The relationship between exercise and pain

Pain is a human survival mechanism, an output from our brain, serving to protect us from injury or re-injury. Some pain within movements is normal and doesn’t mean that the exercise is causing harm.  

Persistent pain occurs when the signal between the site of pain and your brain is delayed, disrupted, or abnormal due to misfiring nerves. 

It is important to not mistake persistent pain for an acute injury and understand that you can have an acute injury alongside persistent pain. Recurring injuries are a factor in contributing to pain.    

Common physical health concerns for veterans 

Chronic pain impacts over 3.2 million Australians, with 56% of those impacted finding they are restricted in what activities they can undertake because of their pain. Chronic and persistent pain are often seen by clinicians working with veterans.  

Physical health concerns that are very common among veterans and can contribute to pain include osteoarthritis, spondylosis, spondylitis, spondylolisthesis, nerve impingements, sciatica, persistent disc bulges and herniations, and muscular/tendon tears. 

Many people believe that there are only two decisions when faced with physical pain: live with it or corrective surgery. But there are other options, including working with an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist to create a physical activity plan tailored to the veterans’ condition and exercise abilities.  

Surgery might fix the anatomical issue or concern, but persistent pain can still be present after surgery. 

The importance of exercise 

Exercise is an integral part of our routine that provides both mental and physical health benefits, including: 

• Improved pain tolerance and pain desensitisation 
• Increased strength, mobility and flexibility 
• Reduced inflammation 
• Helping with weight management 
• Increased energy levels 
• Improved immune function 
• Improved sleep (yes, sleep can affect your pain) 
• Improved mood and depressive symptoms 
• Reduced stress 
• Improved PTSD symptoms: PTSD symptoms can increase persistent pain detection and increase hypersensitivity of our pain pathways

Exercising to reduce pain 

Participating in exercise helps to build muscle strength and increase flexibility, preparing the body for specific tasks that may usually cause pain, including lifting groceries or playing with children. 

It also helps to reduce fatigue and improve energy levels for daily tasks to be completed with a decreased risk of re-injury. 

Exercise can be treated like exposure therapy: small doses of movement in different ways can challenge the body and brain, helping to rewire our pain pathways and create new, positive experiences of exercise. 

A 2017 systematic review demonstrates that individuals suffering from chronic pain who performed exercises with some level of pain reported significantly lower levels of pain in the short term than individuals who performed completely pain-free exercises.

Seeing a clinical professional for pain management 

Seeing an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist to manage physical pain decreases your risk of making it worse or re-injuring yourself, they can help develop a safe exercise program ensuring you don't withdraw from exercise as this can make painful symptoms worse. 

Recovering from or managing persistent pain is a tough journey. Having a trusted clinician to provide support is the best and safest course of action, letting you know when you are doing too much or doing things that may be hindering your recovery. 

Support at Mates4Mates 

Mates4Mates offers veterans and family members access to exercise physiologists in our centres in Townsville, Stafford and Ipswich. Our exercise physiologists can provide one-on-one sessions and work with you to find the right place to start or book you in for one of our group exercise programs.  

Physiotherapy services are also coming soon to Mates4Mates, beginning with our location in Stafford, Brisbane.  

We also deliver a Persistent Pain Program, covering various topics such as pain neuroscience, physical activity for pain, goal setting, overcoming barriers, mental health awareness, addiction and pain, sleep hygiene, and challenging our past experiences with pain. 

For more information about Mates4Mates services and how we can help to support you, reach out to us on 1300 4 MATES (62 837) for a confidential chat.  
 

Written by Aric Visentin, Mates4Mates Exercise Physiologist