Can Exercise Help With My Pain? A Myotherapist Explains
Everyone knows that exercise and moving on a regular basis is good for you. But if you have an injury or a condition that causes pain, movement can be uncomfortable or even painful.
Can exercise help to reduce pain or support recovery from injury?
The answer is yes, absolutely. Movement plays an important role in recovery from injury and pain.
This doesn’t mean that you go for a run after hurting your leg or do push-ups when you’ve sprained your wrist. You want to incorporate safe movement as your body heals. That’s why it’s important to work with a practitioner who can support you through the process.
The benefits of regular exercise
Why should you move your body regularly even if you’re not in pain? There are countless benefits of exercise. Here are just a few of them:
Stronger bones, joints and muscles
Reduced blood pressure
Weight management
Reduced risk of mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety
Increased energy levels
Better quality sleep
Improved brain function and memory
Reduced risk of many chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer
How exercise and movement can help with pain and injury
So what if you have injured something or are dealing with chronic pain? People used to believe that resting and minimising movement was best. But now we know that the right type of movement is one of the most effective steps you can take to deal with pain.
Research has shown that exercise has benefits including:
Relieving pain and improving quality of life for those experiencing chronic pain
How does exercise do all of this? For one, it boosts the blood flow throughout the body. This carries nutrients, oxygen and immune cells to areas that have been damaged.
Exercise stimulates feel-good endorphins, as well as increasing levels of your happy brain chemicals.
There are also less direct ways that exercise helps with pain and injury. Exercise can improve your sleep, which is when your body is able to focus on repairing any damage. It can also help with mental health, which can have a significant impact on your experience of pain.
How can I safely exercise with pain?
It’s important to be careful when you’re returning to exercise with an injury or some form of pain. Here is what you should keep in mind.
Start slowly and build up
Jumping straight into intense exercise is a recipe for re-injury. Even if you were quite active prior, start slow and build your way up. Begin with gentle movements and simple tasks.
For example, if you injured your ankle, you might start with a walk to the letterbox. A week later, you might manage a walk around the block. It could take a few weeks to get back into running, even if you used to run daily.
Focus on movement of non-painful parts where possible
Have an injured foot? Do exercises that use the upper body. Got a sore wrist? Make the most of your lower body. If you have body-wide pain, use the areas that are least painful.
The good thing about the feel-good endorphins and brain chemicals is that they affect the whole body. The same goes for increased blood circulation. So even if you’re not using a painful limb or joint, it can still benefit the injured area.
Work with a practitioner who can prescribe a rehabilitation program
Minor injuries might be fine after a few days. But if you’ve had a significant injury or are dealing with a condition causing ongoing pain, it’s best to get professional support.
A qualified myotherapist can treat injury and pain. But they are also able to prescribe exercises to build strength and minimise pain during exercise.
If you’re wanting to get back into exercise after pain or injury, the myotherapy team at The Wellness Nest are here to help. To book your appointment, head to our booking page here.