Exercise, Stretching, and Sports

Excerpts from the entry on Exercise, Stretching, and Sports in Relieving Pain Naturally by Dr. Sylvia Goldfarb and Roberta W. Waddell. For full entries on all 37 conditions and 27 treatments, order the book.

Exercise, stretching, and sports keep your body strong and flexible and protect your cardiovascular system. When muscles are properly warmed up and stretched they work better. Although many with chronic pain conditions fear exercise will stress their bodies and make their conditions worse, the reverse is true. Immobility, not exercise, is the factor leading to more deterioration and pain. For good health, it is important to keep active. A good percentage of back problems are caused by a lack of exercise. Those who play racquet sports or golf tend to use one side of their body more than the other, and it is important for them to also engage in exercise that uses both sides of the body.

Also in this entry:

• The History of Exercise, Stretching, and Sports
• How Exercise, Stretching, and Sports Work
• Painful Conditions that Respond Well to Therapies
• Advantages of Exercise, Stretching, and Sports
• How to Use Exercise, Stretching, and Sports
• Cautions
• Clinical Studies

See below for full list of all conditions and treatments in the book. Or, download a complete Condition entry or Treatment entry for free.