Fresh Focus #44: Moving With Pain

Did you know that the human body is absolutely meant to move and that Movement, activity, and exercise, can all relate and to pain management? Let Fresh Focus get you started by having a discussion on ways to improve your functional independence and freedom. One way to begin is to identify ways to overcome any of your barriers and for most of us that includes reducing pain.     Exercise can be an effective treatment for chronic pain!Exercise and movement can help you to lose weight, which can lower inflammation and stress hormone release.  It can help decrease inflammation, increase mobility, improve joint health, slow arthritis progression, as well as decrease overall pain levels. It’s important to note that pain tolerance varies from person to person. Two people with the same injuries will perceive them very differently. That all has to do with the complex interconnections within our central nervous system, as well as various other things. But regardless of our starting point, we can still use exercise to calm the brain, and what it might potentially perceive as a threat.  From what we know so far, cardiovascular activity and mobility exercise, such as Yoga and Tai Chi, seem to have the greatest effects, but any exercise you enjoy doing will be a great start and will provide a multitude of benefits.  Keep in mind  you should start any activity/exercise routine with the mindset of safe, slow, and easy. Pace yourself. But don’t worry. You will be able to progress as you go.    Exercise helps to balance neurotransmitters in the brain-Anytime we talk about effectively treating chronic pain we always want to talk about brain rewiring. Our brain is our computer. Exercise increases the production of those feel-good chemicals, such as those endorphins we always hear about. Pacing is the gradual return of functioning one step at a time.  This method of gradually exposing yourself to activity that requires finding a safe, comfortable starting point. Incorporate breaks, stretch, and rest. It’s all about time, effort, and persistence. You can pace for any activity, anywhere from activities of daily living like grocery shopping, favorite hobbies like hiking, cycling, dancing,  or something like soccer. Remember  you are not alone, research shows that 80% of adults feel chronic pain over their lifetime. By reducing and overcoming that barrier we can continue to live the life we want to live! Tune into Fresh Focus episode #44 to find out more ways help pain and inflammation in the body and what lifestyle choices  you can make starting today to reclaim your life and your brain.