Why doesn’t exercise or yoga relieve my pain? (Part 1)
This is a frequently asked question. I often hear variations like:
- “I jog diligently every morning, so why doesn’t the pain go away?”
- “I work hard at the gym, but why isn’t the pain getting better?”
- “I walk 10,000 steps a day, so why isn’t there any improvement?”
- “I practice yoga daily, but why isn’t the pain subsiding?
I hear these questions so often that my ears have become sore. It’s almost like the picture below… I hear it dozens of times a day, and I’m really tired of this question.
- Is Exercise a Cure?
These days, with the overwhelming emphasis on the importance of exercise in the media, many people have fallen into the mindset of “exercise as a cure-all.” There are so many people who strongly believe, “The more you exercise, the longer and healthier you will live!”
One day, a woman in her early 70s came to see me for treatment. She was experiencing severe knee pain, making it difficult to bend and walk. As we delved into the details of her condition, she explained, “Doctor, I heard hiking is good for your health, so I started hiking two weeks ago. I’ve been climbing and descending one of the steep trails on Burnaby Mountain for two hours every day, but my knees gradually started to hurt. Now, it’s so painful that I can barely walk.”
Exercise should never be done blindly. It must be tailored to the individual’s condition and performed carefully and correctly to benefit the body. Unfortunately, many people push themselves too hard and end up worsening their pain.
Upon hearing that, I instinctively reacted just like in the picture above.
The woman then asked, “Why are you reacting like that?”
I replied, “I’m sorry, but it’s because you’ve overexerted yourself with hiking.”
She responded, “But I heard hiking is good for your health. What’s the problem?”
I explained, “Yes, hiking is good for your health… but no exercise should ever be done excessively. While climbing uphill is usually fine, when you go downhill, the force on your knee joints increases to 3.5 times the normal load, which can damage the ligaments in your knee joints, causing the pain you’re experiencing.”Both of her knees had suffered ligament sprains, causing the joints to swell and preventing her from bending them.
At this point, it’s clear that exercise was not a treatment but actually harmful to her body. Exercise should never be done recklessly. You must fully understand your body’s condition and proceed cautiously… only with the right methods can exercise truly promote health.
Unfortunately, many people, driven by the characteristic “gung-ho” spirit, exercise very hard, and eventually come in for treatment because of pain throughout their bodies. And then they all ask the same thing, “Why is my body getting worse when I’m exercising?”
It’s really quite frustrating.
Many of you probably enjoy cars or driving. In the next part, I’ll explain whether exercise can heal using a car analogy. (To be continued in Part 2)
By: Kyung Hyun Kim
Clinical Instructor, RMT Program
Langara College / West Coast College of Massage Therapy
khkim0102@yahoo.com
Ready to experience true pain and joint relief? Book a session with Lifetime today! https://lwclinic.janeapp.com
