REGULAR EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Exercising regularly can help manage chronic pain by making your bones and muscles stronger and joints more flexible. Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program.
REGULAR EXERCISE CAN HELP MANAGE CHRONIC PAIN
Regular physical activity and exercise are beneficial to staying physically and mentally healthy as we age and can increase mobility with chronic pain.
Older adults should aim to exercise for 30 minutes per day. There are many types of exercises or daily activities you can incorporate into your routine to stay healthy and active:
- Walking.
- Light Jogging.
- Dancing Classes.
- Water Aerobics.
- Chair Exercises.
- Yoga.
- Tai Chi.
- Stretching Exercises.
- Gardening.
- Walking your dog.
- Taking the Stairs instead of an Elevator or Escalator.
Always check with your health care provider before starting a new exercise program to make sure this is the best type of exercise for you.
CARING FOR YOUR HEALTH
Chronic and mental health conditions can make your chronic pain feel worse. Keep in contact with your health care provider to ensure all your physical, mental and emotional health needs are being met.
DISCUSSING YOUR PAIN ISSUES WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
It is important to discuss your pain with your health care provider, so that they can understand how to best address it.
Describe your pain to your health care provider as accurately as possible. Since pain can affect people differently, it is important to describe the
quality of your pain. Using words such as achy, tender, burning, cramping, sharp, dull, stabbing and tingling to describe your pain can help your health care provider understand it better. They may also ask you to describe your pain using a 0-10 scale, with 10 being the worst pain you can imagine, to better understand how it evolves over time and how severely it is affecting you or responding to various therapies being offered.
Depending on how severe your pain is, your doctor may prescribe treatment using physiotherapy, medications, psychotherapy or a combination of treatments.
MAINTAINING A SLEEP SCHEDULE
Pain can make it difficult to sleep through the night. A lack of quality sleep can affect your energy, emotions, and overall health. As much as is possible, try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each night, including on weekends. If you are in enough pain at night that it limits your ability to sleep, talk to your primary health care provider. Exercising during the day can help you fall asleep at night. Some other tips to get a restful sleep are:
- Avoid large meals and drinking fluids a few hours before bedtime.
- Limit or eliminate alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.
- Exercise regularly but not within 2 hours of your bedtime.
- Get adequate exposure to bright light during the day.
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool to keep comfortable throughout the night.
- If it helps, use a soothing noise (e.g. a fan, other appliance, “white noise” machine).
- Remove electronics from the room.
- Develop a sleep ritual (same routine each night before going to bed).
SUGGESTED RESOURCES
REHAB AND WELLBEING CENTRE AT MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL
The Rehab and Wellbeing Centre offers a mix of therapeutic and rehabilitation services to help individuals manage pain.
TORONTO ACADEMIC PAIN MEDICINE INSTITUTE (TAPMI)
The Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute is the hub for chronic pain management services in Toronto. It works to understand your condition and connect you with appropriate health professionals and clinics that will work with your primary care provider to meet your needs.
THE WASSER PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTRE
The Wasser Pain Management Centre provides patient care, education and research in the area of chronic, disabling pain disorders.
THE PAIN AND WELLNESS CENTRE
The Pain and Wellness Centre in Vaughan, Ontario, is an interdisciplinary specialty clinic that aims to treat pain and preserve wellness. It offers a variety of psychological, therapy, rehab and medical care services to help manage your chronic pain.
Modified: 09/2019
We would like to thank the following for their support of our Education Resources to Support Healthy Ageing Initiative
- Mon Sheong Foundation and the Ben and Hilda Katz Foundation have generously provided funding to support printing and translation of our Education Resources to Support Healthy Ageing.
- The Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility supported this initiative with funding through its Seniors Community Grant Program.