Just about all of us feel pain from time to time. For instance, when you cut your finger, you feel some pain which is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Once the injury heals, you stop hurting. But, if you’ve had pain in any part of your body that has lasted for over 12 weeks, that is no ordinary pain; you have chronic pain. And it probably feels like a battle with a persistent, nagging pain that refuses to fade away. It’s like carrying a heavy burden, an invisible weight that no one else can fully comprehend.
But there’s a powerful weapon in your arsenal that has the potential to turn the tables on chronic pain. You guessed it—exercise! It can effectively help you manage your chronic pain. But it needs to be done right, through gentle, stress-free exercises that don’t worsen your condition. In this blog post, we’ll talk about how you can deal with chronic pain management with Easy Exercising. So, whether you’re someone who understands this struggle firsthand or simply seeking to comprehend the silent battles of others, sit tight and let’s get into it.
Understanding chronic pain
Doctors say chronic pain is a persistent or recurring pain that lasts for an extended period, typically three months or longer, beyond the normal healing time of an injury or illness. This pain could be on your lower back, your head, joints, nerves, muscles, or any other part of your body. Some of the leading causes include:
- Past injuries or surgeries
- Back problems
- Migraines and other headaches
- Arthritis
- Nerve damage
- Infections
- Fibromyalgia, a condition in which people feel muscle pain throughout their bodies
Chronic pain affects daily life in several ways. It can restrict a person’s ability to perform everyday activities, such as walking, lifting, or even sitting for extended periods. It may lead to decreased mobility, muscle weakness, and loss of physical fitness. Also, living with chronic pain can take a toll on a person’s emotional well-being. It may cause depression, anxiety, frustration, irritability, and feelings of helplessness.
But that’s not all. Chronic pain often disrupts sleep patterns, leading to insomnia or poor-quality sleep. This lack of restorative sleep can further exacerbate pain perception and make it challenging to cope with pain during waking hours. It can also impair concentration, memory, and cognitive abilities, making it difficult to focus, think clearly, and perform tasks that require mental effort. This can affect productivity at work or school and may lead to decreased performance and limitations in career opportunities. Plus, in 2018 alone, chronic pain cost an estimated $139 billion in Australia, posing a major financial challenge.
According to Painaustralia, it was estimated that around 20% of Australians live with chronic pain. This means that 1 out of every 5 Australians experience persistent or recurring pain.
However, chronic pain is relatively more common among seniors, and its prevalence tends to increase with age. Among Australians aged 65 and older, the prevalence of chronic pain is higher, with estimates ranging from 30% to 50%. Also, seniors often experience chronic pain related to conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, degenerative disc disease, neuropathy, and post-herpetic neuralgia. These conditions can cause persistent pain that significantly affects their daily lives.
Despite the high prevalence of chronic pain among seniors, it is quite challenging to manage for a couple of reasons. Some of them include:
- Underreporting: Seniors may be more likely to underreport their pain due to factors such as the belief that pain is a normal part of ageing or the fear of being seen as complaining. This often results in inadequate pain management and delayed interventions.
- Multiple comorbidities: Older adults frequently have multiple medical conditions, which can complicate pain management. These comorbidities may require various medications with potential interactions or contraindications, making it challenging to find appropriate pain management strategies.
- Polypharmacy: Seniors often take multiple medications for different health conditions, which can increase the risk of drug interactions, side effects, and medication-related complications. Coordinating pain management with other medications is crucial to minimise these risks.
- Physiological changes: Age-related changes in the body, such as altered metabolism and reduced kidney and liver function, can affect the way medications are processed. This can impact the effectiveness and safety of pain medications, requiring careful dosage adjustments.
- Cognitive impairment: Older adults with cognitive impairment, such as dementia, may have difficulties communicating their pain levels or understanding pain management instructions. Caregivers and healthcare providers face challenges in accurately assessing and addressing pain in this population.
- Functional limitations: Chronic pain can exacerbate existing functional limitations in seniors, affecting their mobility, balance, and ability to perform daily activities independently. Pain management approaches need to consider these limitations and tailor interventions accordingly.
- Psychological factors: Seniors with chronic pain may experience heightened emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, and social isolation. Managing pain in this population requires addressing these psychological factors and providing appropriate support and resources.
How Easy Exercising can help
Physical exercise is a good prescription for many conditions including managing chronic pain. Although many individuals with chronic pain are normally put off by the word ‘exercise’ for fear of worsening their condition. But you can enjoy many benefits of physical activity and exercise if you go about it the right way.
This is where Easy Exercising comes in. Through gentle, stress-free exercises, you can easily manage your chronic pain without worsening your condition.
How does this work?
Our power-assisted equipment realigns your body into the correct position and then gently exercises those muscles and joints that have been incorrectly stressed or require healing. You’ll experience a gentle full-body workout to stretch those muscles that may have degenerated. The machines carry the bulk of the exercise load so that your muscles and bones can exercise without worsening your chronic pain. Also, we work with qualified practitioners who determine the right exercises for you and our machines and then make sure that these exercises are correctly carried out.
Best believe, our power-assisted machines can help manage your chronic pain and bring about changes in your overall health. This change won’t just be external – in just weeks, you’ll notice that your blood flow, oxygen content, mobility, flexibility, and metabolism will have vastly improved. These are a few of the numerous benefits our power-assisted exercises will provide you:
Reduced impact on joints and muscles
When you exercise regularly, it helps build and strengthen muscles that support and stabilise joints. Strong muscles can help absorb shock and reduce the stress placed on joints during movements, thereby minimising joint pain. It can also enhance joint flexibility and increase the range of motion. When your joints are more flexible, it reduces the impact and strain on specific areas resulting in less pain. Also, exercise stimulates the production of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints. This lubrication helps reduce friction between joint surfaces, allowing for smoother movements and less impact on the joints.
Improved mobility and flexibility
Power-assisted exercise helps to elongate and loosen muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which can enhance flexibility. making it easier to perform daily activities and movements with greater ease. Strengthening the core muscles and the muscles that support your spine can help maintain proper alignment, reducing chronic pain and allowing for better movement and improving posture.
Enhanced circulation and pain relief
Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain-relieving and mood-enhancing chemicals. Endorphins interact with the brain’s receptors to reduce pain perception and induce feelings of well-being and relaxation. This can provide temporary pain relief and improve your mood. Exercise also stimulates the circulatory system, promoting increased blood flow throughout the body. It has also been shown to contribute to reducing inflammation, which is a common factor in many types of pain, including chronic pain conditions.
Arthritis management
Arthritis can cause stiffness and a limited range of motion in the affected joints. Regular exercise, including stretching and range-of-motion exercises, helps to maintain and improve joint flexibility. This can help reduce stiffness, increase mobility, and enhance the ability to perform daily activities. It also strengthens the muscles surrounding the affected joints. Strong muscles provide better support and stability to the joints, reducing the stress and strain on them. This can alleviate pain, improve joint function, and protect against further joint damage. Maintaining a healthy weight or achieving weight loss through exercise is beneficial for arthritis management, particularly for weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips.
Osteoporosis management
Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue. When you exercise regularly, it can help improve bone density and slow down the progression of osteoporosis. These activities put stress on the bones, which stimulates bone remodelling and encourages the production of new bone tissue. Exercise helps strengthen the muscles that support the bones, improving overall musculoskeletal strength and balance. Strong muscles help to stabilise the body and reduce the risk of falls, which is particularly important for individuals with osteoporosis, as they are more prone to fractures.
Fibromyalgia management
Regular exercise can help reduce chronic pain levels in individuals with fibromyalgia. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural pain-relieving chemicals produced by the body. These endorphins can help alleviate pain and improve overall well-being. Exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality in individuals with fibromyalgia. Getting adequate, restorative sleep is essential for managing fibromyalgia symptoms, as it can help reduce pain, fatigue, and other associated symptoms. Exercise has positive effects on mental health and can improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, which are commonly associated with fibromyalgia.
Pre and post-surgery rehabilitation management
Engaging in exercise before surgery can improve overall fitness levels, which may contribute to better surgical outcomes. Improved cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and flexibility can help individuals tolerate surgery better and aid in the recovery process. Stronger muscles provide better support to the surgical site and can help reduce postoperative pain and complications.
Also, controlled and targeted exercises prescribed by healthcare professionals aid in promoting healing and tissue recovery after surgery. These exercises help improve blood circulation, oxygenation, and nutrient delivery to the surgical site, facilitating the healing process. Strengthening these muscles helps restore joint function, provides support, and reduces the risk of complications.
How Easy Exercising has helped these individuals manage chronic pain
We’ve had countless patients facing trouble with symptoms of chronic pain and now, they all report overwhelming improvements to their health.
Take Anne who is in her late 70s for instance. She broke her arm a couple of years ago and was unable to perform basic tasks due to a lack of mobility. She even needed help to get items off the shelf when she shopped. But after a little time at Easy Exercising, she had this to say:
“After two weeks at Easy Exercising for the Over 50s, I was able to raise and stretch my arms around to my back! Within four weeks, I was able to pick up items from the upper shelves without assistance. I now help others with similar issues. To get back onto my feet, I would have to use the sofa, coffee table or any other furniture that was around…
I no longer require assistance or use the furniture to get off the floor. At Easy Exercising, I found that I was exercising with my age group and that they had similar injuries and issues. The staff were ready to help, as and when I needed assistance. I am now fitter and have more energy. I feel like a 60-year-old and I can now do those tasks that a 60-year-old can do.”
And just like Anne, Elwyn took a chance on Easy Exercising and found out exactly how effective it could be: he now won’t turn back. He says:
“The reason I come here is that I’ve improved out of sight in the last 18 months. From somebody that had chronic back pain, aching knees, and pins and needles constantly in my feet, I have now got no pins and needles anymore.”
Countless other seniors like you have turned back the hands of the clock on their age by coming to Easy Exercising. We have helped them through chronic pain management and several other conditions. And we’re glad to say that we have built a loving community of friends while doing so. And we’re sure you’ll love this community!
Easy Exercising means no more going to the gym, chiro, or physio with dubious results and high costs. You’re offered easy, safe solutions with guaranteed results, no intimidation, and no strenuous activity involved.
Our power-assisted machines do the exercise for you. They’ve been shown to significantly improve mobility in seniors, reduce joint pain, prevent falls and it can even reduce the symptoms of other diseases! It’s a safe, slow way to move your body to restore your overall well-being.
We’ll set you up on an individual, gentle program that’ll safely get you to your goals, without the stress, strain, or sweat. Better yet? Enjoy a friendly chat as you exercise in a community of welcoming faces.
Want to see for yourself? We offer FREE trial sessions for all first-timers and we’d love to arrange a session for you ASAP to see what magic we can make!
Sign Up for a Free Trial Session at Easy Exercising
Interested in trying out our power-assisted machines for yourself so you can regain the mobility you had in your prime? Want to learn more about our incredible clinics across Brisbane? Or just want to step into a welcoming, fun community that gives you a purpose, a place to be, and helps you feel supported every step of the way?
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"I had a very good hour doing Easy Exercising which isn’t hard on your joints. I think it’s good for any over fifties to try as they will find it so good for their different problems or just to have some general exercise. There is a qualified person supervising you on each machine & its a very sociable environment." - Margaret
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