I have chronic pain, is it okay if I don't avoid activities that cause me pain?

Question

I know that usually pain means that your actually hurting your body, but in this case it doesn't. So, since I have a high pain tolerance is it okay if I continue with normal activities and ignore the back & muscle pain?

By the way, I'm eighteen and the pain is either fibromyalgia, adolescent arthritis (which my aunt has), or possibly just a simple vitamin D deficiency.

Answer 1

You are absolutely right about one of the main differences between acute and chronic pain; chronic pain is not a good warning that you are hurting your body.

One of the worst things you can do is avoid every activity that causes you discomfort; that's how people with chronic pain lose their conditioning, which ultimately makes their pain worse.

However, the literature on fibromyalgia does show that exercising too much can cause pain flare-ups that are actual worsening of the fibromyalgia.

You haven't said what type of activities you're thinking of, but you should be okay with moderate exercise. It's much better to do a moderate amount daily than it is to do too much, have increased pain, then have to lay off completely for a while.

If you haven't already done so, you might consider going in to see a rheumatologist. It would be good for them to sort out whether this is arthritis, fibromyalgia or a vitamin deficiency.

Good luck and stay (carefully) active,

Barry

http://www.chronic-pain-alternatives.com

Answer 2

See a doctor of rheumatology as soon as possible. You need to get a proper analysis of what your problem is And the doctor will be able to tell you what activities you can do. I have written an article on Fibromyalgia and I've enclosed the link where you can read about it and learn what you can and cannot do.

Answer 3

First you need to determine the cause of your pain - you sight a wide range of possibilities.

Some activities will aggravate your condition, some will not.
In general, it is NOT a good idea to continue painful activities.


We are all well intentioned, but most are not physicians. :-)
Let your doctor (not Yahoo Answers) be your guide!

Answer 4

Don't ignore the pain--that's the worst thing you can do.

Have you seen a doctor yet? Before doing ANYTHING, talk to a doctor.