How A Passive Exercise Machine Reduces My Worst Chronic Pain

passive exercise machine chronic pain relief health benefits

The last thing I expected my passive exercise machine to do was to relieve chronic pain that had been torturing me for the past two years. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect and was at my wit’s end.

As I have said in the past, exercise is an integral part of my chronic pain management program. But that was only after I decreased my overall pain level below the 8-10 range.

NOBODY should ever suggest it, nor should anyone be expected to do it without the ability to reduce pain.

With that said, I have NOT been able to exercise without increased pain or injury since January 2020. It was then that endometriosis once again, after a two-year cease-fire, redeclared war on my body.

Since I was a teen, I have dealt with endo pain, but it didn’t become debilitating until 2003. There have been a few reprieves, read my endo story here, but since the beginning of 2020, the pain I experienced every day was worse than anything I had experienced before.

Throughout the past two years, every doctor and surgeon I saw said that I had already been seen by the best of the best, and if they couldn’t help me, nobody could. I was even sent to pain management. But I was released from the program because, and I quote, “We don’t handle that kind of pain. You need to go to the ER for that”!

The only options were the ER for pain relief, surgery, and exercise. Going to the emergency room would be a waste of time and money because the relief would not last, and I would be a zombie until it wore off. Surgery was off the tables because every surgeon I saw refused to perform what would have been my 9th abdominal surgery. And it was impossible to exercise because doing so was causing my abdominal muscles to rip and adhesions to tear from my organs.

With no other option, I began researching passive exercise machines. And today, I am sharing the one that is changing my chronic life.

Who would have thought that a passive exercise machine could relieve chronic pain? Here is one device that should be considered!
Who would have thought that a passive exercise machine could relieve chronic pain? Here is one device that should be considered!
Exercise was not an option with my pain level has high as it was. So when this passive exercise machine popped into my search feed, I had to check it out. While it boasted some pretty awesome health benefits, I had no clue that it would be the answer to reducing my worst chronic pain! Find out what device I am talking about and how it is helping me fight my war with endometriosis.
When dealing with multiple painful chronic illnesses, reducing the worst of the pains makes it easier to deal with the rest. In this blog post I share the passive exercise machine that is doing just that! Check it out!
When dealing with multiple painful chronic illnesses, reducing the worst of the pains makes it easier to deal with the rest. In this blog post I share the passive exercise machine that is doing just that! Check it out!
Exercise was not an option with my pain level has high as it was. So when this passive exercise machine popped into my search feed, I had to check it out. While it boasted some pretty awesome health benefits, I had no clue that it would be the answer to reducing my worst chronic pain! Find out what device I am talking about and how it is helping me fight my war with endometriosis.
Feet with yellow glow in the dark polish on toenails peeking out of heel pillow for comfort and bed sore protection.

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee drinking habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me supplied with caffeine. It’s a win for everyone. I am not a medical professional, and nothing stated in this article should be mistaken for medical advice…

Types Of Passive Exercise Machines for Chronic Pain

If you search Amazon for passive exercise machines, you will see various options. Some of the options I found included:

The problem with the first option was that it required the ability to sit or stand longer than I could. Pedal and step machines were also eliminated from my options because pedaling or stepping while seated dislocated my hips.

That left one option, the leg swingers! Unable to come up with why I shouldn’t try it, I ordered it!

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Why I Chose Daiwa Felicity Original Chi Swing Machine

As for why I chose this specific brand, they had great reviews. And at the time, they also had a model that was less expensive than its deluxe versions. Not knowing how my body would react or if it would help, I was hesitant to shell out a lot of money.

There are several reasons why I chose this type of passive exercise device. The first is that it required NO effort on my part! That’s right! No standing, sitting, or voluntary movement of any kind! That sounded perfect for someone who had adhesions ripping from her muscles and organs every time she sat or stood up.

My second reason for choosing this form of passive exercise was the health benefits for people like myself, who are primarily sedentary due to severe chronic pain and illness. Possible health benefits include, but are not limited to:

  • Increased circulation to the lower extremities
  • Stress reduction
  • Restful sleep
  • Increased energy levels
  • Loosen tight hips and spine
  • Reduce leg swelling
  • Increase oxygen in blood
  • Encourage lymphatic flow

If it did nothing more than half of this list, it would have been worth what I paid. But because it has done so much more, this device is worth more than its weight in gold!

Daiwa Felicity Original Chi Swing Machine in action.

My Passive Exercise Machine and Chronic Pain Relief Results

I began using this passive exercise device precisely three weeks ago. While some things, especially physical treatments, take longer than others to notice results, I noticed something extraordinary within the first week.

Within a few days and despite a wild weather shift, I noticed an increase in energy. I was sleeping better too! But what got my attention from the first treatment was decreased inflammation throughout my abdomen!

My abdomen is severely swollen from inflammation caused by adhesions wrapped around many of my organs and attached to my abdominal muscles. There was no reprieve, no moment of relief, just ripping, tearing, and more swelling for two years.

Yet, after that first treatment, I felt a reduction of that swelling. And the decrease continues with each following treatment. I set myself back with an experiment, but the decline is back on track since resuming the original way.

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Learning Curve

With psoriatic arthritis being the worst on my spine and having a few degenerative discs, my sacrum locks up when I lie flat on my back. To the point of not being able to move my pelvis in any direction.

Treatments with this device occur while lying on the back, and yes, each ends with a locked sacrum. To ease my end of treatment pain, I tried it with one of my wedge pillows. This worked fabulously! I could sit up sooner and with less pain than when I was lying on the floor.

The problem with using the wedge is that the motion relieving the inflammation in my upper abdomen wasn’t reaching that area. It worked great from the belly button down. But for the places where I needed it the most, I had to find another solution to combat the end of treatment sacrum lockdown.

Now I end each treatment by slowly removing my legs from the machine and gently rocking my hips with bent knees and feet on the floor. I slowly rock side to side, relaxing my hips and lower back to the point where I can sit up without pain. This side effect is worth dealing with when compared with my results.

Note that I am just sharing my experience.
Your experience and results may differ.

Results Tally

Here are my results of using a passive exercise machine for pain relief after three weeks:

  • More physical and mental energy.
  • Better mental focus.
  • Physically relaxed without having to focus on relaxing.
  • No or low pain in hips. (With the exception of the few minutes post reatment, pain from inflammation caused by pressure pushing in a heatwave, and the afternoon I partially dislocated my hip, my hips are pain-free. FYI, partially dislocating my hips is something I have dealt with since my teens and is not a result of using this device.)
  • Decrease in restless leg symptoms.
  • Lost abdominal inches, not weight, but several inches. (I know that I am overweight, but my weight isn’t as high as it looks. Why? Because much of my fluffiness is from inflammation.)
  • My bowels are emptying!! (Adhesions have created several narrowed passages throughout my intestines. Unless I stick to a liquid diet, waste builds up like a dam. But when I follow a liquid diet, the adhesions form a tighter hold which narrows the instestinal path even more.)
  • My balls have dropped! What I mean by that is the unknown masses that feel like balls in my belly. When this endometriosis flare began I felt up to seven “balls” throughout my abdomen. As with all of my abdominal scans, nothing has been visible. But as my medical history proves, scans don’t always provide the answers we need. Anyways, a week and a half into treatments I felt a shift, like two large masses had dropped. There is also a physcial difference in the appearance of my belly. My hope is that in time, the outward appearance of those balls becomes undeniable to my medical team so we can deal with them.
  • Adhesions are releasing from organs and muscles. Unlike the violent rips and tears I had been experiencing, these are gentle. The best I can compare it to is when you slowly pull off a bandaid, but with more of a tingling than pain. With the release being so gentle, my muscles aren’t ripping and my organs aren’t having adhesions violently ripped from them. My bladder is close to being set free! I have felt most of the left side release and am currently feeling the right side release during treatments.
  • I have decreased the amount of cannabis I consume for pain relief. Less pain equates to lower dosages.
  • My blood pressure is damn near perfect! It runs dangerously high when I am in excruciating pain.
  • My mind and body are less stressed.

With so much relief and improvements in so many areas, I want to know why my medical team has never suggested this form of physical therapy. Instead, they offered temporary pain relief then told me to exercise and lose weight while handing me a copy of their suggested diet plan full of foods that inflamed my digestive tract.

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Daiwa Felicity Chi Leg Swing Options

The Daiwa Felicity Original Chi Swing Machine USJ-815 costs more than the model I purchased but has a longer session time than mine. It also has a handle and a foam-padded ankle cradle, which mine does not have.

With the Daiwa Felicity Original Chi Swing Machine USJ-815 / Japanese Sobakawa Buckwheat Pillow bundle, you get a pillow that can help with snoring, restlessness, and other sleep issues. It gives support all night long by never going flat.

The model I purchased is the Daiwa Felicity Original Chi Swing Machine USJ-201 Passive Aerobic Exerciser Swing Master.

Final Thoughts on Passive Exercise Machines and Chronic Pain Relief

Now that I know how much my body loves and responds to my leg swing device, I wish I had spent the extra money on one of the newer versions.

An extended treatment time would be excellent. But, the foam-padded cradle is what is most important! The cradle on my model does not have it, and I ended up spending extra money on foot pillows after getting a blister. I also added a neck traction device because having my head on the ground was painful.

I have no complaints regarding my results. The progress I have made has been worth adjusting my schedule for. I run one or two treatments every morning and night. It is the first and last thing I do. I have not missed a day, nor do I intend to.

My body craves and looks forward to each treatment. So much so that I didn’t mind waking up an extra 30 minutes early when we spent a full day at Disneyland. And I couldn’t wait to hit the floor and turn on the machine when I returned home at midnight!

As for what I expect from daily morning and evening treatments are, a continuation of reducing long-term inflammation along with whatever occurs each day. I hope to have more time and energy to give my other chronic illnesses the attention they need. I do not expect to be healed. But I do wish that at some point, my abdominal inflammation will be low enough for my medical team to acknowledge the lumps, balls, masses, or whatever you want to call them that are torturing me. And last but not least, I hope to someday in the future be able to exercise without injury or severe pain.

Have you tried or considered a passive exercise machine for chronic pain relief?

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Published by Cynthia Covert

Diagnosed in 2001 with psoriasis, followed by fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, endometriosis, and later a botched hysterectomy turned her world upside down. Cynthia shares her experience, advice, and tips for how to make life with chronic pain easier and less painful.

4 thoughts on “How A Passive Exercise Machine Reduces My Worst Chronic Pain

  1. Hi! I just recently found you. I have many medical issues but my chronic pain comes from RSD/CRPS. I am a keloid maker so I have adhesions everywhere I have a scar even though I worked in pt trying to unattach them. I don’t know if that’s the right word. But they just go back. I had twins I my c section scar is all the way across and is low. It is super stuck down. It’s very uncomfortable. I am very behind in my gyno appts (I know, I know), it’s on my list to get taken care of this year. And my ankle surgery where my RSD started, that scar really bothers me too. But my RSD has spread and it’s from my mid/low back down both legs to my toes. I’ve been in constant pain for 20 years.

    I was diagnosed with diabetes 2 recently and because of the bad connection between diabetes & pain, I decided to make some changes. In mid July of 2022, I started Jenny Craig, moving more, and really working on my A1C. I can’t really exercise though. I walk to the mailbox which is VERY difficult for me. I also have a lot of bone spurs in both knees and they really bother me. Walking is an issue. But I’m trying. I had a check recently with my doctor and my A1C is down to 5.7. Last year at the same time it was 9.8. I’ve lost over 50lbs. All of my cholesterol numbers are good, even the bad cholesterol which hasn’t been in guidelines since my early 20’s. I had an abnormal EKG though so I’m waiting for an echo & stress test. But I consider it a good visit.

    I was excited to read this article and that you are having such success because maybe I can do this and increase my activity this way. I spend most of my time in bed. This past year they discovered I’m having degenerative issues in my neck & upper spine. I’ve been having frozen shoulder issues on both sides but we don’t know why. All of my medical team would like an MRI of my spin but Medicare says no. That is a whole ‘nother story. Don’t get me going on them! GRR. When Bernie says everyone loves Medicare, I’m like, NO WE DO NOT!

    Anyway, so happy for you that you are having success! What is happening now? Can you update me on your current situation with this passive exercise device? Still using it? Still like it? I am hesitant to do too much of course. They took my pain meds away when the government took everyone’s away. That’s another topic that boils my blood. But without it, it’s hard just to do my basic care. I’m alone so I don’t have any help. It’s not easy. Especially with no one to talk to or help me. I’m very lonely. I’m not looking for a man or anything. I’d just like someone to talk to once in awhile. I think many of us have this issue. That’s why I have the internet but it’s not the same. Anyway, I hope you see this and answer. It would make my day!
    Sarah

    1. Hi Sarah! Thanks for your patience. It has been a few months since I have used it, but am hoping to resume use again soon. My problem is finding a space or time to use it that doesn’t have my 100lb German Shepherd hovering over me. LOL. We rescued him late last November and he is still working through trauma from his life on the streets. Apparently, my using this machine on the floor is one of them. But I do hope to make it part of my pain management plan again because I have had an increase of abdominal adhesion pain since I stopped using it. Wishing you a low-pain day!

  2. I’m so glad you’ve had such wonderful results Cynthia! It really does take a lot of trial and error to find what works for us, doesn’t it? I’m glad you found something that is giving you so many benefits. I can’t wait to hear how things progress as you use it longer.

    1. Oh Terri, I was about to lose my mind. Adhesions are my worst enemy. They create so much pain and damage inside my body, but not one surgeon I saw that is under my plan would help. I have a long way to go, but the relief it is already providing sure makes a difference.

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