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Exercise Combats Sitka Chronic Pain and Related Distress

Do you experience chronic pain? You aren’t alone! Chronic pain can distress 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, so many studies show that a tad bit of optimism and physical activity improves pain and optimism. For these and more reasons, Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka incorporates exercise into our chronic back pain patients’ Sitka chiropractic treatment plans!

EXERCISE: GOOD FOR BODY AND MIND

Exercise benefits go beyond the physical body improvements. Exercise also enhances the mind and outlook of a person in pain, particularly one dealing with 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, lowered pain scores correlated with higher self-efficacy scores (feelings of independence). Chronic low back pain exercisers’ improved disability reflected a beneficial influence 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 decreased disability regardless of any decrease of pain intensity. They summarized 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 aggravate their condition and exacerbate pain which leads them to move less and have less optimism for ever being without pain. Research showed that patients with longer periods with pain who stated greater self-efficacy and patients with higher pain disability and depression had lower self-efficacy. (4) Knowing this, we support our Sitka pain patients to be active and not avoid living life! Improvement is coming!

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 aggravate it! What’s the solution? Physical exercise, of course. Researchers noted in a recent study that exercise programs that combine a variety of forms of exercise – flexibility, balance, aerobic, strengthening – tend to be better. Such combinations are also more flexible to an individual patient’s issues. Light-to-moderate intensity exercise performed two to three times a week for just 4 weeks were found to be of greatest benefit for chronic pain patients particularly for those with spine pain conditions like chronic low back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. (5) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka works with each Sitka chiropractic patient to design a plan just for him/her.

CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kelly Brinkman on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she describes the effectiveness of the gentle protocols of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management in treating chronic back pain.

Schedule your Sitka chiropractic appointment soon. Whether you are a retired NFL player or NFL fan or neither of these, bring your chronic pain and worried mind to Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka. We’ll work together to decrease pain and fear of pain and raise your sense of independence and joy of life with chiropractic and exercise!

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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."