Do you experience chronic pain? You aren’t alone! Chronic pain can impact
the mind and the body. Over 80% of retired NFL football players experience
pain daily. A recent questionnaire study of them revealed that
the greater the pain acceptance, the lower the pain intensity they experienced.
(1) Accepting pain is hard though! Luckily,
study after study shows that a little
optimism and physical activity improves pain and optimism. For these and more
reasons, Apple Country Chiropractic incorporates exercise into our chronic back pain
patients’ Williamson 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, especially 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 did not,
researchers found that pain disability scores in the exercisers
fell significantly more. In both groups, reduced
pain scores connected to higher self-efficacy scores
(feelings of independence). Chronic low back pain exercisers’ improved
disability showed a positive 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 found
that improved self-efficacy was linked to decreased
disability regardless of any reduction
of pain intensity. They summarized that helping chronic
pain patients tweak 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 outlook toward
pain can be a positive! Fear-avoidance is a common problem for patients with pain. They do not
want to do anything to provoke their pain
and cause pain which leads them to move less and have less optimism for a life without
pain. Research denoted 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 encourage our
Williamson 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 bad for us. Researchers go so
far as to write that they are associated with chronic
musculoskeletal pain and can even aggravate it! What’s the solution? Physical exercise, of course.
Researchers noted in a new study that exercise
programs that combine several types
of exercise – flexibility, balance, aerobic, strengthening – tend to be more
effective. Such arrangements are also more adaptable
to a particular patient’s issues. Light-to-moderate
intensity exercise done two to three times a week for just 4
weeks were demonstrated 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) Apple Country Chiropractic
works with each Williamson
chiropractic patient to formulate a strategy just
for him/her.
CONTACT Apple Country Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Kelly Brinkman on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she
details the effectiveness of the gentle
protocols of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management in treating
chronic back pain.
Schedule your Williamson 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 Apple Country Chiropractic. Let’s work together to reduce
pain and fear of pain and improve your sense of
independence and joy of life with chiropractic and exercise!