Do you experience chronic pain? You’re not alone! Chronic pain can work on
the mind and the body. Over 80% of retired NFL football players reported having
pain daily. A recent questionnaire study of them found that
the greater the pain acceptance, the lower the pain intensity they had.
(1) Accepting pain is a challenge though! Fortunately,
study after study shows that some
optimism and physical activity improves pain and optimism. For these and more
reasons, Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre incorporates exercise into our chronic back pain
patients’ Toronto chiropractic treatment plans!
EXERCISE: GOOD FOR BODY AND MIND
Exercise benefits extend beyond the physical body
improvements. Exercise also improves the mind and outlook of a
person in pain, particularly one who has
chronic low back pain. At the conclusion of a 3-month study of
chronic low back pain patients who either exercised or didn’t,
researchers documented that pain disability scores in the exercisers
dropped significantly more. In both groups, reduced
pain scores connected to higher self-efficacy scores
(feelings of independence). Chronic low back pain exercisers’ improved
disability reflected a beneficial impact
on increased self-efficacy and pain relief. (2) Another study of 72 patients
before treatment for their chronic pain and after 3 months of treatment documented
that improved self-efficacy was linked to lowered
disability regardless of any reduction
of pain intensity. They concluded that helping chronic
pain patients raise their sense of self-efficacy could be an effective addition to the treatment of chronic pain patients
beyond just pain relief. (3)
OPTIMISM FOR A BETTER, LESS PAINFUL DAY
And an optimistic point of view toward
pain can help! Fear-avoidance is a common problem for patients with pain. They do not
want to do anything to worsen their pain
and exacerbate pain which leads to
less movement and less optimism for ever being without pain. Research showed that patients with longer episodes
of pain who stated greater self-efficacy and
patients with higher pain disability and depression had lower self-efficacy. (4)
Knowing this, we encourage our
Toronto pain patients to be physical and not avoid
living life! Improvement is just around the corner!
EXERCISE: Time to Move!
And we all know it: physical inactivity and sedentary
lifestyle are not good for us. Researchers go so
far as to write that they are linked to chronic
musculoskeletal pain and can even heighten it! What’s the solution? Physical exercise, of course.
Researchers pointed out in a recent study that exercise
programs combining several types
of exercise – flexibility, balance, aerobic, strengthening – tend to be better. Such combinations are also more adaptable
to a particular patient’s issues. Light-to-moderate
intensity exercise performed two to three times a week for a month were shown to be of greatest benefit
for chronic pain patients especially for those with spine pain conditions like chronic
low back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. (5) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
works with each Toronto
chiropractic patient to design a strategy just
for him/her.
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Kelly Brinkman on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she
describes the effective gentle
protocols of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management in treating
chronic back pain.
Make your Toronto chiropractic
appointment now. Whether you’re a retired NFL
player or NFL fan or neither of these, bring your chronic pain and worried mind
to Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre. We’ll work together to decrease
pain and fear of pain and improve your sense of
independence and joy of life with chiropractic and exercise!