I have wondered what others thought about exercise. I've always been a runner. I also think exercise is very important for almost every ailment, mind and body. Like others I find that bending over triggers my pain so I avoid that. But I mostly like to run. I'm hoping to be able to start again. I've gotten out of shape because with the meds I just don't have the energy. Very frustrating. I'm trying to cut back on meds and deal with a little more pain to be able to run. It seems like a balancing act. I've hardly run at all since January. Some fast walks when it's not cold out. Cold on the face equals pain.
Good luck all. I bet we can all find something that works for us. Don't give up. :)
I guess I could say, like Megan, that I have "zero pain...right after." I guess I still feel some pressure. Certainly it takes time for the pain to set back in. And sometimes it's worse than the pain I had before I started -- which can be dispiriting. But exercise is good for me. I know that much. I feel stronger; it keeps my weight down; and I have more stamina when I need it -- all of which lifts my spirits. All this despite the fact that the pain returns. The question for some of is: what can we do to make "right after" last longer? I get some facial pain relief from my meds, which I take to treat TN2 AND fibromyalgia (body pain at tender points). In fact, the meds keep the fibro in better check than the TN2. But I find I can sometimes extend the "right after" by three methods. First, I schedule a half dose within a half hour to an hour of finishing up. Second, I keep moving -- like going to the grocery before I go home and flip on the TV. For me, pain is very much a momentum thing. It builds. And once it builds to a certain point, there's hardly anything I can do to tame it. If I don't blunt it early (by medicating upon awakening (yes, I still sometimes forget), my head tells me I messed up within about an hour. The 3rd trick is a luxury: an afternoon nap.
l hesitate to prescribe this routine because I am not a doctor, and because pain patterns and drug protocols are widely disparate. But do think about exercise, and act on it, in a way that works for you.
Hi There - Haven't been on here for a long time - still trying to figure out my bilateral facial pain/headache - In any event, I can say it is alot better than 2 years ago. Thankfully. I believe exercise has helped me face pain more than any other medication. As long as it makes me REALLY sweat, and doesn't aggravate my neck, I tend to feel less facial pain/headache. My pain is 24 hours a day, so anything that might lessen the pain during the day is a relief. I should also add that I stretch my neck only when I am really hot and sweaty and that I think is helping - as long as I dont overstretch, in which case I make everything worse.
I just started working out today, enough to make me sweat, but certainly not a hard workout and I had increasingly strong pain all day. Nothing is taking it away. I just took all my bedtime meds and am hoping sleep will come. I also have ear stabbing pain, probable geniculate neuralgia with extreme senisitivity to sound....they were putting in new showers at the gym, making alot of noise, I stayed on the other side of the gym, but yow! Stabbing ear pain a lot today. Tomorrow I'll try an ear plug and possibly stay in the doored off floor exercise area maybe. Darn, I was so motivated to work out, get the extra 40 pounds off. I new I'd have to work out in the morning, the time I have the least pain and am not off balance by my meds. I hope tomorrow is better.
The p/t I did this summer set off a flare up of tn that I still have not gotten back under control. My gabapentin had to be nearly doubled and still is not working as well as before the p/t. It appeared to be the upper body work that really set me off. Particularly the planks and any kind of pulling down weights. It was weird because I didn't think anything I did was particularly strenuous and I loved the results I got from the planks. Would love to try them again but I have been afraid to set anything off.
I’m v nervous to restart exercise. Meds make me off balance and all the movement triggers pain attacks. Now I’ve bought a dog walk her daily. The cold weather stings my face and affects my ear. I do love Pilate’s and I intend to give that a go this week. I’ll let u no how I get on x
I find that exercise helps overall. I have also found it much easier to do since switching from oxcarbazapine to the extended release form - oxtellar. Good luck.
hi sara. i wanted to tell you that when i exercise, the endorphines from exercising helps for a while. i am at the gym early and walking into the gym, i almost turn around and walk out because of the face pain. but i go in anyway and find that the exercise helps the pain go away. this is just my experience, and it doesn't last long. within the hour (some days several hours) after leaving, the pain returns. Exercise helps me feel better mentally. just a note about my experience. i actually exercise really hard with weights, swimming and elliptical..sweating pretty hard. i love it, and the days where i am walking in with NO pain, it is not triggering pain. take care, lisa
I found that cardio seemed better than strength training. I am a fitness instructor (spin classes) and it would sometimes act up the first few minutes of class but then settle down after and the endorphins I get from that kind of exercise make my whole day better :). With strength training, I would get more breakthrough but not too badly. I do it anyways and just pause during those moments.
Just had MVD surgery 5 days ago and I cannot wait to get back to the gym!
I have the same positive and negative reactions as Lbudd22, though I don't think I work as hard. While I am exercising, the pain lessens. After my session, it comes back progressively over the course of a few hours, and it comes back worse than if I didn't exercise at all. I have fibromyalgia and TN2, so it's whole body pain. I see both as rebound pain from a nervous system kind of reasserting itself as the endorphins wear off (if that's medically coherent). But I've found that a mid-day dose of meds and/or a nap helps and that, in general, I feel better about myself than if I'd stayed home curled up into a ball of pain. Of course, it took a mild stroke 4 years ago to get me up and at'em. I lost over 40 pounds and put back about 10.
I love hot yoga! You get a great sweat, relieves stress, helps center & balance the mind and body. Also, minimal pain/triggers.
I agree with the responses above, try and keep moving! Even just a walk/hike. It helps keep your mind off the pain.
Best of luck!
Erica