The purpose of this article was to examine the effects of acute exercise on pain perception in healthy adults and adults with chronic pain using meta-analytic techniques. Specifically, studies using a repeated measures design to examine the effect of acute isometric, aerobic, or dynamic resistance exercise on pain threshold and pain intensity measures were included in this metaanalysis. The results suggest that all three types of exercise reduce perception of experimentally induced pain in healthy participants, with effects ranging from small to large depending on pain induction method and exercise protocol. In healthy participants, the mean effect size for aerobic exercise was moderate (dthr =0.41, dint =0.59), while the mean effect sizes for isometric exercise (dthr =1.02, dint =0.72) and dynamic resistance exercise (dthr =0.83, dint =0.75) were large. In chronic pain populations, the magnitude and direction of the effect sizes were highly variable for aerobic and isometric exercise and appeared to depend on the chronic pain condition being studied as well as the intensity of the exercise. While trends could be identified, the optimal dose of exercise that is needed to produce hypoalgesia could not be systematically determined with the amount of data available.

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the oral health status of individual's undergoing renal dialysis in southeastern Virginia. A sample was identified for this cross-sectional study via a local health maintenance organization. Three subgroups of the population were studied: 1) those who have been on renal dialysis for less than a year; 2) those on renal dialysis for 1 to 3 years; and 3) those on renal dialysis for longer than 3 years. Three dental indices the Periodontal Disease Index; the Decayed, Missing. Filled index; and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index--were used to identify periodontal disease, dental caries activity, and oral hygiene status. Data were compiled and analyzed by using the parametric test, 1-way analysis of variance. Results suggested that 100% (n = 45) of the individuals undergoing renal dialysis presented with some form of periodontal disease (X = 3.15, SD = 1.41). The majority (64%) of the sample displayed either severe gingivitis (28%) or early periodontitis (36%). Sixty-four percent of the sample displayed a high DMF index (X = 11.77, SD = 7.55), while 98% of the sample accumulated calculus. Oral debris was present in 100% of the sample, resulting in a high Simplified Oral Hygiene Index score (X = 3.24, SD = 1.26), suggesting an increased need for oral care instruction. Findings led to the conclusion that the renal dialysis population in southeastern Virginia, regardless of length of time on dialysis, is in need of comprehensive professional oral care and self-care instruction. Oral disease was present and is a source of active infection in these medically compromised individuals and, as such, has dire implication for morbidity and mortality.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare dynamic postural control and mechanical ankle stability among patients with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI) and controls. Seventy-two subjects were divided equally into three groups: uninjured controls, people with previous ankle injury but without CAI, and people with CAI. Subjects completed a single-leg hop-stabilization task, and then had an anterior drawer test and lateral ankle radiograph performed bilaterally. The dynamic postural stability index was calculated from the ground reaction forces of the single-leg hop-stabilization task. Ankle joint stiffness (N/m) was measured with an instrumented arthrometer during the anterior drawer test, and fibula position was assessed from the radiographic image. Patients with previous ankle injuries but without CAI demonstrated higher frontal plane dynamic postural stability scores than both the uninjured control and CAI groups (P<0.01). Patients with and without CAI had significantly higher sagittal plane dynamic postural stability scores (P<0.01) and increased ankle joint stiffness (P=0.045) relative to the control group. The increased frontal plane dynamic postural control may represent a component of a coping mechanism that limits recurrent sprains and the development of CAI. Mechanical stability alterations are speculated to result from the initial ankle trauma.

Considerable evidence suggests regular physical activity can reduce chronic pain symptoms. Dysfunction of endogenous facilitatory and inhibitory systems has been implicated in multiple chronic pain conditions. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between levels of physical activity and descending pain modulatory function. Purpose This study’s purpose was to determine whether self-reported levels of physical activity in healthy adults predicted 1) pain sensitivity to heat and cold stimuli, 2) pain facilitatory function as tested by temporal summation of pain (TS), and 3) pain inhibitory function as tested by conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and offset analgesia. Methods Forty-eight healthy adults (age range 18–76) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the following pain tests: heat pain thresholds (HPT), heat pain suprathresholds, cold pressor pain (CPP), temporal summation of heat pain, conditioned pain modulation, and offset analgesia. The IPAQ measured levels of walking, moderate, vigorous and total physical activity over the past seven days. Hierarchical linear regressions were conducted to determine the relationship between each pain test and self-reported levels of physical activity, while controlling for age, sex and psychological variables. Results Self-reported total and vigorous physical activity predicted TS and CPM (p’s <.05). Individuals who self-reported more vigorous and total physical activity exhibited reduced temporal summation of pain and greater CPM. The IPAQ measures did not predict any of the other pain measures. Conclusion Thus, these results suggest that healthy older and younger adults who self-report greater levels of vigorous and total physical activity exhibit enhanced descending pain modulatory function. Improved descending pain modulation may be a mechanism through which exercise reduces or prevents chronic pain symptoms.