Reducing Those Aches and Pains

I've presented this topic in many different forms in previous articles and once again it has been brought to my attention through another testimonial from one of our members. It is a true phenomenon that exercise is physical therapy! Just think about it. Physical therapy is defined as the treatment of disease and injury by mechanical means such as exercise, heat, light and massage. Its even stated in its definition that exercise is part of the therapy to help alleviate the aches and pains that our bodies experience every once in a while. If you suffer from an injury or a physical discomfort, you should always include exercise as part of your rehabilitation.

Here's an individual who has had frequent issues with one of his knees, to the point of having gone to the doctor and been advised on pain medications and fitted for a knee brace. He pulled me aside the other day and asked me why it is that the only thing that relieves this pain in his knee is when he comes into the club and rides on the recumbent bicycle for a duration of time. He was amazed at how he would get onto the bicycle in pain and get off of the bicycle pain-free.

It's the same phenomenon that many of us experience with low back pain. How many of you wake up in the morning and can hardly get yourself out of bed? Yet, as you move around the pain begins to ease up and subside. I cant tell you how many times Ive had members and friends tell me that if they dont get up and go for their morning walk they cant move the rest of the day. Its the same with the low back discomfort you experience while traveling for any time in a vehicle or after sitting for a long duration. When you get out of the vehicle and/or get up from your sitting position and begin to move the discomfort goes away!

How about that pain you suddenly experience in a particular joint or muscle after an activity or event that is relieved after some simple stretching, range-of-motion exercises. Can it really be this simple? Almost! I must also clarify that I know that exercise does not cure every ache, pain and disease but I also know (and research proves) that there are very few things that happen to our bodies that exercise wont help in one form or another.

Whats been happening on the bicycle is not any kind of miracle activity; its a simple biomechanical necessity that the human body needs. Since the activity (riding the recumbent bicycle) doesnt include carrying his body weight, he is able to move the knee in a pain-free position, possibly flushing-out some of the swelling through healthy circulation and possibly giving the knee the opportunity to realign itself within the knee capsule and possibly giving the knee some stretching and flexibility components. I use the words possibly because, well, Im not an orthopedic surgeon and I dont know the true physiological mechanisms that are happening. I do know that this individual uses the exercise to relieve his knee pain and I do know that he leaves the gym pain free after these times of soreness.

Its the same with the relief that a morning walk provides. By walking you are making the joints in question move, therefore circulation is occurring in that joint which provides some lubrication and some flushing-out which results in the pain and discomfort going away. Through strength training your muscles, the muscles become strong enough to maintain healthy joints and proper alignments for the mechanics of the joint. If healthy joints and mechanics are maintained then less pain and discomfort is experienced on a daily basis. Stretching also allows for the muscles and joints to maintain proper mechanics.

Exercise not only provides these therapeutic rehabilitation benefits but it also gives you that added benefit of physical protection from further injury. We need exercise to prevent, protect and to provide for our bodies so that our bodies are able to do these things for us. Bye, bye aches and pains. Hello exercise!

 

Deborah Holmes

December 2, 2008