Thoughts On Pain...?

Exercise alone should not make your Crohn's disease any worse. However, if you feel lousy, you may not feel like exercising. Actually, moderate exercise could be beneficial, so if you feel well enough, then I would suggest at least walking or maybe bicycling.

Diet, on the other hand, can have a significant effect on the disease. The wrong foods can indeed make it worse. There have been lots of discussions on this board about what to eat.

best regards,
Robert

MAG:Go ahead and give me your e-mail! I had a resection in October, and a couple wound infections, then a fistula in January...although I'm thinking those 'wound infections' may have actually been the fistula all along...Mine doesn't drain enough to need a bag, I just have a 2x2 or 3x3 bandage on it at all times, sometimes I have to change it only once a day, sometimes around 12 times...and sometimes it sure is nasty :S I've been approved from the patient assistance to get Remicade but am currently very impatiently waiting for everybody to get the paperwork faxed so I can start it!! And if that doesn't work, then I'll have to try the surgery, but I've been told that it would basically be another resection to get rid of it...And I too have been pretty down about the whole thing, it's hard to deal with. I never leave home without my tape and bandages. Anyways, send me your email and we can talk more about it! Did you do your exercise program while you had your fistula?? I was wondering how an ab workout would affect drainage...

Robert: I suppose it does make sense that what you put into your guts would have more of an impact that they way they move with your body during physical activities. Thanks for the reply.

I used to be a work out junkie and paid for it because I did not learn when to stop when my body was telling me to. Before I was diagnosed I was into weight lifting and exercise and then after I got married I got out of the habit.(must have been the usually deal already sealed syndrome) Then my wife(who was also a huge work out junkie and former competition dancer) decided that I needed to get back in the gym with her. I agreed and we both started going to Golds with my old work out buddies. My wife really benefited and was right back into her old routine and it amazed me how long she would go on the Eliptical and treadmill. I tried my best to go with her but the arthritis in my knees only allowed me to use the bike with the peddles that are infront of you. I was able to start lifting with the free weights and machines and felt amazing even when I was sore. I began to see immediate results and decided that I should start back on my old program with my friends. The reps were high and we all knew what we were doing but I did not realize what had taken place in my joints. I was seeing the muscle mass and rotating my muscle groups but due to the disease our bodies need more time to recover. I was there every day and ended up blowing out both rotator cuffs and reinjuring my back.
Now after 2 surgeries to repair each rotator cuff and multiple epiderals in my back, I would love to get back into the workout habit but it is hard because of the onset of major arthritis. At 29 I should not feel like I am 70 but that is part of the disease. I tell this story not to dissuade you or scare you out of working out, but to realize to take it slow and build into a comfortable routine. Exercise can never be a bad thing and our abdominal and back muscles need all the work and strength that they can get. You would think that with all the tense tightening from cramping and bending over that we would all have killer six packs. I swear that ever bathroom experience is an abdominal workout that would take out the top athletes and we do it multiple times each day. I would kill to have my six pack back ( I am sure my wife would love to have my six pack back too) but for now I will have to live with my keg. This disease makes use look a little bloated whether we are skinny or bigger. The funny thing is that my legs are actually really lean from all the squatting to use the bathroom.( atleast that is my theory)