigan, Michigan Pain Consultants comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to pain care offers patients and providers renewed hope for relief from chronic pain. Chronic pain should be treated like other chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or congestive heart failure. Chronic pain requires chronic treatment. The goal of the treatment is to optimize the management of the pain, as opposed to curing the pain.