Why Should Targeted Movement be a Priority when Living with Chronic Pain?
Heidi Clarke
Targeted movement needs be a priority for individuals living with chronic pain as it plays a crucial role in managing pain, improving function, and enhancing quality of life.
1. Pain Management
Breaking the Pain Cycle: Chronic pain often leads to a cycle of pain, inactivity, and worsening pain. Targeted individualised movement helps to break this cycle by improving circulation, reducing stiffness, and encouraging the release of endorphins, which are natural pain relievers.
Reducing Sensitivity: Regular, targeted movement can desensitise the nervous system, reducing the perception of pain over time. This is particularly important in conditions where the nervous system becomes hypersensitive to danger signals.
2. Improved Mobility and Function
Maintaining Range of Motion: Targeted movement helps maintain or improve the range of motion in joints, preventing weakness that contributes to stiffness and spasms that can exacerbate pain and limit function.
Strength and Endurance: Strengthening muscles around painful areas can provide better support to joints and other structures, reducing strain and improving overall function.
3. Preventing De-conditioning
Avoiding Muscle Atrophy: Prolonged inactivity due to heightened pain can lead to muscle atrophy or weakening, which can further reduce mobility and increase pain. Targeted movement prevents this by maintaining muscle strength and reducing the flow on effects of atrophy.
Cardiovascular Health: With reduced physical activity, there is a negative impact cardiovascular health. Targeted movement helps maintain heart and lung function, which is crucial for overall health.
4. Psychological Benefits
Reducing Fear of Movement: People with chronic pain often develop kinesiophobia, or fear of movement, which can lead to further inactivity and disability. Consistent and targeted movement starting at a baseline appropriate for the individual, helps rebuild confidence in moving and reduces fear.
Improving Mood: Regular movement is associated with the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which can improve mood and reduce anxiety and depression often associated with chronic pain.
5. Personalised Approach
Tailored to Individual Needs: Targeted movement is designed to address specific areas of dysfunction, often making it more effective in chronic pain than general exercise. This personalisation ensures that the movements are safe, effective, and manageable for the individual.
6. Long-term Benefits
Sustainable Pain Management: Unlike medications, which can have side effects or lose effectiveness over time, targeted movement is a sustainable, non-invasive approach to managing chronic pain.
Improving Quality of Life: By improving management of pain and hence resulting function, targeted movement allows individuals to engage more fully in daily activities, hobbies, and social interactions, leading to a better overall quality of life.
Targeted movement is a proactive approach that addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of chronic pain, helping individuals in their self-management of pain and regain control over their bodies leading to improved quality of life
