Strength Training Can Reduce Pain

If you’re like many people, you suffer from some kind of aches and pains. We see many office workers in our Florham Park office who suffer from some kind of back or neck discomfort. Fortunately, research shows that strength training can help reduce pain.

A Danish study looked at 42 women who were troubled with trapezius pain. The  trapezius  forms a triangle between the neck, shoulders, and upper back, and is a common source of neck and shoulder pain in office workers. All of the women in the study did repetitive work all day at their jobs.

The women were randomly assigned to one of three different groups:

• The first group performed strength training exercises for 20 minutes, three times a week. Each session included three out of five high-intensity exercises designed specifically for the neck and shoulder muscles.


• The second group did leg exercises for 20 minutes, three times a week. They used stationary bikes, and allowed their arms to hang relaxed at their sides.


• The third group were given counseling on “workplace ergonomics, diet, health, relaxation, and stress management for a total of (one hour) per week but were not offered any physical training.”


 

Researchers carefully recorded the women’s muscle strength at the beginning and end of the study, and recorded their levels of neck pain each week.

Though all of the women continued their jobs during the study, the women who performed strength exercises reported a 79% reduction in the intensity of their pain. The women in the second and third groups reported no significant pain relief.

If you suffer from neck or back pain, it’s important for you to know that there are natural solutions. In our office, we can work with you to create a treatment plan that incorporates chiropractic care and specific exercises to help you get pain free.

Give our Florham Park office a call today at (973) 845-6282 to make an appointment.

Andersen LL, Andersen JL, Suetta C, Kjaer M, Søgaard K, Sjøgaard G. Effect of contrasting physical exercise interventions on rapid force capacity of chronically painful muscles. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2009;107(5):1413-9.