How can exercise improve pain?

Exercise might seem counterproductive when you have pain, however there are many benefits and ways to utilize movement to help decrease symptoms and improve tissue function. This decreases irritation to the tissues and improves symptoms. A skilled Physical Therapist can determine which of the following situations may be occurring with your symptoms and address them accordingly.

Exercise helps decrease inflammation by improving mobility or strength to improve tissue function.  

Specific exercises are designed to target areas that need more mobility or stability for the body to function without excess stress to the tissues. When a muscle or joint is stiff or tight it’s unable to move smoothly or optimally. Over time, inflammation may occur to different tissues. If you improve that mobility, it decreases stress/inflammation and symptoms will improve.  

Some people may have areas of decreased stability due to weakness in the surrounding musculature. This may cause increased movement which in turn, will cause irritation or inflammation to different tissues. As you strengthen the muscles, the stability of the region improves, and less irritation occurs. This is often seen in people who have been diagnosed with Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome or hypermobility but can also occur in other patients.   

Exercise helps reduce joint pain and fight fatigue

Exercise and movement improves lubrication of the joint surface which improves the way it glides and functions. With diagnoses like osteoarthritis, the surface starts to lose that support. That’s why most patients with arthritis feel stiff and pain in the mornings, but better after they start moving around. That movement increases fluid and cushions the joint surfaces.  

During the day, we utilize our muscles and joints for activities around our house or in the community. If our muscles do not have the endurance to perform those needed activities, our tissues have a difficult time functioning properly. Building up your endurance will improve your tendon, joint, and ligamentous tolerance to loads throughout all the meaningful activities you need to perform.  

Physical Therapy treatments are designed to address these issues without harming the irritated tissues.

Physical therapists are trained not only to assess where your pain is coming from, but WHY it is happening. If that includes limited mobility or strength, they will create an exercise routine that will help you improve your symptoms.  Exercise takes time and consistency to see changes in the body. It can take 4-6 weeks to build up more muscle tissue and you must work the muscle at least 3 times per week to see those changes (more information on strengthening in our next blog).

Utilize a physical therapist’s knowledge to address these issues directly and avoid more invasive treatments.