Movement Is Medicine: What Our 14-Year-Old Dog Taught Us About Chronic Pain

At Thunder Pain and Wellness, we talk a lot about cutting-edge treatments like SPRAVATO, IV ketamine, and TMS. But sometimes the most powerful lessons come from the simplest places — like watching our 14-year-old dog Jasper hobble out the front door for his morning walk.

Jasper has significant arthritis. You can see it in the way he moves when he first gets up — stiff, slow, clearly uncomfortable. And honestly, there are days it would be easy to just let him rest. But we don't, because we know what happens next: about five minutes into the walk, he starts to loosen up. His gait evens out. His tail comes up. By the end, he's moving like a different dog.

Sound familiar?

The Paradox of Pain and Movement

One of the most common things we hear from chronic pain patients is some version of "movement hurts, so I stopped moving." It makes complete sense as a response — when something causes pain, the natural instinct is to avoid it. But for most chronic pain conditions, including osteoarthritis, that instinct works against you over time.

When we stop moving, muscles weaken, joints stiffen, and the pain cycle tends to get worse, not better. Gentle, consistent movement — even when it's uncomfortable at first — helps lubricate joints, strengthen the supporting muscles around them, and can even reduce inflammation over time. It's one of the most well-supported, low-cost interventions we have for chronic pain, and it's something we talk about with nearly every patient we see.

Jasper doesn't know any of this, of course. He just knows that once he gets going, he feels better. And that's really the point.

What This Looks Like in Practice

We're not talking about running marathons or pushing through severe pain. For most people dealing with chronic pain, the goal is simply to keep moving in whatever way is accessible — a short walk, gentle stretching, water aerobics, tai chi. The key is consistency over intensity.

If you're not sure where to start or how much is appropriate for your specific condition, that's exactly the kind of conversation we have with our patients every day.

You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone

At Thunder Pain and Wellness, we take an integrative approach to chronic pain and depression — combining advanced treatments with the kind of whole-person care that actually addresses your quality of life. If you've been struggling and aren't sure what your options are, we'd love to talk.

📍 Located in Reno, NV | 775-336-1256 | info@thunderpain.com