Pain can have negative effects on your body. Pain can affect your mental wellbeing, sleep patterns, your relationships, your ability to work, your posture and mobility, and it often affects your lifestyle choices. Pain may have caused you to avoid exercise, either out of fear of re-injury or because movement makes your pain worse. However, if you build up a regular exercise routine you can increase your strength, your stamina, and your flexibility and it could help you get back to some of the activities that you couldn’t do because of your pain. Exercise programs have been helpful for people with back pain, fibromyalgia, neck pain, and other pain conditions.

Before you start any exercise program, start very slowly. If exercise flares up your pain, don’t give up, but back off slightly (shorter time, and less intense). For some people the guidance of a professional trained to work with chronic pain, such as a physiotherapist, will be important.

Pacing is a term used to describe the balance between activity and rest, and is an important aspect of managing chronic pain. While it is very important to begin to exercise and slowly increase your exercise levels, it is equally important to rest between activities, and not push yourself until your pain levels are too high. On days when you feel better, be realistic and don't over do it.

Swimming is helpful for people with pain because it is a gentle, low impact exercise that is easy on sore muscles, joints, and bones. You can start a swimming routine by walking waist-deep in the pool, or by practicing floating on your back. Once you are comfortable in the water, you can try swimming laps or joint a swimming class. Many public pools and community centres offer swimming classes or water aerobics. Some are designed specially for people with back pain or arthritis.

Like other forms of exercise, Yoga can cause the release of your body’s own pain killers, endorphins. A major part of Yoga is learning to be aware of your breathing. When you inhale, your muscles tense up, but when you exhale your muscles relax. By practicing smooth, slow Yoga-style breathing, you exhale slowly for a longer amount of time. This offers your muscles a chance to spend time in their relaxed state. You can attend a yoga class or try a yoga video or DVD at home.

The ROM Dance Program is a gentle exercise specially developed for people with pain. This program is often an element of specialty pain clinics. It combines exercises to slowly move all joints in your body with a poem that guides you through the exercises, promoting relaxation, imagination, and mental alertness. To order this program you can:

• go to taichihealth.com and click on ROM Dance Program at the top of the page
• call 1-800-488-4940
• write to Tai Chi Health at 408 S Baldwin ST. Madison, WI USA 53703
  

Good posture is an important way of preventing pain. Many people develop back and neck pain from working at a computer. Here are some pointers for a good computer workstation:

• An adjustable chair with a back rest that fits to the curve of your spine. Back support pillows are available at pharmacies and can help support your lower back.
• When sitting, your knees should be at an even level or lower than your hips.
• Feet should touch the floor. If not, a foot rest can be really comfortable.
• Your hips and shoulders should be in line while sitting. This can help remind you not to hunch over.
• Your chair should be high enough so that your elbows are at a 90 degree angle and your wrists are in a neutral position, not bent.