Trying to work out with pain - help!

[LadySiha]

I could just use some advice.

I used to lift weights and do crunches (I was up to around 700 every morning).  My goal was to get some toning through my arms, legs and tummy and I was doing well.
Then my back and shoulder started acting up.  My shoulder will actually get so sore that I start guarding with it (holding it close to my body so it won't move).
As a result, I started going to a chriopractor, which helps my pain but not enough so that I can get back into my work-out routine.
I cosplay and have a few revealing costumes and I just want to look my best in them, and even if I'm eating well I don't seem to hold onto my muscle tone.
Does anyone else have experience with trying to work out with pain?  Is there something I should be doing that I'm missing?

[kaoskat]

I've heard that swimming or water exercise is good for working out with pain. Have you talked to your doctor?

[mlp4me]

I've pretty much given up all weight lifting, even just little 3 pounders. I have horrendous pain in my neck, shoulders and back for days after a measly 15-20 min workout. I'm a wimp. I've all but given up any type of exercise except for cardio. I kinda understand how you feel... Are you lifting daily? I would agree with Kaoskat, swimming at the Y! Elliptical machines for a bit of cardio/upper body...

[LadySiha]

I was sort of thinking that I'd need to try swimming, I just didn't want to have to pay for a membership somewhere (I do own a tiny weight set).

I may need to bring up joining the Y to my friend that wants to lose weight.  We were awesome at keeping each othet motivated until my pain got worse.

[flyawayraven]

I've pretty much given up all weight lifting, even just little 3 pounders. I have horrendous pain in my neck, shoulders and back for days after a measly 15-20 min workout. I'm a wimp. I've all but given up any type of exercise except for cardio. I kinda understand how you feel... Are you lifting daily? I would agree with Kaoskat, swimming at the Y! Elliptical machines for a bit of cardio/upper body...

Just 15-20 minutes a day of cardio still counts as really good exercise, though. Studies are beginning to show that if you're limited in what you can do whether it be from physical or time constraints, cardio is the best exercise you can do.

Also after a certain point, you can do all the crunches you want but it won't really make an improvement. Being able to do up to 700 crunches is pretty impressive and something to be proud of but you're unfortunately not really working the muscles at that point. Your muscles adapted to that exercise so they're not really being challenged.

I agree that swimming would be really good for you! It will take the weight off your joints and you'll still get good strength training due to the resistance of pushing through the water. Hydrotherapy has actually been used on injured racehorses with great success too!

[melodys_angel]

Curves helped for me while I was still able to go there (I unfortunately got too sick after awhile).  They have machines there that work out your whole core and its just 30 seconds per machine, 2 times around, go at your own pace (awesome if you have muscle pain).

Ill also second water training.  I believe its a lot more gentle and its used in physiotherapy.

[Eviecorn]

As someone with a chronic pain disorder who weight trains, let me give you some advice.

-Neuromuscular reeducation helped me quite a bit after my last major injury.  Read into it.  Some physical therapists and chiropractors also will perform it with you.

-Quality over quantity, as others have suggested.  Focus on a different muscle group for each day of the week.  To certain repetitively-used groups like arms and shoulders, it's actually a detriment to overwork them (at LEAST 72 hours should pass between heavy focuses on any muscular group.)

-Water was a godsend when I'm in flares of tremendous pain.  There are great resistance-heavy but low-impact exercises you can do in water.  This is also great to change things up even if you're not experiencing pain or weakness.

-Some pain will always be there, but you really need to pay attention to anything that's out of the ordinary.  Your body is pretty great at telling you what's up.

-I'll never understand the whole heat vs ice controversy.  Figure out what works for you and do it.  I like insanely hot showers after a workout.  It relaxes my muscles and helps relieve stress and pain.

[Epona]

Hydrotherapy for sure. A combination of swimming and hot tubbing is best.

A good physiotherapist can help you figure out what stretches and exersizes you can do on your own that can help slowely rebuild those muscles without making it worse. Physiotherapy elastics work great too and they come in different thicknesses.

Liniments before and after exersize can help loosen muscles.

Massage therapy helps tons.

Yoga is a fantastic way to get toned without heavy impact on joints.

Try not to over-do any one thing. Too much of a good thing can make it detrimental.

Its always best to use a combination of different therapies, exersizes and stretches because they all treat different parts of the problems.