Best Exercises For People With Chronic Pain According To Personal Trainers
Living with chronic pain isnt easy in any part of your life. However, the good news is you dont have to forgo your fitness routine. In fact, by committing to a regular workout routine, youre not only improving your health but your body will feel better too.
Exercise has been called the miracle drug because of the countless benefits to the human body and often recommended as a major component in the management of numerous disorders, Christopher Harper, PT, DPT, OCS, tells SheKnows. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain and feeds the growth of new blood vessels and brain cells. Exercise therapy is also the most widely used type of conservative treatment for pain, with systematic reviews advocating exercise therapy as effective in the management of chronic pain.
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Harper points out that its important for an individual to consult with their medical team before engaging in any exercise. He also recommends participating in a fitness program that is tailored to your own needs and health. The following exercises can be a good starting point as you research and consult with your support system/health team and have been recommended by an array of personal trainers and medical health professionals for those managing chronic pain.
When You Ache All Over
Muscle pain that affects a small part of your body is usually caused by overuse — sore arms from lifting boxes all day, for example. Or it could be a minor injury, like a bruised shoulder after a fall. But when you ache all over your body, itâs more likely caused by an infection, illness, or medicine youâve taken.
How To Entrain Your Biological Rhythms
Strengthening zeitgebers during the day can improve nighttime sleep and also daytime energy, mood and performance. We can curb our chronotype — whether fast or slow thus modifying individual genetic propensity by what we do, how we do it, and when we do it.
Take Breaks
Breaks can restore focus and thus productivity to normal levels despite natural ebbs and flows. A break could be beneficial before or at the time of an expected dip, such as mid-afternoon, in order to restore mental focus. Regular short breaks can be scheduled every hour just as many secondary education classes have a 10-minute break every 50 minutes of lecture.
What you do during the break does matter. Going from your computer to phone will do little for restoring brain function. Completely and quite literally unplugging from work is ideal and maximize the break time by including these three elements: change of scenery to include nature, movement, and socializing.9, 14 If you cannot have all of them, go for one or two. Look for green spaces with plants and trees or at least where you can see the sky. If you cannot get away for a quick walk, stop and say hello to a colleague. Dont feel like chatting? Walk up and down the stairwell listening to your favorite music.
Time important tasks
Increase natural light exposure
Limit screen time
Move more
Eat regular meals and time your caffeine
Sleep on it and wake up the same time every day
Practice low and slow breathing
Have fun and find meaning
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Skip Heavily Processed Foods
Heavily processed foods typically have fewer nutrients than their whole food counterparts. Its important to load up on plants like legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to support your bodys needs.
Dont know what to eat? Groppo recommends sticking with foods that are as close to how Mother Nature made it as possible. Choose popped corn instead of corn flakes or brown rice instead of pasta, for example.
When Is Fatigue Considered Extreme
There is no good criteria for assessing the level of fatigue it depends on the person. However, most people know when their tiredness is more than a lack of sleep. Some of my patients remember the exact day they got hit with fatigue so overwhelming that they knew something was wrong.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
POTS is a common condition affecting an estimated one to three million Americans. Researchers dont fully understand the causes of POTS, but it is more common in women than men and is more likely to develop in adolescents and young adults.
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Opt For Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a science-backed treatment modality provided by degree-qualified health professionals. The process involves evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment that aims to restore function and reduce discomfort.This approach has helped millions of people around the world to recover from pain and its side effects. With advancements in technology, treatments can now be provided in-clinic or virtually.
See Rashes On Eyelids
If your musculoskeletal pain comes bundled with eyelid rashes, you could be in the grips of dermatomyositis. This is an autoimmune disease that causes general aching because it inflames the blood vessels beneath your skin. It can make it hard to swallow, and to stand up from a seated position. Common symptoms include fatigue and rashes. These can be red or purple, and they tend to itch. And they donât just appear on eyelids dermatomyositis rashes may appear on cheeks, elbows, knees, knuckles, the back, or the upper chest.
Your doctor might prescribe medications like corticosteroids to control the symptoms. There are exercises that can be learned to keep your strength and flexibility up as well, and therapies to control the swallowing problems that can result from this disease. Purified blood products can be offered as injections, and these can stop the damage to your muscles and skin for a time. But they need to be administered regularly and they are expensive.
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Polymyalgia Rheumatica And Giant Cell Arteritis
Some people with polymyalgia rheumatica experience giant cell arteritis . Giant cell arteritis involves painful inflammation of the blood vessels of the skull. Symptoms include:
- severe headache
- pain in the side of your jaw or face when chewing
- temples are tender to touch
- scalp tenderness.
Seek urgent medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms. If not treated promptly, giant cell arteritis can cause damage to the arteries of the eye, which can lead to blindness.
Sleep Disorders And Fatigue
Symptoms: Chronic fatigue, feeling exhausted upon awakening, snoring
Sleep disorders are a group of conditions that disrupt or prevent restful, restorative sleep. That can take a toll on your health and quality of life, so itââ¬â¢s important to look out for signs and symptoms.
Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders. If you or your partner notices loud snoring and you wake up tired and stay that way, you could have sleep apnea. More than one-third of adults in the U.S. snore at least a few nights a week. But if the snoring stops your breathing for seconds at a time, it could be sleep apnea.Ã Learn more about the best sleep positions and see if sleeping on your stomach is bad or not.
Obstructive sleep apnea causes low blood oxygen levels. That’s because blockages prevent air from getting to the lungs. The low oxygen levels also affect how well your heart and brain work. Sometimes, the only clue that you might have sleep apnea is chronic fatigue.
Your doctor may prescribe a medical device called CPAP that helps keep your airways open while you sleep. In severe cases of sleep apnea, surgery may help. The surgeon will remove tissues that are blocking the airways. If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase your risk of a stroke or heart attack.
But sleep apnea is just one of many sleep disorders that cause fatigue. Other common types include:
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Clinical Burden Of Chronic Pain And Fatigue
Further understanding of pain and fatigue is clinically important as they are among the most frequent symptoms reported by patients.1 When these symptoms are persistent or unexplained they are associated with poorer quality of life and higher costs than other patient groups.2 They also pose a diagnostic conundrum and have a significant impact on healthcare utilisation costs and significant indirect costs.3,4
Fibromyalgia is characterised by chronic pain, fatigue and what are described as functional symptoms.5 Myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex, chronic condition characterised by symptom clusters that include pathological fatigue and malaise that is worse after exertion, cognitive dysfunction, immune dysfunction, unrefreshing sleep, pain, autonomic dysfunction, neuroendocrine and immune symptoms.6
Chronic pain affects between one-third and one-half of the population of the UK, whereby fibromyalgia has a reported prevalence of 5%.7 In a population-based sample of middle-aged individuals, fatigue was present in one out of five subjects.8
How To Cope With Chronic Pain And Fatigue
Living with chronic pain and fatigue can sometimes feel overwhelming. We see how this combination affects our clients when they begin their journey with us. Stressed, exhausted, sore. Yet, with the right approaches life can improve. Pain reduction, even elimination, is possible. Your zest for life can return. Kindness and compassion mixed with evidence-based care and support provide the best way forward.The approaches we encourage include
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Unexplained Pain: Could Those Aches And Fatigue Be An Autoimmune Disease
Are you exhausted and depressed? Do your joints ache? These are telltale symptoms of more than 80 of the autoimmune diseases that exist. Find out the 6 most common, what happens when your body turns against itself and how to diagnose and treat symptomsâ¦
When our immune systems work right, our body is able to fend off attacks from invading bacteria and viruses. But with an autoimmune disease, it fights against us. Instead of protecting, it attacks, sending armies of your bodys disease-fighters to battle your own healthy tissue, cells and organs.
Up to 22 million Americans have autoimmune disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health . Nearly 80% of them are women many in their childbearing years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . And the numbers are growing. Autoimmune diseases are much more prevalent now than they were 20 years ago, says Virginia Ladd, president of the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association. Each disease is relatively rare, but looking at them collectively, thats another story.
- Pain in the wrists and fingers of both hands
- Tender, warm joints in both knees and elbows
- Morning discomfort
The Coronavirus Has Been Linked To Neurological Problems Like Dizziness Confusion And Delirium
Crystal Cox/Business Insider
Chinese researchers found that the virus can invade a persons nervous system, though the exact method is unknown. Its possible that the virus damages neurons in the nose, which allows it to cross over from the respiratory tract to the brain.
Scientists have also found evidence that the virus latches onto ACE2 receptors in the interior lining of blood vessels. From there, it might penetrate the barrier between the blood and the brain.
A study of 214 patients in Wuhan found that 36% of patients had neurological symptoms. These symptoms were more common among patients with severe infections.
Around 25% of patients experienced dizziness, headache, confusion or delirium, seizure, and impaired balance or coordination. Among those symptoms, dizziness was the most common, affecting nearly 17% of patients.
Another 9% of patients had symptoms associated with the peripheral nervous system, like nerve pain or impaired taste, smell, and vision.
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Symptoms Of Polymyalgia Rheumatica
The symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica usually develop over a short period of time and may include:
- muscle pain and stiffness, particularly in the neck, shoulders, hips, thighs and upper arms
- increased pain and stiffness after youve been resting or inactive
- difficulty sleeping
- difficulty raising arms above shoulder height
Not everyone will experience all of these symptoms. Each person with polymyalgia rheumatica will have their own unique set of symptoms.
Why Am I Tired And Achy All The Time
Feeling tired and achy all day long can really put a damper on your quality of life. It can also make you worry about what might be going on with your health. Fatigue and even body aches may be a symptom that something is going wrong with your body. You may even think you just need to keep yourself moving to feel better, but too much activity only makes you feel worse. If you are resting and find no relief in your fatigue, it may be time to take it seriously.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis And Fatigue
Symptoms: Fatigue, morning stiffness, joint pain, inflamed joints
Rheumatoid arthritis , a type of inflammatory arthritis, is another cause of excessive fatigue. Because joint damage can result in disability, early and aggressive treatment is the best approach for rheumatoid arthritis.
Medications that may be used early in mild RA include:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
Other drugs used in more serious forms of RA include the anti-cytokine therapies , as well as shots and other forms of treatment.
Other autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and Sjogren’s disease, may also cause fatigue.
Mental Health Support And Me/cfs
ME/CFS is not a psychological disorder. However, living with a chronic illness is challenging, especially one that involves missing out on normal life activities, and this may lead to mental health problems like anxiety or depression.
Speaking with a qualified mental health professional who understands the challenges of living with ME/CFS can be very helpful. They can help with things such as coping with changes to schooling, employment or social activities, and symptoms such as difficulty with sleep or pain. With the availability of Medicare rebates for telehealth, many mental health practitioners now offer remote consultations which makes healthcare more accessible for those who are housebound or bedbound with ME/CFS.
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Treating Body Aches And Fatigue
Symptoms of allergies can be treated, but lasting relief comes from treating the cause of the allergies. Uncovering what allergens you are intolerant of can help you treat your allergies, and reduce or eliminate your symptoms. A board-certified allergist can help to diagnose your allergies and come up with a treatment plan.
At the Center for Allergy and Asthma of Georgia, our allergists are all board-certified specialists in Allergy and Immunology. Our teams focused training allows us to help you find relief from your allergies. We offer extended hours and same-day appointments to ensure that you can get treatment from our Georgia allergists, with no wait. Contact our offices today to schedule your appointment.
Common Causes Of Body Aches
Body aches can be a cause of both short-term ailments and long-term conditions. Healthy people may experience body aches after standing, walking, or exercising for a prolonged period of time. In others, body aches are a sign of an underlying medical condition or infection.
Common causes of body aches include:
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Q: How Is Pots Treated
A: Treatment plans for POTS may include the following:
- Multidisciplinary patient education, including shared medical appointments.
- Self-help tools for patients to use to improve their body through diet and exercise .
The good news is that several wellness tools have proven much more effective in managing POTS than expensive supplements.
When Should I See A Doctor For Fatigue
If you’ve been tired for several weeks with no relief, it may be time to call your healthcare provider. He or she will ask questions about your sleep, daily activities, appetite, and exercise and will likely give you a physical exam and order lab tests.
Your treatment will be based on your history and the results of your exam and lab tests. Your doctor may prescribe medications to target underlying health problems, such as anemia or irregular thyroid activity. He or she may suggest that you eat a well-balanced diet and begin an exercise program.
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Are You Tired Of Your Post
Getting over long COVID takes time. It can be hard to find the energy to stay on track. So, lean on your friends and family for encouragement and support.
If your post-COVID-19 fatigue lasts more than a couple weeks, make an appointment with your primary care doctor, especially if your fatigue or other long-haul COVID-19 symptoms are getting worse instead of better.
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may recommend that you see one or more specialists such as an occupational therapist, physical therapist or a neurologist. Well coordinate care if you need to see more than one.
But above all, give yourself a break. Fatigue after COVID-19 is real. If you have it, it may take some time before youre back to your typical energy levels.
Causes Of Total Body Pain
What causes full body pain, and how can you find pain relief? The answer depends on the underlying condition that creates your pain. Whole body pain can be caused by a number of conditions, such as:
- Intense exercise or overuse
- Viral infections such as the flu or other illness
- Poor circulation or cardiac disorders
- Lupus or other autoimmune conditions
- Certain vitamin deficiencies such as vitamin D
- Some prescription medication side-effects
- Genetic mutations
- Other underlying conditions
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Conditions Affecting Brain ‘drive’ To Muscles
Anxiety: generalised tiredness can be caused by anxiety. This is due to overactivity of the body’s adrenaline system.
Depression: general weariness and a feeling of generalised tiredness can also be caused by depression.
Note: anxiety and depression are both conditions which tend to cause a sense of tiredness and ‘fatigability’ rather than true weakness.
Chronic pain: a general effect on energy levels can result from chronic pain. Like anxiety, it stimulates the production of chemical substances in the body which respond to pain and injury. These chemicals lead to feelings of tiredness or fatigue. In chronic pain, true weakness can result, as muscles may not be used due to pain and discomfort.