A Meta-Analytic Review of the Hypoalgesic Effects of Exercise

Abstract

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.

Effects of regular physical activity on pain, anxiety, and depression in patients with treatment-resistant arterial hypertension

“…aerobic, isometric, and resisting exercises resulted in pain alleviation in healthy adults, as well as in some people with chronic pain [24]. Physical activity may have a beneficial influence on pain alleviation by increasing the pain threshold as a result of exercise-induced hypoalgesia.…”

“…Physical activity may have a beneficial influence on pain alleviation by increasing the pain threshold as a result of exercise-induced hypoalgesia. the influence of the serotonin and adrenergic downward systems, as well as the effect of endogenous opioids and cannabinoids, has also been considered here [24,25]. the type, length, and intensity of physical effort influence the nature of posteffort hypoalgesia.…”

Authors' Response to Commentary by Drs Sueki and Achhnani on the Article, “Does Exercise Decrease Pain via Conditioned Pain Modulation in Adolescents?”

“…A meta-analysis assessing pain responses following a single exercise session concluded that effects sizes were highly variable for individuals with chronic pain; although moderate/high-intensity exercise may exacerbate pain for individuals with widespread chronic pain. 10 Similarly, we have shown that women with fibromyalgia experience variability in their pain response (ie, increase, decrease, and no change in pain) following isometric contractions held to exhaustion. 11 In the current adolescent study, pain relief was assessed following a single exercise session only.…”

“…Finally, for individuals with a regional pain condition, exercise is an excellent option because of its systemic effects; exercising a distal muscle can produce EIH at the painful muscle. 10 We look forward to continuing this discussion and exploring the best way to use exercise and CPM in pediatric physical therapy. …”

(343) Dose-response effect of isometric force production on the perception of pain

“…There is a long history of studying the effects of exercise on pain perception (for review see [1,2,3]). Exercise can reduce the perception of pain-eliciting mechanical, thermal, and electrical stimuli [4,5,6,7,8,9,10].…”