If you live with chronic pain, it’s natural to pay attention because you don’t want it to get worse. But the truth is, avoiding exercise is the opposite of protecting yourself. Being active and exercising can really help with chronic pain, and research and industry groups have called it “the miracle we’ve been waiting for.”
STRENGTHENS MUSCLES
Prolonged abstinence from physical activity leads to deconditioning. This means that the muscles become weaker because they are not used. So when you try to move your body, you feel more pain because your body is out of order.
Regular exercise keeps muscles strong and prepares the body for the demands of everyday life. We see osteoarthritis in which the joints wear down, but stronger muscles around the joints are more flexible and can support weakened joints more effectively.
REDUCES STIFFNESS
Your body stiffens when you remain in one position for an extended period of time, chronic pain disorders make this issue much more prevalent. Regular exercise can ease this stiffness and facilitate mobility.
HELPS MAINTAIN OVERALL HEALTH
Regular physical activity helps keep your body healthy and functioning properly, whether you have chronic pain or not. Exercise reduces the risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. This reduces the risk of developing comorbidities.
HELPS YOU FALL ASLEEP
Exercising during the day will tire your body in a healthy way and help you sleep better at night, even with pain. It’s not a quick fix, but the more active you are during the day, the more prepared your body is for sleep.
PAIN RELIEF
Regular exercise has an analgesic effect, although the exact mechanism behind this is still unknown. The study explains: Ample evidence continues to grow that long-term physical exercise can reduce pain in a variety of chronic pain conditions.
INCREASES FUNCTIONING LEVEL
Your levels of everyday functioning may increase as you start to feel less worn out, more at ease moving your body, and generally healthier. Adaptive behaviors, such as being more sociable, eating more healthfully, and feeling more in control of your life, might begin to replace maladaptive ones.
REDUCES INFLAMMATION
Regular, gentle exercise induces an anti-inflammatory response. It literally fights inflammation and reduces the inflammatory response that is frequently triggered in many chronic pain conditions.
BOOSTS IMMUNE FUNCTION
In some chronic diseases, immune responses are weakened, making patients more susceptible to viruses and infections. Regular exercise helps your immune system function properly. Regular general exercise also lessens susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections, suggesting mechanisms are at work that improves general immune functioning, the study explains.
BUILDS CONFIDENCE
Exercise may do wonders for your confidence once you get started and understand that you can do it and that it doesn’t need to be afraid. This boosts your self-esteem in general and gives you more self-assurance that you can exercise despite having chronic pain since you know you’re doing everything you can to keep your body as healthy as possible.
For chronic pain management in Texas, visit Specialty Care Clinics.