3 Reasons Why Strength Exercises Don't Relieve Chronic Pain

A very common myth is that you're in pain because your muscles are weak.

You may have been told you need to strengthen your core and glute muscles to relieve lower back pain, or that your hips hurt because they're weak.

If that was really true, all you'd need to do to get out of pain permanently is to make yourself stronger, but unfortunately it rarely turns out like that.

Here are 3 reasons why strength exercises DON'T relieve chronic pain:

1. Sensory motor amnesia (SMA) means that your brain can't fully contract or relax your muscles, so trying to strengthen them in this state is pretty pointless.
2. Pain makes your muscles instinctively brace to protect your body. Very tense muscles have reduced blood flow, which leads to Ischemic pain.
3. Chronic pain is complex, and doesn't just involve the physical body. The Biopsychosocial Model describes the other factors underlying persistent pain. 

Here's the #1 thing you need to do first before starting a programme of strength exercises......

Restore awareness and conscious control of your muscles.

Many people come to me for help to strengthen their glute muscles. They've either been told that their glutes are weak, or say they can't feel their glutes working when doing exercises like Squats and Bridges,

When I observe them, it's obvious that their glutes are in a constant state of contraction. In this state these 3 things happen:

• The brain starts to ignore the muscle. This is called Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA).
• You can't feel your glutes working because they're already in contraction.
• If you can't register the contraction, your brain won't tell the muscle to relax.

When muscles are braced and continuously tense, your body becomes stiffer and your joints get pulled out of alignment. Movement feels less fluid and comfortable.

Trying to strengthen muscles in this state simply leads to compensatory patterns developing, increasing the risk of future injuries and pain developing.

To prevent this situation from happening the 1st thing you need to do is reverse Sensory Motor Amnesia and get back in the driving seat of your body.

Making the brain aware of habitually held muscle tension with pandiculation restores conscious awareness and control so you can fully relax that muscle.

When the muscle relaxes, blood flow increases, reducing pain and restoring it's full function and length.

Now the muscle is able to contract and relax fully, working as Nature designed, you can proceed safely with strength exercises.

WAYS TO WORK WITH ME

1) Unlock Your Body breakthrough session

This is a powerful 1:1 session designed to help you find the root drivers behind a persistent pain or injury. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of what's triggering pain in your body, and a clear action plan to get lasting relief. 

I also have very limited availability for 3 and 6 month 1:1 coaching programmes.

Apply HERE  and I'll be in touch to arrange an initial complementary consultation. to see which option will be a good fit for you.

2) Mindful Movement for Hip and Knee Pain Relief Workshop

Next date: Sunday 15th September, 1.15pm to2.45pm (only 6x spaces left). **Bookings open soon**

Angmering Village Hall  (The Kings Suite)

A friendly and relaxed small group workshop where you'll discover the common causes of hip and knee pain, why you're not getting the results you desire, and how to find lasting relief.

The session will be a blend of informal group discussion and movement practice, where you'll experience gentle exercises that effectively release muscle tension and show you new ways to move without pain.

After the workshop, you'll get a simple home programme to relieve hip and knee pain in just 10 minutes a day. You'll have lifetime access to this routine through your exclusive members area.

Other ways you can find help with managing pain or an injury are:

• Book into a Stretch or Pilates class with me - these are a good introduction to the movement explorations of The Befriend Your Body (BYB) Method  for pain management and relaxation.
• Get your copy of my free E-guide "How to Get Relief From Back Pain and Muscle Tension in just 10 mins a Day". This introduces the 3x universal stress responses that can keep you stuck in pain, and explains the 4x pillars of The BYB Method. There's also 2x 10 mins video tutorials showing you how to release muscle tension from the front and back of your body in the comfort of your without expensive equipment. Download for instant access HERE
• Subscribe HERE to receive "The Movement Chronicle", a weekly e-newsletter delivering mobility and pain reduction tips directly into your inbox every Monday morning,