Physical activity may aid pain tolerance, new study finds

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Does physical exercise heal the pain we feel? Is there a better type of exercise for pain? A new study showed that Physical activity may aid pain tolerance. Researchers followed more than 10,000 people in Norway and tested their pain tolerance and its relationship to the amount of physical activity they did over an 8-year period: sedentary (did not), mild, moderate, and vigorous.

A pain tolerance increases with more physical activity: those with higher levels of physical activity at the time had greater pain tolerance than those who were inactive in a test in which people dipped their hands in cold water. The amount of physical activity matters: The most active resist for about 16 seconds longer than those who are inactive.

But shouldn’t the sufferer rest?

“For the most diverse subcategories of chronic pain recognized in the literature (11 in total), absolute rest is not recommended,” according to Leonardo Ávila, PhD, Physiotherapist and pain clinician in Neuroscience.

“Only in chronic pain conditions where the patient presents the transient subcategory of chronic pain + exacerbation (daily pain with “escapes” of pain intensity over time) is it possible to recommend partial active rest. Thus, as the pain intensity decreases (on an 11-point scale), the patient gradually steps down to daily pain relief. continues activities as well as physical exercise It should be noted that in some cases, staying active and/or doing physical exercise can help control pain exacerbation (‘escape from pain intensity’), a phenomenon known as pain. Exercise Induced Hypoalgesia‘, adds Ávila.

What is it and what mechanisms explain this phenomenon?

The relationship between exercise and pain still needs to be investigated due to its complexity, but there is a strong hypothesis explaining some of the results. An exercise session has some strengths, one of which is the phenomenon of hypoalgesia, It is an inhibitory pain response during and after exercise..

The intensity of your pain may decrease after just one exercise session. Ávila underlines: “Exercise-induced hypoalgesia is literally like taking a drug, whose effects last up to about 30 minutes after training. The magnitude of hypoalgesia depends on the method, dose, and intensity of physical exercise, the type of noxious stimulus used to evoke pain, and quantification of pain. depends on the method used.

The physiotherapist explains that “there is more than one event in our body that occurs through movement, so the mechanisms that produce this phenomenon are diverse, including: endogenous opioid, endocannabinoid, monoamine, immune systems, autonomic responses, and psychosocial aspects (such as fear, hypervigilance, and catastrophic pain)” .

Is there a better type of exercise to reduce pain intensity?

In an overview, considering chronic musculoskeletal pain, Ávila states, based on research: “At the start, you can choose any type of exercise that is easy to access and associated with pleasure, but not mandatory.for physically inactive persons with high sedentary behavior”.

In fact, the most important thing is to move from inactivity to active behavior, regardless of modality.

Recommendations may differ if we analyze some specific pathologies, such as fibromyalgia, a syndrome involving whole-body pain and other associated symptoms, we have more studies showing the effectiveness of aerobic training for reducing pain. Along with improving the quality of life, bodybuilding also has good effects. However, Ávila explains, “due to dysfunctional sensitivity of the central nervous system, patients may experience more episodes of pain with strength exercises than with aerobic exercises.”

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The neuroscientist points out that there are aspects that leave fertile ground for the patient to respond better to pain management: physical exercise, sleep, nutrition and mental health.

“One of the pillars of treatment is to make physical exercise meaningful to the patient in the case of non-drug therapy. For the treatment of pain intensity and physical disability, only one stimulus, for example, physical exercise, regardless of modality, is sufficient to trigger a series of neurophysiological effects throughout the nervous (central and peripheral) and immune (central and peripheral) systems. and the psychosocial state of patients with a wide range of subcategories of chronic pain,” concludes Ávila.

We know that being physically active protects you and increases pain tolerance, but exercise also acts as a cure. Physical exercises are safe, effective and inexpensive to control pain.

fabio dominski He holds a PhD in Human Movement Sciences and a degree in Physical Education from Santa Catarina State University (UDESC). He is a university professor and researcher at the Sport and Exercise Psychology Laboratory (LAPE/CEFID/UDESC). He is the author of Physical Exercise and Science – Facts and Myths and presents the Physical Exercise and Science program on UDESC Joinvile radio (91.9 FM); in the program Available as a podcast on Spotify.