Objectives: Chronic inflammation increases the production of cytokines and activates proinflammatory pathways which may lead to nonspecific low back pain (LBP). We systematically reviewed the literature to investigate whether inflammatory biomarkers are associated with nonspecific LBP. Materials and Methods: CINAHL, Medline, and Embase were searched between January 1946 and May 2018. MeSH terms and key words were used to identify studies examining the association between inflammatory biomarkers and LBP. Two reviewers performed the risk of bias assessment and 3 reviewers extracted data independently. Qualitative evidence synthesis was performed. Results: Thirteen studies, ranging from fair to low quality, were included. Five studies examined the association between C-reactive protein (CRP)/high-sensitivity CRP and LBP; 6 studies assessed tumor necrosis factors (TNFs); 8 studies assessed interleukins (ILs); and 2 studies assessed fibrinogen. There was evidence for an association of elevated levels of CRP, TNFs, and IL-6 with LBP. There was conflicting evidence for an association between IL-1β, fibrinogen, and LBP. Discussion: Our findings support the notion of a positive association between inflammatory biomarkers and nonspecific LBP, specifically for CRP, TNFs, and IL-6. Although further high quality longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate the magnitude of these associations, our findings suggest a role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of nonspecific LBP.

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Background Pain sensitisation plays a major role in musculoskeletal pain. However, effective treatments are limited, and although there is growing evidence that exercise may improve pain sensitisation, the amount and type of exercise remains unclear. This systematic review examines the evidence for an effect of aerobic exercise on pain sensitisation in musculoskeletal conditions. Methods Systematic searches of six electronic databases were conducted. Studies were included if they examined the relationship between aerobic physical activity and pain sensitisation in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain, but excluding specific patient subgroups such as fibromyalgia. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane methods and a qualitative analysis was conducted. Results Eleven studies (seven repeated measures studies and four clinical trials) of 590 participants were included. Eight studies had low to moderate risk of bias. All 11 studies found that aerobic exercise increased pressure pain thresholds or decreased pain ratings in those with musculoskeletal pain [median (minimum, maximum) improvement in pain sensitisation: 10.6% (2.2%, 24.1%)]. In these studies, the aerobic exercise involved walking or cycling, performed at a submaximal intensity but with incremental increases, for a 4-60 min duration. Improvement in pain sensitisation occurred after one session in the observational studies and after 2-12 weeks in the clinical trials. Conclusions These findings provide evidence that aerobic exercise reduces pain sensitisation in individuals with musculoskeletal pain. Further work is needed to determine whether this translates to improved patient outcomes, including reduced disability and greater quality of life.

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