I am exceptionally unfit but have started an exercise routine. I now go to the gym once a week, swim once a week and have started a pilates class. I did my first pilates class yesterday and feel absolutely terrible today. My ATN pain is extreme as well as muscle pain (to be expected). Are there any known benefits or risks to such an exercise plan, particularly pilates?
I really need to shift some weight so am eager to try a bit of everything but I never feel this bad after a cardio session at the gym and can't understand why Pilates would aggravate my ATN?
Pilates is relatively high stress exercise that significantly raises blood pressure. For people with chronic neuropathic conditions, Tai Chi may be a better alternative. My spouse also does low-stress Yoga classes. Anything that raises endorphin levels in your system is likely to be a plus. But you don't want to add a lot of muscle fatigue chemistry to your system or start your arteries and veins pounding away on the nerve they have compressed -- and Cardio exercise tends to do that. If you need to reduce weight, then concentrate on diet and moderate exercise.
That is super annoying that you were doing something to look after yourself and may have ended up in more pain as a result. What a bummer! I have found that if I use a stationary bike at home, I'm just fine, even if I bike like crazy. If I am biking outdoors, though, it's usually a different story (though not always). I think it is literally the bumps in the road that set things off, as the same thing has happened if I am on a particularly bumpy bus ride or such. Weight lifting and stretching are fine and so is gardening, though the first 15 minutes or so are usually pretty rough (probably from leaning forward/bending over).
Ultimately, I made a conscious decision that I was going to do whatever I planned to do regardless of my pain level. That said, part of my reasoning is that staying home/quiet/still doesn't diminish my pain one iota and if I'm going to be miserable anyway, I may as well try to do something I enjoy. If avoiding these activities helped to calm the pain or keep it at bay, I'm sure I would feel very differently. Sometimes my pain skyrockets even if I'm not doing anything "wrong", so that may have played into my decision as well.
If you really love doing Pilates in particular, you may find that the benefits of doing it outweigh the potential risk of heightened pain levels; otherwise, yoga and Tai Chi do sound like a nice alternative. You'll figure out what works best for you, I'm sure. And, yes, you are normal. :)
I’ve noticed I can power walk, but can’t use our eliptical trainer…doesn’t make sense to me. Is there lots of bending over with the pilates? I think that aggravates my ATN. Congrats on the efforts!
Walking is a great way to exercise. It’s low impact, so it’s less likely to trigger your pain. And if the weather is too bad to go outside, you can walk laps around your house.
I’m going to start yoga too, I really need to find ways to control/release my stress.
I actually felt terrible most of yesterday and ended up in bed with a migraine all of last night. I didn't fall asleep until 5am this morning. Not sure if it was a coincidence or not. Going to try again next week but if I do feel bad afterwards then I'll knock it on the head I think. Thanks for your replies
Nicky, A friend of mine has been having trouble with migraine’s for the past three years. More recently within the last year she has been getting them shortly after she is done working out!! She is exasperated. She is under stress, which I think is a contributing factor. She does not exercise on a regular basis either. She has researched it and pretty much what she has come up with is lower intensity to prevent the migraines. She doesn’t have TN. Just thought this information might be of some use. Peace, Min
Well I had a terrible weekend and Monday. I was in bed for most of the time with a screaming head and face. I feel today (Tuesday) like a have been hit by a large truck groan. I have an appointment with GP on Tuesday to up my dose of Gabapentin. Going to leave the exercise this week and resume next week I think!
Well I had a terrible weekend and Monday. I was in bed for most of the time with a screaming head and face. I feel today (Tuesday) like a have been hit by a large truck *groan*. I have an appointment with GP on Tuesday to up my dose of Gabapentin. Going to leave the exercise this week and resume next week I think!:
I feel for you. You never know what is going to be worse or better. I think that you just have to try it out which is very scary and anxiety inducing but I am just going to keep trying things out. I tried cranial massage and it aggravated the pain. I am now trying accupuncture and will see how it goes. I am also starting Yoga tomorrow night and I am scared as I do not know which way it will go. I cannot chew so I am a skinny/fat person. That is skinny with absulutely no muscles!!
I have been eating right and getting light exercise. I have been using the app “Noom” and it’s awesome. It really helps – I log my calories and my exercise, have a plan, and using the app makes me want to do well, it makes it like a game. Check it out!
Thank you for your post, and everyone for their replies. I am about to begin exercising again, and am now armed with some tips on what to do and what not to do.
Thanks to all for the responses. I've started dieting and am now just sticking to the gym rather than the pilates. Rather than running, I put the incline up really high and just walk at a fast pace. Burns the calories! I think that it may have been the bending etc that set off my TN in the end, something that I tend to not do too much at the gym. I've found anything that involves keeping my torso in an upright position seems to be better.
I've also started using something similar Crystal, called myfitnesspal.com, which is an online food diary and exercise planner which is helping me calorie count which is actually okay!
OK!!! I'm a little worried now.Am I not doing myself any favours??? (This might explain why things have been getting worse)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pilates can both stress unaccustomed muscles and raise blood pressure, leading to neurological breakthrough pain. You may benefit from a less stressing form of exercise such as Yoga or Tai Chi Chuan.
Running is the only time I de-stress!! I have actually been feeling...not myself lately.I mentioned to a friend i was thinking of making my next marathon my last today.
I actully only have one race planned for the whole of next year.I have usually have them planned,one a month for the whole year ahead by now.
I'm a 10k a day girl!! I get depressed really quickly if I do not run.This worries me. I also...prior to being a 10k a day girl was nay is a compulsive eater.I had to loose 10 stone to to get where i am and i use running to control my weight now.So all this news is really distressing me.
If you're obsessional about exercise then perhaps it's time to talk to a professional about better self-management of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and stress, sharky. Exercise and weight control are not an either/or deal.
yoga and walking is all i can do for my condition. Other sports increase my pain a lot! Fwiw...
It sucks..I really love sports and used to do all kinds of it. Funny, I wanted to make a post asking how this was for others around here, seems like I'm not the only one.
Well, it sorta makes sense to me. If you are using your arms, when you reach, you are using muscles that attachto the upper cervical vertebrae - perhaps you have alot of upper cervical pain/inflammation and this is aggravating the trigeminal nucleus in the spinal column and then aggravating part of nerve. Just out of curiousity - is your pain in the V1 distribution? Dunno - just hypothesizing.
jamie leigh said:
I've noticed I can power walk, but can't use our eliptical trainer...doesn't make sense to me. Is there lots of bending over with the pilates? I think that aggravates my ATN. Congrats on the efforts!
I would like to add that exercise - real hard aerobic exercise - has been the BEST drug for me. For the past month I have been doing turbo fire - without the jumping - and I have to say while I am doing the exercise I love the feeling of my heart pounding in my face - it actually makes my constant face pain almost not there. I dont know if it is because of the endorphins or because the heart pounding is stronger than the pain. I just dont know, but that one hour, and maybe 10 minutes after, I almost feel normal. In fact I feel so good, that I say to myself, "i could live like this". Unfortunately, my 10 mins post-high is followed rapidly by the pain. I am trying to do this 4-5 times a week. I have discovered this by trial and error. Any exercise that doesnt get my heart racing, and my head pounding, doesnt help. So it is all or nothing. I still believe my upper neck is inovlved, because, well it is always painful, and there is some literature on neck pain and exercise. I wish I could bottle endorphins. :)
Sorrrrry!! Sounds like a plan. Min