HOW PAIN AND ACTIVITY WORK TOGETHER
When you move less and less, your brain becomes accustomed to that decrease in activity. As the brain learns pain, more and more activity becomes connected with the pain response even when you are doing things that aren’t harmful.
WHAT CAN MAKE THINGS BETTER
Gradually increasing your activity helps your brain rewire itself so that you can move more easily. It’s normal to have some pain or discomfort as you get moving again. You may be a little sore, but you are safe. Over time, you will become more active and healthy and your pain will likely improve.
VIDEO
The Activity video has five sections:
- Does activity help with pain or make pain worse?
- Increasing activity is essential to improve, but learn to pace yourself
- Steps and plans to get more active
- Testimonials from patients
- Setting some personal goals
HANDOUT
This handout highlights key points of the video. After you have watched the video, we recommend that you set some personal goals for increasing your activity on page two of this handout. Share these goals with your healthcare team.
Download handout
RESOURCES
Websites
- Fearless Fitness: An Exercise Guide for People With Chronic Pain
- Top 10 Activities for Chronic Pain
- Can Yoga Ease Your Pain?
Videos
Book
- Relax Into Yoga for Chronic Pain, Jim Carson, Kimberly Carson, and Carol Krucoff
