Chronic injuries can have a debilitating effect on everyday life. When we are chronically injured, we are forced to adjust our lifestyle habits to accommodate this change. Many people live with chronic conditions and become used to this background level of discomfort without realising how much it is impacting their daily lives.

Reliance upon pain relief medication or unhealthy habits to alleviate pain ultimately makes the problem worse. While chronic pain or injury may leave us feeling that exercise is not an option, quite the opposite is true.

How Exercise Physiology Can Help

There are many assisted exercise programs that can accommodate chronic injury and improve comfort and mobility on a daily level. The exercise you require will depend on the nature of your condition. Targeted specific exercise programs delivered by an accredited exercise physiologist offer relief and rehabilitation for chronic and complex injury and illness such as;

  • Degenerative muscular conditions
  • Musculoskeletal and rheumatic pain
  • Diabetes type 1&2
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Post-operative recovery
  • Sports injury recovery
  • Weight loss or gain
  • General fitness levels

Exercise programs will be designed specifically with your lifestyle in mind. For example, where a client suffers from chronic back pain, lifestyle and workplace changes may be advised. Ergonomic seating, workbenches or wearing a lumbar support band at work will reduce further injury.

Exercises to build up abdominal strength and flexibility will alleviate chronic back pain. For health issues related to heart disease or diabetes, an overall approach to fitness and wellbeing will be implemented. This will extend beyond your consultation time and may include dietary changes and meditation practices, as well as an exercise routine that can be followed at home.

Post-operative or injury recovery will focus on gently rebuilding strength and maintaining mobility and range of movement. We now know that keeping our body moving through recovery times supports the overall healing process.

Rebuilding Neuron Pathways

When we live with a chronic or worsening condition, our brain responds accordingly. Over time, our ability to perform certain tasks can become more limited. The saying “ use it or lose it” applies to our minds as much as our bodies.

Taking our bodies through a series of targeted exercises will not only improve co-ordination and strength. It will send a message to our brains that we still plan to use these patterns of movement. We now understand that it is possible to retrain the brain through repetitive activity and this is what makes exercise physiology so important.

To take the step towards recovery and better health, contact an exercise physiologist to discuss your options. A Government funded program known as the Enhanced Primary Care Plan exists for people who suffer from chronic conditions and this can be accessed through your GP.

This means your treatment program will remain affordable and will be monitored by a team of healthcare professional working towards improving your quality of life. To make a booking or learn more about exercise physiology or other therapies, contact our friendly team on 08 8331 1557 or visit one of our clinics today.

Make An Appointment

Book an appointment today.

BOOK ONLINE