Pain is a great excuse if you don’t like to exercise, and it’s certainly something many people with chronic pain would just as soon avoid.
Yet at the same time exercise is one of the things that can help make that pain go away.
“It can become a Catch-22 situation,” says Dr. Victor M. Romano, a board certified orthopedic surgeon and author of Finding The Source: Maximizing Your Results – With and Without Orthopedic Surgery.
“We don’t want to exercise because we have pain, and yet exercise will usually help you reduce the pain over the long run.”
Research has shown that exercise is an essential aspect in the treatment of chronic pain. Lack of exercise can cause a downward cycle of deconditioning and worsening pain. But exercise can help those with chronic pain engage in enjoyable and essential activities of daily living with greater ease. Stretching, cardio exercise and weight lifting are the three types of exercise most people should include in every workout, Romano says.
Doctors generally ask patients to rate their pain on a scale of one to 10. The average intensity of pain experienced for 12 or more hours over a 24-hour period is considered their baseline pain. Romano says if, during exercise, pain levels increase by more than 2 points from the baseline you should stop and modify that exercise to ensure you do not cause a flare up of your pain.
Of course, a good diet is also important.
For people who suffer from chronic pain, Dr. Romano offers these exercise tips:
“Even though exercise for somebody with chronic pain sounds counter-intuitive,” Romano says, “it is very important as part of recovery therapy.”
About Dr. Victor Romano
Dr. Victor Romano (www.romanomd.com) is an orthopedic surgeon
and the author of Finding The Source: Maximizing Your Results – With and Without
Orthopedic Surgery. He is board-certified in orthopedics and sports medicine with
over 25 years of experience in the field. He graduated cum laude from the University of
Notre Dame and completed medical school at the University of Loyola-Chicago.