Hold it again!
Previously I have spoken about the benefits of isometric exercises to supercharge your movement and strength practice (check out this blog and this 60-second video.)
In this article I want to talk about using them for pain relief.
Firstly - what is an isometric exercise?
It is a “held contraction” of the muscles. A Plank is a well-known example - you are hold the position and contracting everywhere as hard as you can. However we won’t be using Planks or other intense contractions for pain relief!
IMPORTANT: If you are experiencing pain - please consult with your GP or other clinician before trying any exercises. If you have been cleared for movement please read on, and note that this content does not consist of individualised advice for your symptoms.
A couple of small studies have shown that isometric exercises can provide pain relief in some situations, where others have shown that they other types of exercises can be equally beneficial.
However when it hurts to move a body part, isometrics can be a great entry point to movement and getting back to doing the things you love.
And there is anecdotal evidence that many people have found isometric exercises to have pain relief effects lasting from 45 minutes to 8 hours. They are very safe and easy to do, so worth a try to see if they work for you!
Ok - how do you make these work for you.
The first thing is to identify the movement that is causing discomfort for you, such as opening your leg out to the side or arching your lower back.
Move in that direction and hold the movement at the point you start to feel the pain. It’s important only work with “mild” pain - if it becomes “unacceptable” you have moved too far, or you may need to consider some other interventions.
Hold at that point for up to 45 seconds, release for a moment and repeat again, up to 5 times. You may find initially that you cannot manage that long or that many repetitions without the pain increasing, don’t worry, this is normal! Even if your starting point is 1 hold of 10 seconds, start there and gradually increase the duration as your body allows.
Monitor your symptoms and provided your pain doesn’t flare up within 24 hours you can continue, if you are finding them beneficial!
Repeat for 2-3 times per day for maximum benefit.
Once you are comfortably able to do 5 x 45 seconds, 2-3 times per day holding a 70% contraction you should be progressing to a movement practice to allow your body to make adaptations to allow greater ranges of pain-free movement.
I’ve made a short video including 3 simple isometric exercises that may help relieve lower back pain symptoms! Click here to access!
I would love to know if this is useful for you - let me know in the comments or shoot me an email.
Rio, E. et al. (2015) “Isometric exercise induces analgesia and reduces inhibition in patellar tendinopathy,” British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(19), p. 1277. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2014-094386.
Holden, S. et al. (2020) “Isometric exercise and pain in patellar tendinopathy: A randomized crossover trial,” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 23(3), p. 208. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2019.09.015.
Kosek, E. and Ekholm, J. (1995) “Modulation of pressure pain thresholds during and following isometric contraction,” Pain, 61(3), p. 481. doi:10.1016/0304-3959(94)00217-3.
Malliaras, P. et al. (2015) “Patellar Tendinopathy: Clinical Diagnosis, Load Management, and Advice for Challenging Case Presentations,” Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 45(11), p. 887. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.5987.
Sancho, I. et al. (2019) “Education and exercise supplemented by a pain-guided hopping intervention for male recreational runners with midportion Achilles tendinopathy: A single cohort feasibility study,” Physical Therapy in Sport, 40, p. 107. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2019.08.007.