You may have heard that if you have arthritis, even though it may feel uncomfortable and sometimes painful to get moving, it’s one of
the best things you can do for your joints. And it’s true in many cases - like if you suffer from knee osteoarthritis, regular
exercise can actually help relieve your painful symptoms, reduce the stiffness of your knee joint and improve its movement.
The same is true after surgery. After many procedures (including many orthopaedic procedures that our patients are recovering from),
starting to move your body and the affected area can actually help speed up your recovery and reduce the risk of post-surgical
complications.
So is the same true for injuries and when you have ongoing (chronic) pain?
First, to define chronic pain, it is pain that has lasted beyond the body’s usual healing time or for at least three months. Unlike the ‘acute’ pain that occurs immediately in response to damage or injury (like the pain you get immediately after you roll your ankle), chronic pain can exist even when there’s no longer tissue damage in the painful area due to the complex process of how pain is created in the body’s nervous system. It’s also more common than many people realise, affecting up to one in five adults, adolescents and children.,
In the case of chronic pain, exercise can be very beneficial.
In fact, being inactive has been shown in studies to actually increase a person’s pain sensitivity pathways, which can actually worsen
the pain you feel. Exercising, on the other hand, is shown to:
To answer how and why this all occurs, exercise is thought to alleviate pain in part by releasing endorphins, which are our body’s natural chemicals for making us feel good, and relieving pain. Exercise also supports our joint health, flexibility, and helps increase our muscle strength, all of which can reduce pain. Exercise also has a significant effect on our central nervous system (our brain and nerve pathways responsible for pain), and can even rewire the way that our brain processes pain signals.
When it comes to injuries, the role of exercise is not as straightforward as it is with chronic pain or arthritis. In some cases, exercising
too soon after an injury can worsen the damage, while in others, the right kind of movement can help to support your recovery. It really
depends on the stage of healing and the extent of tissue damage.
For acute injuries (the kind that involve tissue damage like a sprain or muscle tear typically after an ‘incident’), resuming
exercise normally does more harm than good. Immediately following an injury, your tissues are in a vulnerable state as they undergo the
natural inflammatory process that’s part of initiating the healing process. If you have movement or stress that places excessive
strain on the injured tissues during this time, it can worsen the damage, prolong your recovery, and even lead to further complications.
That’s why it’s important to rest and protect the injured area in these early stages.
After the healing process has progressed somewhat and the initial inflammation subsides, it’s at this point that carefully prescribed
exercise often becomes one of the most valuable tools for recovery. Here, movement can help improve blood flow to the injured area,
delivering essential nutrients and oxygen to promote healing. Exercise can also prevent stiffness, support the repair of tissues, and
maintain strength in the surrounding muscles.
Don’t try and guess when it’s safe to start exercise - this is something that your podiatrist should thoroughly explain to you, so you know exactly what to expect and how to help prevent making your injury worse. Here at Perform Podiatry, our podiatrists design tailored exercise programs that support your recovery without placing undue stress on the injured tissues. This might include gentle stretches or low-impact activities that gradually restore strength, flexibility, and function to the affected area.
While we’ve been able to provide some general guidelines, information and recommendations here, the reality is that every person is different and so is the nature and severity of their injury. We recommend:
Finally, always listen to your body. Stop any activity that notably increases your pain levels - this is a sign that
something may be going wrong, like an injury that is getting worse.
If you’re experiencing pain or discomfort or want to get back into exercise safely, our podiatry team in Remuera are here to help. Book your appointment online here or call us on 09 523 2333.
A stroke is New Zealand's second single biggest cause of death and a leading cause of serious adult disability. Here's how podiatry can help in your rehabilitation.
Shockwave is a fantastic treatment for Achilles injuries and Achilles heel pain. Here's how it works and how our podiatrists use it.
How does shockwave work to relieve foot pain? Here's how it helps you, and how our podiatrists use it at our Remuera clinic.
Keeping your family on their feet and helping them to walk, run, play and exceed their goals is why we love getting up in the morning.
Ground Floor, One Health Building
122 Remuera Rd, Remuera
Auckland 1050, New Zealand
| MON - FRI | 8:30am – 5:30pm |
| SAT | 9:00am – 4:30pm |
| SUN | Some availability |
Make an Appointment
Online Schedule